Chapter 1
Padawanship
Outside the closed double doors to the Council Chamber, Jaina stood in a fresh tunic and robe, her brunette curls neatly tied, her fingers fidgeting behind her back as she gazed outside a large window, at the sun beginning to set over the Coruscant skyline.
A quiet knock came from the Council Chamber twin doors, the one to the right being opened by Obi-Wan. His look still remained both stoic and stern, and yet his heart raced inside him, as he knew what his decision was.
Despite the turmoil in the galaxy—and within the Order itself—right now, he felt compelled to take this girl on as a Padawan.
A small voice inside him begged for him to wait for better times, and yet he was almost certain that this was the right decision. Not just for her, but for himself.
"I thank you for your patience, Jaina," Obi-Wan began quietly, maintaining eye contact. "You can reveal your hands from behind your back."
"I—" Jaina trailed off, blinking in shock and confusion, her fingers immediately stopping their nervous fidgets.
"I need you to know that I can sense your anxiety from here," Obi-Wan said, his tone remaining even and straightforward. "I need you to know that this is nothing to fear."
"You're not in trouble, and you haven't made things any more difficult for yourself. I can simply sense that you are anxious, and I want to help you to feel at ease."
Taking a deep breath, he decided to deliver the news.
"I wish to make you my Padawan," Obi-Wan said calmly, his voice a slight echo in the hallway outside the Council Chambers. "Should you accept, the Council is convened inside for the Padawanship Ceremony."
"I—" Jaina's eyes widened, her heart pounding in her chest. "...Really?" She breathed, before she could have stopped herself.
"Yes, really," Obi-Wan replied, giving her a small smile and a brief nod. "You have proven to me today that—despite your Soresu form perhaps needing further refinement—you have the determination and the mental fortitude necessary to become an exceptional Jedi during these unprecedented times."
He took a step closer to the young girl, noting how this whole process—from the Sparring Tournament, to her coming to speak with him, to the hours waiting for his decision—was likely overwhelming her. "But I need to know one more thing…"
Jaina made the conscious effort to relax her hands and keep them by her sides. "Master Kenobi?"
Obi-Wan was pleased to see the teenager relax at his order to keep her hands by her sides. He took that as a sign that she was going to let go of her anxieties and trust him. And if she was able to do that from the beginning, then they had a promising future ahead of them.
"Do me a favor and close your eyes," Obi-Wan requested with a warm smile. "For one, final test."
Jaina blinked in confusion for a moment, then slid her eyes closed.
Obi-Wan moved around to her other side, his hands cupping her cheeks. He could sense her surprise, her entire body going rigid for a moment, just as he could sense how much trust she was putting in him.
"Now, focus your breathing for just a moment," Obi-Wan instructed, trying to calm her nerves through his voice. "Inhale, Exhale...and relax."
He sensed her surprise, joy and determination at his decision. Her anxiety at the potential future ahead of them, and her eagerness to learn and to improve.
What he did not feel was any fear or resistance towards him. No doubt or second thoughts.
"You can open your eyes."
Jaina slowly opened her eyes, clasping her hands in front of her, and blinking for a few moments.
Obi-Wan studied the teenager in front of him, noting the excitement and surprise in her blue eyes, and the slight flushing of her pale cheeks.
But he wasn't just looking at a teenage girl.
He was looking at his new Padawan.
"The Council is waiting," he said softly, opening one of the doors into the Council Chambers for her.
Jaina nodded softly and took in a deep breath, focusing on keeping her expression as neutral as she could, as she stepped into the Council Chambers for the most important moment of her Jedi life so far.
The Padawan Rites Ceremony.
As the door closed behind her, the rest of the Council—the Masters Yoda, Windu, Mundi, Plo Koon, Depa Billaba and Adi Gallia—all turned to face her.
Obi-Wan looked at her with a sense of pride and excitement, once again sensing that he had made the right choice.
Yoda stepped forward, a warm smile—one that only the Grand Master was capable of achieving—shined on the small, green Jedi's face.
"Step forward, Padawan," he instructed her calmly.
Jaina felt as though all her anxieties and excitement melted away, replaced by an inexplicable calm as she took her step forward and gazed solemnly at the Jedi Grand Master.
Yoda looked between her and Obi-Wan, noting how much this moment meant to both of them. He knew this wasn't just the beginning of a new chapter in the life of a Jedi Padawan, but the life of her Master as well.
"Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi has selected you as his Padawan," Master Windu stated calmly, yet sternly. "Your hard work and your determination have impressed him. But the responsibility you are about to undertake is not one that can be taken lightly."
"Do you fully understand the responsibility you are undertaking, Padawan?"
Jaina nodded solemnly, clasping her hands in front of her. "I understand, Master Windu."
"A Master-Padawan relationship requires the utmost dedication," Master Plo Koon continued solemnly, noting how prepared this young teen seemed for the responsibility that her Master was about to share with her. "It is a sacred pillar of the Jedi Order, and requires both parties to trust one another, and to work together in the pursuit of knowledge, of the Force and the light, and of the truth."
He motioned for her to continue. "Do you understand this, Padawan?"
Jaina nodded firmly. "I understand, Master Koon."
"Good." Master Adi Gallia nodded, just as solemnly as her fellow Council Members. "Your Master will require your loyalty and your trust, as you will require your Master's."
Master Ki-Adi Mundi gazed at her. "With the start of the Clone Wars, Jedi Masters—particularly Jedi Council Members—are now Jedi High Generals, with their attention and expertise required now more than ever."
"As your Master's designated GAR Second-In-Command, this will bring forth a new set of challenges for you both." Mundi stared at her, his eyes solemn. "Do you understand the challenges, the danger, you will be facing? As a member of both the Jedi Order and the Grand Army of the Republic?"
Jaina nodded, without hesitation. "I understand, Master Gallia, Master Mundi."
Yoda leaned in closer, as if preparing to deliver the most crucial words of the ceremony itself.
"Proven yourself capable, you have," he proclaimed, his tone remaining somber. "But a Master-Padawan bond is a lifelong commitment, one that cannot be broken once made."
He continued in a solemn voice, as if to ensure the young Padawan could hear him.
"Do you understand the responsibility and the commitment?"
Jaina nodded once more. "I understand, Master Yoda."
Yoda nodded, satisfied with her answer.
"Good." Master Windu spoke up again. "You may recite the Pledge."
The chamber grew silent, the Council's attention focused on the young girl whose future had just been changed forever.
Jaina took in a slow, deep breath, turning to face her new Master.
"I, Jaina Arden, vow to serve and obey my Master, Obi-Wan Kenobi. To walk in the Light of the Force, and to live by the Tenets of the Jedi Code."
"I vow to be a loyal and trustworthy apprentice, and to follow my Master's teachings."
"I vow to strive for excellence, and to uphold the Three Pillars of the Jedi Order.
To protect all life, and to serve with courage and with compassion, as Guardian of the Peace."
Jaina touched her fist to her open palm and lowered into a reverent bow. "I pledge myself to you, as your Padawan."
Obi-Wan smiled gently.
"I, Obi-Wan Kenobi, accept you, Jaina Arden, as my Padawan."
"I vow to be a fair and just teacher, guiding you on the path of the Jedi, and training you in the ways of the Light."
"I vow to protect you, and to always act in your best interests—in safety, and in danger."
He paused, gazing at the teenage girl in front of him.
"I pledge to be a mentor and a friend, to offer guidance and support, and to stand by your side as we work together to serve as Guardians of the Peace."
Yoda looked between the two of them—the seasoned, experienced Jedi Master and the young, determined teenage Padawan—contemplating the future ahead of them.
This would be a difficult, dangerous time for Jedi training.
Master Windu nodded towards the new pair. "Let us begin to conclude the Ceremony with the Padawan braid and the final words."
Jaina carefully slipped the pale pink ribbon off her hair, causing her brunette curls to hang over her shoulder.
Master Plo Koon stepped forward.
"Master Kenobi, you have selected a promising student as your Padawan, one who will need your teachings and guidance. Now more than ever."
"The braid is a symbol of commitment. A bond. A vow. Do you understand the meaning of the braid?"
Obi-Wan looked over at his new Padawan with an affectionate smile. "I do."
Jaina smiled back up towards her new Master and slowly turned around, holding the rest of her hair back, save for a small section behind her right ear.
Obi-Wan stepped towards her, his hands moving to tie a small braid into the section of her hair that was left untied. He worked carefully, wanting to demonstrate the care and attention paid in this sacred ritual, and in their relationship.
"May this braid," he said, with a kind smile on his face, "serve as a symbol of our promise, our commitment and our bond."
He completed the final knot in the Padawan braid and gazed at the girl in front of him.
His Padawan.
"And may it serve as a reminder…" he continued, "...in darker times, as well as bright, when all seems lost, and when all seems hopeless…"
He paused for a second, and gazed at her once more.
"…you will never walk this world alone."
Jaina smiled softly, lowering her head once more in both a nod, and a respectful bow.
After a moment of silence, Master Windu spoke up again.
"By the Right of the Council, by the Will of the Force, may this braid symbolize the beginning of your journey together," he said solemnly. "May it bind you to each other, to the Jedi Order, and to the Force."
"That bond is sacred, and shall not be broken."
The Council members nodded, the solemn expressions on their faces broken by the sight of the teenage Jedi—and her new Padawan braid—standing in front of her new Master.
"Let us now conclude the Ceremony," Windu said.
"'I am yours, and you are mine'.
'As it was'.
As it is'."
As it shall be'."
Jaina took in a deep, steadying breath, knowing full well that her entire life was about to change—that her journey as a Jedi, was about to truly begin.
Both Master and Padawan bowed their heads solemnly, repeating the phrase together, their voices as in sync and as connected as their fates:
"…I am yours, and you are mine…"
Obi-Wan looked up at the young teenager in front of him—at the soft smile on her face—his heart swelling in his chest at having done the right thing.
"...As it was. As it is. As it shall be."
The oath had been spoken.
They were now bound by the Force.