Chapter 6 Back to the Temple

"Gavin, Gavin, Master Yoda wants to speak to you." One of Gavins few friends, a Torunga named Ahsoka ran up talking excitedly. At the age of 2 she was barley old enough to walk but she was running around talking. She also took a liking to him like a big brother and had followed him pestering him to read from the archive to her.

Gavin knew she would eventually become Anikans Padawan. One of the few members of the order that would survive, and an excellent example of you did not have to be a Jedi to follow the light. He entertained her, her laughter and curiosity were infectious and she won him over with her persistence.

"Hey Ahsoka good morning. You said Master Yoda was looking for me?" Gavin responded.

She nodded with a seriousness that while might be meant to seem mature on her it just looked cute. "Yeah Gavin, He said to tell you he needed to talk to you about something." She hurried out of the room before poking her head back around the corner. "Afterwards can you red to me in the archives?"

"What about Master Plo Koon? Won't he read if you ask him?" Gavin asked, referring to the Jedi who brought her to the temple and the other person she was closest to.

She shook her head sadly "He was asked to sit in on the test of a new prospect for the order." She scrunched her face a little. " And he doesn't make the funny voices you do when you are telling a story." She then ran off.

Gavin stood up stretching. (Unless I miss my guess then the prospect for the order should be Anakin Skywalker. Which means that they have returned from Naboo and encountered Maul for the first time.) He thought to himself. He put on his outer robes and moved along the quiet Majestic halls to see Master Yoda.

"Good Morning young Gavin" Yoda greeted him before continuing. "Short on time, I am this day. Of you a question I have."

"Yes Master what is it?" Gavin awnsered.

"Have you decided your path?" Yoda asked this with regret in his heart. He observed the young man for a long time but where as he was a prodigy with the lightsaber. Brilliant in his knowledge of politics and wise in the manner he settled disputes he had never gotten a better handle of the force.

"Master I still wish to be picked as a Padawan Learner." Gavin knew to do the most good he must be in the middle of the action. Hard to do that when you are mapping the unknown regions or sitting at a table listening to 2 politicians squabble like a pair of younglings arguing over a toy.

Yoda sighed. He was afraid the boy had not given up yet. No Jedi would accept him with his poor aptitude for the force.

Yaddle watched a twinkle in her eye. How her old friend couldn't feel it she will never know. If yesterday Gavin was as a dim candle in the force ready to be blown out in the slightest breeze, the one before her now was as the sun at midday. She shook her head never had she heard of such a jump in talent and it amazed her.

Yaddle was closer in spirit to Qui Gon Ginn than to the other counsel members. She saw the shortc9mings of their order and sought to change them. Change was slow however. for centuries the Jedi remained the same. Stagnant and growing weaker, times had changed and the order remained the same.

(If he remains ignorant I will accept him myself.) She thought.

Yoda surprised them both by picking up a chair with the force and throwing it at Gavin. Gavin dodge by a hairsbreath. "What was that for?" He asked.

"Strong in the force a Jedi must be. You must understand your limits. If even this you cannot handle how then a Jedi will you be?" Yoda answered. He did not want to do this but the boy's talent was to great to go to waste chasing a dream he could not achieve. Yoda had spoken to both the Survey Corps and Diplomatic Corp and both wanted the boy. They were even arguing over him before he knew about it.

Yaddle was about to step in. She understood that Yoda only wanted what was best for the boy but it was taking it too far. Ash she began to stop it an amazing sight happened. As the chair was thrown once more Gavin raised his hand stopping it in mid air.

"My path is my own." He said with a graveness that belied his age." Gavin then with a gesture sat the chair back on the floor.

Yoda looked at him in shock. "Young one how did you do that?"

Master Yaddle also entered giving her old friend a look. "Are you going blind in your old age? Reach out through the force and feel him."

Yoda reached out with the force and was almost blinded. Gavin shown like a brilliant star. Yoda, the Old master who had seen much and done more was surprised for the first time in as long as he could remember.

"An apology you are owed little one." Yoda said when he could speak again.

"It's alright Master you were trying to do what you felt was best for me." Gavin answered. He had not expected the little master to attack him but there was no hostile intent with the attack so Gavin chose to see it as a test.

"My padawan I will take you as," Yoda said before being interrupted.

"Maybe I want him." Yaddle spoke. "I saw his potential when he came into the room you, you old goat had to attack him to get an idea."

Yoda looked with a little annoyance not many Jedi could speak to him like that. Yaddle was one. She was just as powerful as him and will live just as long. Besides she was right he should have seen it. The vision of the Jedi was becoming more clouded, and it was worrying him.

"Talk about this later, we will." Yoda said finally.

Gavin knew he did not have the influence to change a major event yet but he wanted to try if left as was then Qui Gon would die when they returned to Naboo. Across much of the lore this was a major turning point that led to Darth Vader. It was called the duel of the fates for a reason.

"Master the rumors are that Master Ginn fought a sith on Tatooine." Gavin began.

"Not confirmed is this." Yoda began. "And worry about this you should not."

"Master surley there is a hollow of the duel. I have studied the archives and lightsaber styles maybe I ran across mention of the assailant's style while doing research."

Both Yoda and Yaddle paused at this it was an angle they had not considered yet. "Yes I agree." Yoda said finally pulling up the surveillance holos caught by the Naboo ship. As they watched the fight from beginning to end Yoda felt with the force. Gavin seemed at peace watching the fight with a tranquil eye.

After the short fight concluded concluded Master Yoda and Master Yaddle both asked Gavin what he thought.

"This was a test." Gavin began. Both Yoda and Yaddle frowning. "The assailant was testing Master Qui Gon and getting a measure of his opponent."

"Think this, why do you? Yoda asked he had his own thoughts now that Gavin had pointed it out bur was curious what the boy's thoughts were. Yaddle sat quietly observing for now.

"He approached on a speeder. Quick but not quiet, when he attacked he led by jumping high into the air, a dangerous gambit that if the opponentis preparedfor could be fatal. His jump indicated a decent mastery of the force, yet at no time did he use the force. The style was aggressive, seemed ro be some variant of Form VII. But did you notice his hilt?" Gavin gave a quick consise analysis of the fight.

"It is double bladed." Yaddle spoke beginning to see where he was going with this.

"For this next bit I'm going to put myself in the mindset of if it was my mission to deal with Master Qui Gon what I would do based on the knowledge I gathered.

Yoda raised an eyebrow. "And how would you do this hmm? An idea you have?"

Gavin nodded. "It is no secret that Master Qui Gon and Obi Wan Kenobi are Master and student. Students tend to learn the same style of their Master and only later train in a style that fits them better."

"A reasonable assumption" Yaddle spoke.

"The assailant is young. If it was me I would draw out the fight waitingnon Master Qui Gon to tire. I would then find a way to separate them and whenever see an opening brought on by exhaustion finish him before dealing with Obi Wan separately."