Chapter 8
Anakin sighed heavily, shaking his head. "That'll be me," he told the Togruta girl. "That's Master Kenobi and his Padawan, Jaina, over there, being completely unprofessional. Just ignore them."
As Jaina and Obi-Wan began to settle from their laughing fit, Jaina struggled to regulate her breathing, purposefully avoiding looking towards her Master.
"I mean this with the utmost respect, Master…but I don't think I can look at you for at least another ten minutes," she muttered, her shoulders still shaking slightly.
Obi-Wan paused, still struggling to get his own chuckles under control.
His little one was adorable—her dimples on full display, her entire face still flushed, her eyes twinkling brightly in the midst of all her suppressed laughter.
"I concur," Obi-Wan whispered, not making eye contact with her either. "Ten minutes should suffice."
The Togruta girl turned back towards Anakin, a bright smile on her face. "I'm the new Padawan Learner. I'm Ahsoka Tano," she explained cheerfully. "I've just been assigned to you, Master Skywalker."
Jaina's shoulders twitched, a giggle threatening to escape her lips. "Uh oh…"
"...What did you just say?!" Anakin seethed. "There must have been a mistake!" He threw a finger in Obi-Wan's direction. "He was the one who wanted a Padawan!"
Jaina folded her arms across her chest. "That was four months ago. He has me now, in case you've forgotten."
Obi-Wan pressed his tongue against the roof of his mouth, biting and trying to find any other way to keep from laughing at Anakin's murderous expression.
"This is ridiculous!" Anakin seethed.
Ahsoka raised her chin defiantly towards Anakin. "Master Yoda was very specific," she quipped. "'I'm assigned to Anakin Skywalker, and he is to supervise my Jedi training'."
She smirked. "You're stuck with me, Skyguy."
Jaina's shoulders shook. Sensing her Master's equal struggle next to her, she did not dare look at him…
"…Skyguy?" Anakin hissed. "What did you just call me?!"
Obi-Wan's attempt to contain himself was quickly on the verge of failing.
The Jedi Master's face was flushed, and his eyes were twinkling with mirth. He could feel his little Padawan shaking next to him.
Anakin may have been the most powerful Jedi alive, but there was one thing that even the Chosen One could not escape.
…The nicknames.
Anakin scowled down at Ahsoka. "You did not just call me 'Skyguy'."
Jaina's shoulders trembled, and her entire frame twitched with suppressed laughter. She gazed down at her datapad, desperately avoiding both the hilarious scene of Anakin and Ahsoka, and her own Master's eyes.
Ahsoka continued to grin at the Jedi Knight.
Anakin's scowl deepened, he crossed his arms. "Don't get snippy with me, little one. You know, I don't even think you're old enough to be a Padawan."
"Well, maybe I'm not," Ahsoka retorted smugly. "But Master Yoda thinks I am."
Jaina snorted, just barely holding in her laughter. "It would appear Master Skywalker has met his match," she whispered towards her Master, snickering.
Obi-Wan's shoulders were trembling, his breath catching in his throat, and his whole body shaking in a constant struggle not to break into hysterical laughter at the delicious irony of the entire situation.
Ahsoka's smug attitude towards Anakin was entirely…
Anakin had never met his match—not until Ahsoka Tano came along.
"You could say that," he whispered back, choking out a soft laugh.
Hearing the soft laugh, Jaina turned to glance up towards her Master…and immediately regretted it.
The moment her eyes locked with his, he was done—finished—finished for good.
His little one had made it impossible to maintain his composure.
The pair of them were completely helpless in fighting their laughing fits once again, their entire bodies shaking and trembling from the effort to suppress their laughter
"Jaina!" the Jedi Master scolded, in between desperate chuckles. "We said ten minutes!"
Anakin sighed heavily, shaking his head and bringing a hand to the bridge of his nose, while Ahsoka watched the Master-Padawan pair with wide eyes.
"You two are impossible," Anakin growled. "I'll go and check on Rex in the lookout post."
"Maybe you should take Ahsoka with you, give her a little tour of the base," Jaina added cheerfully, stifling her laughter. "After all, Padawans are—what were your words earlier?—'attached to their Master's hip'?"
Obi-Wan barked out a laugh even before he heard Anakin's loud growl, and his whole body trembled with laughter as he lost his composure to his chuckles once more.
Ahsoka continued to smirk, an impish giggle escaping her lips.
Anakin furiously walked closer to the other Master-Padawan pair with his arms crossed in front of his chest.
"I am not a babysitter," Anakin grumbled.
"No." Jaina grinned. "You're a Master now, with a Padawan of your own."
"I have better things to do," Anakin hissed angrily. "You know what, Jaina? Why don't you show Ahsoka around, you give her a tour."
Jaina's eyebrows rose, her laughter immediately stopping. "...Me?"
Anakin nodded smugly. "Yeah, you. That way I can do other important things than babysit a Padawan on a training tour."
Obi-Wan, meanwhile, just stared at the expression on Anakin's face, trying to hold back his chuckles once more.
"You aren't my Master," Jaina frowned and folded her arms across her chest. "You can't order me, not without his approval."
Anakin's scowl turned into a slight snarl.
That look.
He took one step closer towards Obi-Wan, and the tiny, four-foot-ten Padawan at his side with the pink ribbon in her hair. "Oh, can't I?"
Jaina's eyes widened as she subconsciously took another step back, slightly behind her Master.
Obi-Wan's eyes went wide. His expression changed quickly from amusement to sternness.
The Jedi Master reached out, taking a firm grasp on the tiny girl at his side, and moved her firmly behind his back, shielding her from Anakin's anger.
"Anakin, no." His face was completely serious now. "You will not order my Padawan without my express permission."
Jaina blinked upwards, gazing beyond her Master's shoulder, completely stunned at the expression on Anakin's face—an expression she'd never seen before, in the four months of the war that they had worked alongside him.
Anakin continued to glare at Obi-Wan, seething with what looked like a mix of anger, irritation, and embarrassment.
He had to know that he had crossed a line.
Obi-Wan's eyes narrowed, his whole body rigid, but his expression deadly calm as Anakin stared him down.
"Anakin," the Jedi Master continued evenly. "You will take Ahsoka—your new Padawan—with you to the lookout post. And you will be the one to show her around the base. Am I understood?"
Anakin glared at his former Master for several more moments. Then turned on his heel.
"Come on, Ahsoka," he barked, walking quickly out of the Command Center, with Ahsoka, her eyes completely wide, on his heels.
Jaina blew out a long breath, frowning deeply.
Once Anakin and Ahsoka had left the Command Center, Obi-Wan sighed heavily.
The Jedi Master turned around and looked downwards towards Jaina, who held her arms rigidly at her sides. He gently put his hands on her shoulders, his voice soft once more. "Are you alright, my little one?"
"I'm—I should never—I should never have—I took it too far, I—I shouldn't—" Jaina stammered softly, trailing off. She sighed. "Oh no, oh no, oh no—I hope—I hope I haven't ruined Ahsoka's first day as a Padawan—"
A small smile crossed Obi-Wan's face—his little one was always so concerned about every little thing.
"Oh, please," He whispered in amusement, shaking his head. "You stood up for yourself, and for your Master." He shrugged. "Besides, Anakin has to learn patience and humility someday. Perhaps now Ahsoka will be able to help him get there."
The Jedi Master chuckled softly and reached out, lightly cupping her cheek for a moment and smoothing the flustered expression off her face.
"Do not worry at all, my little one," he said. "Anakin and Ahsoka will have plenty of time to get to know one another."
"I just…" Jaina sighed. "Our own Padawanship Ceremony and my first day as your Padawan will probably always be one of the most profound and memorable experiences of my life—I didn't—I didn't even know that the Council was assigning Padawans now—without the choosing process, and Exhibition Day, and the Ceremony, and the braid ritual and all—but now I feel even more guilty for having contributed to Anakin's rage and annoyance—and—and potentially ruining Ahsoka's first day as a Padawan—and—and it's supposed to have been such a special moment for her but—"
Obi-Wan gently put his finger to her lips, a simple gesture he had done multiple times in the past months to slow her quick mind.
She didn't always need to overthink all the time, but he knew very well by now that it was a side-effect to her mind. He had grown accustomed to his little one speaking far too quickly—and far too much—for her own good.
"Hush, my little one," the Jedi Master whispered softly. "You're doing it again."
Jaina sighed softly and nodded. "Sorry."
He smiled. "Don't apologize."
Obi-Wan paused, choosing his words. "Our Padawanship Ceremony was a truly special moment, indeed," he continued. "But Anakin and Ahsoka are not us, and they need to find their own way to spend their first day." He shrugged. "They will have their own special moments together, as Master and Padawan. As you and I have had ours."
Jaina frowned. "But—"
"Jaina." His little one was so sweet, and so concerned—all the time—about everything and everyone. "Enough."
"Anakin's 'rage and annoyance' are not your fault," he said firmly. "Anakin will be Anakin. You did not ruin Ahsoka's day."
Obi-Wan smiled gently down at her. "And Anakin will grow to like her. They will get to know one another—on their own time—in their own special moments, which will be theirs and theirs alone."
He gently took her chin in his hand, forcing her to look into his eyes.
"So, please, do not worry yourself on their account," Obi-Wan continued, his voice quiet and serious. "Can you do that for me?"
Jaina nodded softly, a small sigh escaping her lips. "Yes, Master."
"Good. Now, I have a scheduled call with the Council. I must provide an update on the situation here on Christophsis," he said. "I want you to work with Cody for the next two hours, get him up to speed on the battle plan you devised."
Obi-Wan tugged at her curls. "Be good."
"Yes, Master." Jaina smiled and nodded, reaching for the datapad on the table and slipping it back into her pocket. "Did you want me to put together contingencies for the asset allocations as well?"
Obi-Wan smiled back warmly, his eyes glittering with pride. She was always on top of things, and, in more ways than one, always one step ahead.
"I'm surprised you haven't done so already," he said with a wink. "Work with Cody. I should be finished in two hours, I'll be able to review everything then."
"Well, we were a little bit busy with all that drama, weren't we?" Jaina teased, grinning as she made her way to the Command Center exit. "See you later, Master."
Obi-Wan chuckled. "See you later, my little one."
She was always thinking.
It was both a gift, and a curse. A burden.
Her mind worked so quickly, it was almost impossible for her to not be so anxious about doing everything properly, and not letting her Master or anyone else down.
And her little heart cared so deeply.
His little one.
Who seemed so sweet and soft, but who also had an edge when needed—who was cunning, and calculating, and fast, and who had fought beside him in a brutal war for four months…at thirteen.