The Master and the Padawan I

All beings begin their lives with hopes and aspirations, I was told once. Among these aspirations is the desire that there will be a day when one achieves these said goals despite the possibility of the path to them being a perilous one, full of uncertainties, obstacles, struggles and even so, if one keeps working towards the goal one will eventually reach it.

I don't remember much of my life before my days at the Temple after I was taken in by the Jedi Order to one day become one of them myself. Back when I was younger, I thought things were going to be simple for me. The Force was strong in me, Grandmaster Yoda told me once, in his funny way of speaking. Becoming a Jedi Knight, and serving the Order, brings balance to the Force. I was just a youngling then, but to me, all those things seemed pretty easy to do. Impaired by my youth, I didn't know any better.

 In one of her many writings, Master Iona of Ryloth, a female Twi'lek that served the Jedi Order in the days of the High Republic Era as that time was later called by scholars, she wrote that 'sometimes the turns are of one's own volition, as one's thoughts and goals change over time. But more often the turns are mandated by outside forces.' I stumbled upon her work in the Archives when I was five and was awfully obstinate about understanding Force Theory and Philosophy through the ages. I can't express how deeply her words would affect me just a little later in life.

I was six years old when the dreams started. At the very beginning, they felt like flashes of things, places, and faces I never knew. As the months passed, every night was a new dream, until I finally put the puzzle pieces together. I was dreaming of a strange life in an even stranger world without any specific details like names or faces. Everything changed when in those memories I was shown the future of the Galaxy. Well, parts of it. I saw terrible things that I never dared to think about. A war like there hasn't been in a millennia. Worst of all, I saw death, so much death and destruction. I saw the end of the Jedi Order as I knew. The only place I have ever called home was gonna be destroyed, all of my friends, all of the Masters that raised me in the ancient halls of the Temple of Coruscant. I cried every night for days that terrible realization. I never felt so alone before. Part of me wished I could have just said everything I knew to the High Council, but I have always been aware of the distrust some of them had in me and that in their position I wouldn't have listened to words of calamities from the mouth of a child. I knew I could only trust myself then, and also that from that day onwards I had a lot to do.

 Still, I knew enough to figure out that the plans and dreams I had hoped for had been ruthlessly taken away from me by an external factor beyond my power. Maybe it was the Force itself that decided to change my life and burden me with the fate of the galaxy itself, but something inside me told me that the Force was not to blame. I wonder if Master Iona had any idea that one day, centuries after she was dead, a little boy would read what she wrote in that research and just how terribly personal her words would become to him.

Truth be told, it took everything from me to not resent my life then, and even now, years later, I still find myself brooding over things I know I cannot change. I know it wasn't my choice to learn about any of those things, sure. But it is my choice to do something about it when the opportunity arises. I did all I could to prepare myself.

I worked like a dog (a funny creature from the world of my dreams) to become the best I could possibly be, I studied all I could get my hands on (much to Master Jocasta Nu's exasperation and the judgment of Master Windu who didn't like me very much). I am proud to say that I am one of the best younglings this Order ever had (at least I like to think that way), even if some of my peers were better than me in some things like lightsaber combat or piloting spaceships, I wasn't to be underestimated and they knew it. The reputation I built turned out to be a double-edged blade. A great number of my peers avoided me like the plague because I had become the target of scrutiny by many Masters, especially the High Council from what I later gathered. They didn't want to be compared to me so they avoided me, which in retrospect was smart on their part. I couldn't bother to care about that, not really.

Fortunately, I managed to make some friends and even some rivals. The biggest one was a human boy who rarely spoke a word to me but loved to defeat me in lightsaber combat and one that I grew to respect. His name was Obi-Wan Kenobi. A human boy from a world named Stewjon. I never knew what to make of him because he was someone who was deeply involved in the future I saw. My heart used to feel heavy around him, later I learned that it was guilt. Obi-Wan seemed as curious about me as I was about him. After many saber duels, where I won at least a third of them, losing the rest to him I earned some respect and sneaky glances whenever we crossed paths.

A week ago, the news of Obi-Wan becoming the Padawan to Master Gui-Gon Jinn found its way into the mouths of my friends. I wasn't exactly surprised, naturally. However, when Ilena Xan, Arligan Zey, Politrix, Jai Maruk, Maks Leem, and Jang Li-Li, the ones I deem friends all found their respective Jedi Masters and became Padawans in the following days while I was left stranded made me second guess all of my life choices. Well, I knew that the Council thought of me as an odd one, but still, I hoped they would recognize my skills at least. Honestly, I was a bit scared of them allowing their fear of my little unorthodox to send me away to the Agricorps.

The summoning came as unexpected as you might guess. I was doing what I knew best, training. I learned that out of all the lightsaber combat styles that were taught at the Temple, I found myself rather fond of Makashi. It was quick, effective, and precise, deadly, with no acrobatics and wastefulness. Practicing on my own was grounding. Master Bondara suddenly interrupted me and told me to go change and look presentable, the High Council was expecting me. Safe to say, I was nervous. No, I was a bit scared since my future had never seemed so uncertain until that moment. It only took me a few minutes to make myself presentable to meet the entire council on my own. Master Bondara was kind enough to accompany me to the Council chamber, before leaving me to my own devices.

The High Council chamber was as intimidating as I expected. The council members were all there, staring at me with their scrutiny unmasked, especially Master Windu who wasn't fond of me. As I greeted and bowed to the masters and waited a painfully long time for any of them to say anything I noticed an unfamiliar face. It was of a beautiful woman, she was standing next to Grandmaster Yoda, dressed in golden robes of the High Republic Era that I had only seen before in the Archives, her presence in the Force was unlike any I had ever felt. Her presence was warm, calming, and serene, like staring at the oldest three in the middle of a continental forest in far away land. All of my instincts were buzzing we looked at each other. I felt like I knew her, but I had no idea from where. I knew for certain that she wasn't in any of my dreams, not in the same way most were, so I was lost.

"Orion Sol," Master Windu suddenly called me. It took everything in me not to flinch at his stern tone. I seriously never did anything to warrant such treatment from him, but he was like that to almost everyone, so I told myself it was fine. "The Force has chosen a path for you. Today you are being assigned to your Jedi Master. She will become your guide on this new journey as her Padawan."

Well, I part of me felt like all was lost when from all the council members; he was the one to speak the words. Yet, when he finally spoke, it was like a boulder had been lifted from my shoulders and I could finally breathe. The strange Master from before suddenly walked towards me, she was graceful, but her eyes were kind and I didn't feel intimidated.

"Hello, young one," The pretty woman finally spoke, "I am Fay. I will be your Jedi Master from now on."

As she introduced herself, my mind started racing. It felt like a small eternity, but maybe it was just an instant. I was right about her. I knew something about her, but she wasn't in the future I dreamed about. Not like everyone else. This woman was anything but ordinary. I knew her from my dreams but it was so little that I never truly thought about her, but I did read about her in my studies. I was standing in front of a centuries-old being with untold power, she was Master Fay, the enigmatic and eccentric Jedi Master who didn't carry a lightsaber and lived in self-imposed exile roaming the Outer Rim since before the end of the High Republic Era. And now, she suddenly returned to the Temple and I now I was her Padawan. I could barely process that information, but I did my best to mask my shock.

I gathered myself and respectfully bowed before my master, "I'm honored, Master Fay. Please, take care of me."

"Honored indeed, you must be," The Grandmaster suddenly spoke in good humor, his huge ears twitching from amusement, "A great Jedi, your master is. This opportunity, a rare one it is."

"I hope you spending time under the care of a wise master can be helpful and… educative, Padawan Sol." Master Windu said, his tone less stern, but still had an edge to it. "You have no idea how lucky you are, child."

The little green goblin was right. Even the grumpy one was right. All I could do was nod in acknowledgment and glance over my master in wonder.

"You humor me, Masters. I am grateful for the sentiment," My new master gracefully stated, "but these compliments may make my Padawan anxious. There is no need for that. I am just another master. I am certain that if not for me, another would have taken up the responsibility to train this young one. After all, I only heard good things about him." 

I almost snorted at that. Just another master? No, she was not. In this room, the only other life form who was older than her, well, potentially, was the Grandmaster Yoda himself. Plus, I doubt she only heard good things about me. Still, part of me liked that she was like this. Old and allegedly wise… it might have just saved me from being relegated to the Agricorps. Now, I was her Padawan. My master looked reliable enough as well.

"I must agree with Master Fay," Master Ploo Koon suddenly stated, "he is indeed a promising young one. I am sure we will hear great things about him now that she will guide him."

"Dismissed you are, Padawan Sol. You too, Master Fay," Grandmaster Yoda stated. "Time for you to know each other, we must give."

Immediately both I and my master bowed to the Grandmaster and the High Council. We excused ourselves, leaving them to figure out whatever they had to figure in peace. As soon as the doors of closed behind us, I let out a breath I didn't know I was holding.

"They can be very intimidating, right?" Master Fay asked me, her voice was mischievous. "You will learn that you don't have to worry too much. They are just like that because is their job, but they like you."

"I… I am not sure about that, Master." I confessed, humoring her. "Master Ploo Koon and the Grandmaster maybe, but the others… I am not sure."

"I don't really know them that well, I suppose. Last time I was here, most of them were children or weren't even born." She replied, rather amused. "Still, they are all acting the same when it comes to their responsibilities. It's not personal. Plus, I was informed that you are very talented from the other masters since I arrived. They say you are knowledgeable and… inquisitive. I wasn't sure about it before, but I did notice that you seem to recognize me somehow. Will you tell me why that is, Padawan?"

I could only sigh silently resenting my lack of preparation, but part of me was very indignant about ever having to prepare for such a blow. "I read about you before, Master."

"Really?" She asked, genuinely surprised. "I never really wrote anything worthy of the Archives. Only good things about me, I hope?"

I couldn't help but avoid her avoided gaze and pretend I didn't hear her. It was preferable to lie to her face.

"Oh," She suddenly said, "now I really want to hear who and what you read about me, young one. This is your first lesson as my Padawan. If you can't speak the truth, you should at least be convincing with a lie, not that it would work, rather than pretend you didn't hear my question."

I shot her an incredulous look.

"What?" She asked, looking at me as if I was being silly. "You know I am very old, don't you? You will learn sooner or later that my years have made me more tolerant than most of the other Jedi. I can't help it. Now, answer my question, Padawan."

I knew at that moment that I was going to like learning from Master Fay. I awkwardly cleaned my throat and collected myself. "You might not be aware of them, master, but many masters wrote about you. Most of it was positive, Master Raina of Coruscant, Master Cina of Alderaan, Master Horlus of Ryloth, and more recently Master Gui-Gon Jinn of Coruscant. They are just some that mentioned your name during the last centuries, master. Master Gui-Gon Jinn trained under Master Dooku of Serenno, the last apprentice to the Grandmaster, and... he is a bit unorthodox. It is shocking considering the line he comes from. He writes about the Living Force more than anything and mentions the rumors about your relationship to the Force to support some of his arguments." I explained and she looked pleased, but then I added. "However, there are more traditionalists and conservatives that have criticized your lack of respect for the new incarnation of the Order. Master Urtar of Naboo is notorious for the words he had for any of the Jedi that sympathize with the Trandoshans, but in my humble opinion, it's because of the time he spent among the Wookies of Kashyyyk in his youth."

"Of course, that brat would say these things about me," My master replied rolling her eyes, before shaking her head in disappointment. "I think it was 70 years ago. I had come to visit the Temple and have a chat with my old friend, the Grandmaster Yoda. Urtar was young then, in his late twenties, a human boy full of resentment. He wanted to request an intervention of the Order to assist the Wookies in expelling all the Trandoshans of their world, at all costs. I was vocal against such a thing, one of my old friends was Master Garan of Trandosha. I reminded the Council and that brat that there we had Trandoshans Jedi in the history of the Order, few in comparison to other species, but still. I also made my point that Wookies have slaughtered Trandoshans before, even younglings, so their conflict wasn't so simple and also although we must act in what we can, the responsibility of fixing the situation of that scale belonged to the Senate and the Republic, not the Order."

I was inclined to agree with her, I didn't like how passive aggressive that master was trying to mask his biased with dangerous arguments. It's a miracle he never fell to the Dark Side. I couldn't help but ask, "So, what happened then?"

"It didn't go as he planned, clearly," She answered as calm and graceful as ever, "Master Gorus of Ryloth argued the role of the Order in dismantling the slave trade of his homeworld fallowing the logic of Urtar. After all, by all means the Republic denounces slavery, but it is common knowledge that Twi'leks has been sold to the Hutts for centuries and the Order have turned a blind eye since the Republic made no effort to avoid that, including Ryloth's representatives in the Senate. They still don't to this day after centuries creating a doctrine of exceptionalism based in the conditions of their planet and their culture as well."

"No wonder why he doesn't like you then, master."

"Well, is not like it matters to me, Padawan. Don't be mistaken. I do not condone slavery," Master stated sternly, "I despise it. Whenever I could I freed and took care of slaves and aided a some worlds in the Outer Rim to abolish it entirely, but the Republic isn't something easily changed. The Hutts aren't formidable foes as well and the slugs have their some of the Senators and Mega Corporations in their control. Under normal circumstances interfering there would cause a War. The Republic does not want war with the Hutts." She explained with a serene tone, but I could tell she was mad. "Meet me tomorrow for training in the Room of a Thousand Fountains. You are dismissed, Padawan."

"I understand, Master" I quickly bowed and a left the woman to her own thoughts.

As I quietly walked back to my quarters my mind kept wandering back to the moment I was assigned to my master. Not even in my wildest expectations I thought she would become the Jedi Master. Honestly, I couldn't help but wonder what that meant for me in regards to my training and missions. All I knew was that now I would finally be able to leave the Temple and soon I would go out and explore the Galaxy by her side to make sure the Order's interests are secured, but also… it would be the beginning of my personal journey to make my own interests secured. I couldn't help but smile and clench my fists as I felt my heart beating excitedly.

"This is just the beginning, Sol." I told myself, "And we… we really have lots and lots to do."