Author's note: Chapter edited to eliminate spelling and grammar mistakes. There still might be some, but I hope I've caught most of them.

~ 1 ~

Reluctant beginning

- The Force judges you not by the height you have risen,

but from the depth you have climbed -

The council meeting was set to begin in less than five minutes. Anakin waited outside the chamber doors, summoned without explanation, and he was not happy about it. His mind was elsewhere, replaying the events from two weeks ago over and over. It had happened just days after his 17th birthday. His Master was dead, killed by a dark side acolyte named Ventress. Despite never imagining he'd feel this way, he was shaken. Master Atal had been old and a conservative scholar who strictly adhered to the book, showing no respect or acknowledgment of his Padawan's potential. Anakin often felt overlooked and held back. Yet, Atal had been the closest thing to a father he'd had—a stern and authoritarian figure, but a father nonetheless. Now, what the teenager felt was grief and a sense of...yes, what exactly? Rejection? Betrayal? Anger? He could have saved his Master if the old man had only listened to him and taken Anakin along. But he hadn't been trusted, sent back to wait on the ship while Master Atal retrieved some historic artifacts of presumedly academic value that the natives had offered him. It had been a diplomatic mission to settle a minor conflict on the planet. Unbeknownst to the Jedi, the old scholar wasn't the only one interested in these artifacts. Whether it was a set trap or coincidence, nobody knew. Either way, the darksider had been there and made short, cruel work of the elderly Jedi, who was no match for the well-trained assassin. If only he had been allowed to accompany him, Anakin was certain he would have defeated the darksider. But nobody believed in him. Nobody trusted him. The whole Jedi order seemed determined to hold him back.

He heard footsteps and turned his head to see another person arrive. It was a male human Anakin had never seen before, who looked very young, barely older than Anakin himself. By the lightsaber clipped to the man's belt and the fact that non-Jedi were hardly ever allowed access to the temple, Anakin assumed he was a Jedi—probably a knight since the man didn't wear a Padawan braid. His long, pitch-black hair was tied into a messy bun, a few strands hanging in his face. His features had an almost feminine beauty to them, with lightly tanned skin and prominent, monolid eyes that angled slightly upwards. The teenager curiously scanned the new arrival. Oddly, he couldn't sense him in the Force. He was shorter than Anakin but stocky and impressively muscular, suggesting he was a proficient warrior. In addition to the lightsaber, there was a small blaster holster. Now that was peculiar - Anakin had never seen a Jedi openly carry a firearm before. Underneath a grey, short-sleeved cloak, he wore a simple, black, sleeveless tunic without a tabard and black gloves with some sort of armor covering his forearms. The outfit was completed by black military pants and dark brown boots, covered in dust and dirt. Not exactly traditional Jedi robes. His facial expression was grim and dismissive, his overall rough appearance giving the impression of someone always ready to fight. The man ignored the teenager and stopped by a window without a word of greeting.

"Hey. Do you know why we're here?" Anakin asked him.

"Hello. And no, I have no idea." He spoke with a notable accent, as if Galactic Basic—though the standard in the Order—wasn't his first language. Anakin couldn't pick out what it was. Once more, he reached out with the Force, trying to read him, without success. His aura was impenetrable, like a wall, and he still couldn't detect any sign of a Force signature. If anything, the man had something slightly menacing about him, as if to discourage those around from talking to him. It was something Anakin would have found intriguing if he weren't so busy resenting the Council and everything and everyone around him at that moment.

The council members had finally settled into their chairs, and him and the mystery arrival were gestured to walk in. Yoda spoke up first. "Continue your training you must, young Skywalker. And for you, Master Kano, time to take on a Padawan learner, it is."

"Padawan Skywalker, this is Master Kenshin Kano," added Windu. "He will be your new Master."

The words took a few seconds to sink in. Then Anakin realized what they meant. Again, he was not to become a Jedi Knight; he was to remain a Padawan learner for another undetermined length of time, and his temper surged.

"What? No, I'm ready for the trials! This is outrageous! I don't need a new Master!" he angrily burst out.

"Ready for the trials you are not. Accept the decision of the council you will," Yoda firmly stated. Mace Windu shot him a fiercely disapproving glance, but Anakin was more than used to those. The other Jedi—who had just been made his Master—kept a straight, marble face and didn't say a word.

Great, Anakin thought. I'm the most talented and most powerful Padawan in the whole Jedi Order. I'm top of my class! I even surpass most of the knights, and they still won't let me do the trials! They reassign me, and to who? Who in the blazes is that even supposed to be?

Outside the council room, his new Master said, "Please meet me at the common training area in two hours."

"I don't even know who you are! Some rogue idiot from Force knows where. I am ready for the trials, and they keep holding me back! Back off!"

In the back of his mind, Anakin knew he was judging the other Jedi prematurely. The man in front of him didn't deserve any of it, but he was so furious, he didn't care. The tantrum fit he had just thrown, however, earned him an unimpressed smirk. Anakin looked him defiantly in the eyes—very dark brown, almost black, but it was not the color that startled him. They were intense and piercing, as deep as the galaxy. All of a sudden, Anakin felt uneasy, as if the young man facing him could read every thought of his.

"Maybe you are ready for the trials, maybe not. Maybe I am unfit to be your master, maybe not. Whatever holds true, we will soon find out." And with that, he briskly walked off, like he urgently had somewhere to be.

Anakin sighed in frustration. He heard the familiar tap-tap of a walking stick behind him and turned around. "Master Yoda! Please, explain to me, why was I assigned to..."

"Judge your new Master already, you do, hmm?" interrupted Yoda. "Open eyes and ears you should. Learn a lot from Master Kano you can!" Yoda dismissed him with these words, being mysterious and vague as always. He might be very wise, but why, for blast's sake, couldn't he just give actual answers!

Anakin was not the only one doubting the recent assignment. A short distance from where the teenager had his frustrating conversation with the old Grandmaster, Mace Windu felt his much-longed-for retreat into one of the meditation chambers would have to wait as a voice demanded his attention.

"Why?"

Windu turned around; he hadn't sensed nor heard the young man approach.

"Why what, Kano?"

"Why was I ordered back here? Was it really for that Padawan—that I am the worst possible choice for? Or to put me on a leash?"

"As much as I'd like to do the latter—I had nothing to do with it. In fact, I voted against it. Blame your old Master."

"The old troll never truly was my Master. And not even the Force knows what he is thinking!" Without saying goodbye, Kenshin left as swiftly as he had appeared. Windu shook his head. He contemplated what exactly he liked the least about the young Jedi Master. Either way, he hadn't changed a bit in the last few years, nor had his blunt demeanor. Pairing Skywalker with him as a master could prove a troublesome combination. As if Yoda had sensed his concerns, the small green figure chose this very moment to show up.

"Something I sense, bother you it does," a knowing, amused smile sat on Yoda's face.

"Forgive me, Master Yoda, but are you sure assigning Skywalker to Master Kano was the right choice? I can't help but think it's fighting fire with fire."

"Hmmmmm, not sure of this assignment you are? Master Atal like a father for Skywalker was. Another father we have not—but give him a brother, we can! Doubt Master Kano, you should not! A great part in his training you had, yourself. Young he may be, bold and rebellious—but loyal and strong with the Force. Have faith you should! A good master for Skywalker he will be."

Anakin woke up, his head pounding, feeling sick. Slowly opening his eyes, he realized he was in a room that was unfamiliar but looked like most typical temple living quarters, although one of the smaller ones. The sun was shining outside; it must have been early morning. A young Jedi looked at him with a grim yet concerned expression.

"Where am I and who the blazes are you?" Anakin asked, squeezing his eyes shut and blinking a few times. The light of Coruscant's sun was too bright for his liking.

"I'm Kenshin Kano, and we're in my room. Yesterday, you were assigned to me as my new Padawan."

The words failed to make any sense to Anakin. "What happened? How did I get here...hold on…ugh. Farkled! " He grunted. Vague, incoherent memories started coming back. He remembered being tossed to the ground, feeling sick, everything, including the ground, moving. Then a glowing blade, a pair of dirty, dark brown boots next to his face—a Jedi!—then darkness.

"I'd be surprised if you remembered much. According to the bartender, you downed 14 shots of his hardest stuff."

"The bar...I got into a fight...wait a minute…you brought me here?"

Anakin looked confused, more memories of the day before flowing back into his mind...a fellow Padawan calling him names, they started a fight, an argument with Master Windu who had shown up to separate them and, of course, berate him...him storming off, away from everything...

"I was told you got into a fight and then ran. I went looking. The moment I found you, a large Togruta was about to turn you into pulp. I convinced him otherwise. After that, you barfed once on my boots and once all over my coat—thank blast not into the speeder—and I brought you here. I deemed it better to keep your field trip secret. Unless you want to fill Master Windu in on it. I checked for injuries; you got away with just a few bruises."

Speak of the devil, a comlink started beeping, and it was Mace Windu's voice that asked, "Master Kano. Where is Skywalker?"

"He's with me."

"He's to report to me at once! I tried to summon him, he didn't respond. I want him to explain yesterday's incident and why he attacked another Padawan, again!"

"He's feeling sick today and will rest until he recovers."

"He needs to learn his place! Send him to me now!"

"As his Master, this is now for me to decide and deal with!" Kenshin said and cut the comlink off.

Anakin looked at him in disbelief. "You don't seem to be very impressed by Master Windu."

"I am not. Never was."

"Why are you helping me?"

"Should I not?" Kenshin flatly replied.

"Mmmmm, I'm sorry," Anakin stammered, "what was your name again?"

"Kenshin."

A little fearful, he checked Kenshin's – his new Master's – expression. His clumsy, somewhat rude question didn't seem to bother the man.

"I think I haven't exactly been nice to you yesterday. At least from what I remember...Ouch," Anakin felt a sting of pain in his head that slowly diminished as Kenshin used the Force to ease the headache.

"I didn't take it personally. What did even happen yesterday?"

Anakin gave a short recount of his fight with the other boy and Windu stepping in. "They were calling me names. And Windu got mad at me for defending myself. But I can't let that slide! He doesn't understand. Nobody understands! I'm not allowed to do anything, nobody ever listens, everyone just keeps bossing me around and telling me I must control my emotions." Anakin now stared angrily into empty space.

The pair of dark brown eyes was scrutinizing him for a moment, without Anakin being able to tell if the somewhat bland expression was focused or disinterested.

"Get some rest and sleep off that hangover. We'll start training tomorrow."

Anakin didn't understand. He'd expected to at least get scolded, another reprimand added to the many he had received to that point. Not that he liked being scolded, but that was all that ever happened. Nobody ever cared about how he felt. As he tried to contemplate all of it, he drifted back to sleep.

"Thank you...Master."