lurkingcrow:

lurkingcrow:

My Friend, I both hate you and love you for this prompt. Because I am so very very torn. But let me give it a go.

Naboo is a debacle. No one debates that. Qui-Gon Jinn comes back to the Temple barely alive, accompanied by his Padawan – the first Jedi in a millenia to have slain a Sith – and the powerful young boy they found on Tatooine.

At first they wait – while Obi-Wan Kenobi is considered more than deserving of Knighthood, they hold out hope that Qui-Gon will wake and perform the ceremony himself, and take Anakin on as he originally intended. It is not to be.

Obi-Wan is knighted and sent off on missions, Anakin remains in the creche – as Qui-Gon lives, it seems presumptuous to have any other Jedi take him on. But Qui-Gon may never wake, and so the more senior Masters take it upon themselves to get a feel for the too-powerful boy. Just in case.

Months later, Qui-Gon wakes.

He is in no shape to do anything more than argue with the council, but he is awake. Still, the matter of Anakin Skywalker is put off a little longer, until Qui-Gon is in a better position health wise. Besides, while he is not completely at ease in the ranks of the initiates, Skywalker has settled in somewhat – it will do no harm to wait a little longer. And it also gives some of them a bit more time to try an mitigate Jinn’s eventual bad influence.

A year after Naboo, the council requests the presence of Initiate Skywalker. The boy who faces them is so very similar and yet so very different from the child they interviewed a year earlier. Still far from emotionally balanced, but much less fearful. After all, by this stage he knows them all somewhat, and he has begun to accept that he is not going to be turned out – over the last year it has become very apparent that he cannot remain untrained, and as such the Creche Master had taken the time to explain the notion of a Padawan accepting a Master.

(They will never know how how much that notion affects Anakin. Because what slave chooses their own Master?)

And so they ask him. “Who would he choose as his Master?”

And Anakin is torn. Because this is a huge decision, and he knows it. Never before has he had the power to CHOOSE. He has to do this right. Qui-Gon Jinn freed him and brought him to the Temple. He is Anakin’s hero. It would make sense to accept him. And yet… What of the other Masters?

What about Master Billaba, who so patiently walked him through the First Forms when he worried about being so far behind his classmates? Or maybe Master Fisto, who laughs and smiles and pats him on the head and tells him not to worry, he will get the trick in time – has he considered a moving meditation, like this? Or even Master Windu, who is stern and forbidding, but UNDERSTANDS the anger that coils in his chest? And Master Koon – he’s kind and an absolutely WIZARD pilot. What should he do?

But Anakin Skywalker is a child of the Force. And all of the Masters he has encountered over the last year have told him the same thing. So he reaches out and…

The council watches as the boy raises his head and looks up at them with an unassailable sense of certainty. 

“I’m sorry Masters, but I can’t choose. Not yet. It’s not the right time.”

And it takes everything in him not to back down in the face of Qui-Gon’s sadness and the Council’s impatience, but Anakin stands firm.

The Force is speaking to him. Loud and clear.

“Not Now.”

In the end it is Yoda who breaks up the raucous arguments with a few firm taps of his gimmer stick. If the Force tells young Skywalker that now is not the time then so be it. The boy is still younger than the average new padawan, and still has some catching up to do. There is no hurry. Let him remain in the creche they shall, until the time is right.

And so they do. Except Anakin’s little demonstration along with the general increased interaction during Qui-Gon’s convalescence means that several of the Council members are seriously considering the merits of taking him on themselves. And Qui-Gon? He is determined to regain little Ani’s regard.

You can imagine the result. Anakin Skywalker becomes the envy of his classmates, as multiple senior masters court him to be their padawan. Plo Koon in particular seems to take great delight in tweaking Qui-Gon’s ire by allowing Anakin to learn to pilot the Temple ships, and Mace has spent a lot of time showing Anakin how to control his darker impulses. Kit sneaks him sweets but both he and Depa have the suspicion that they are not seriously in contention. Ironically all the attention has done wonders for his attachment issues.

Still, every time he is asked if he is ready to take a Master, Anakin will close his eyes and reach into the Force, before saying. “No. Not yet.”

Incidentally, his lack of Master has very much impeded the Chancellor’s efforts to spend time with the boy alone. After all, a Padawan is very different from an Initiate from a Jedi perspective – one is considered a semi-adult capable of assisting in basic mission duties while the other is not. The Chancellor may be their direct superior, but even he cannot order them to facilitate private audiences with a CHILD under their care. For now, he must make to with infrequent and supervised visits in which he must take care not to overstep the role of a genial man interested in the welfare of the child who saved his planet.

It infuriates him.

But anyway.

Time passes, and Anakin’s classmates start to dwindle, as they are either apprenticed (Anakin feels smug at having facilitated one of two of the matches – having Knights and Masters watching him keenly means he can try and push others in direction the Force suggests) or drawn towards alternate pathways. Anakin is nearing thirteen years of age, and he knows the time for a decision is coming soon.

But there are things he needs to make sure are in place first. Luckily, he knows who to speak to about that.

“Time then, it is, Young Skywalker?”

“Yes Master Yoda.”

“Hmm. Certain, you are?”

“Yes Master Yoda.”

“Good. Done well, you have, to follow the Force in this. Who is it, you have chosen?” 

Anakin tells him.

And the old Jedi starts cackling.

It is not long after that Anakin Skywalker stands before a large crowd of Knights and Masters (Because this? The apprenticeship of Initiate Skywalker? This is going to be the thing of temple legends and  NO ONE wants to miss out.) and asked who he would take as his master.

And Anakin Skywalker looks his choice straight in the eye as he speaks their name.

Obi-Wan Kenobi nearly faints there and then.

.

Let’s take a step back. 

When Obi-Wan Kenobi first accompanied his comatose Master back to the Temple, he had been consumed by their last conversation. The one in which he had promised Qui-Gon to train the boy. Except, those were obviously the words of a man who thought himself dying, and Qui-Gon still LIVED. When the council decides to put Anakin into the creche until things are more certain, Obi-Wan is so RELIEVED. Because while he would if he had to, Obi-Wan doesn’t feel READY to take a padawan just yet, not while he is still processing the end of his own apprenticeship, and Anakin is meant for Master Qui-Gon – Obi-Wan would never wish to steal that role while the possibility remains that the man will wake one day.

Still, he made a promise. And there are many ways to teach.

So Obi-Wan makes an effort to check in on Ani, make sure he’s settling in ok. It’s a big culture shock for the boy from Tatooine, and Obi-Wan does his best to help explain some of the things Temple raised initiates take for granted. Anakin’s  glee when he finally gets the hang of something is infectious, and Obi-Wan finds himself enjoying the time they spend together. 

When he starts taking missions as a Knight, Obi-Wan makes the effort to farewell Anakin every time he leaves, and if he can, brings him back some toy or trinket from wherever he ends up. Nothing major, but Anakin has often expressed his desire to visit every world in the galaxy one day, and he gets so excited even if all Obi-Wan has to show him is a rock he found while running for his life from upset dignitaries…

Obi-Wan thought his missions might be less exciting now he wasn’t partnered with the most infuriating diplomat in the Order. He was wrong.

When the Masters begin paying more attention to Anakin it is Obi-Wan he contacts for reassurance he is doing the right thing. After all he is listening to the Force, but what if he’s listening wrong? And Obi-Wan tells him he’s doing fine, to follow his instincts, and sorry he has to go now due to potential pirates, but maybe to take time with each of them to work out how well they connect, just in case the Force changes its mind? And it is Obi-Wan who tells him he should just confess about the incident with the door chimes, and reassures him that no one will hate him over the accident with the speeder. 

As time goes on, Obi-Wan becomes known in the Temple as the BEST source of information on the Skywalker Situation, because he has THE most up to date gossip on what Masters Jinn and Windu have decided to challenge each other with this time, or which Knight has decided to throw their hat into the ring most recently, only to find the kid too much to deal with. Obi-Wan finds himself feeling a little protective over Anakin, rolling his eyes at the latest stuff up on the part of Ani’s potential masters, and during one of his morning meditations he comes to the startling realisation that he is well and truly Attached to his young friend.

Well then.

So of course when it comes time for Anakin to make his final decision, Obi-Wan Kenobi puts on his best face and mentally tries to work out which master will have the honour of training the Chosen One. The selfish part of him hopes it’s not Qui-Gon. He adores his former Master, but time has convinced him that he would be a poor match for Anakin. And he wants what is best for the boy. 

Maybe once Anakin is safely matched to a Master of his own Obi-Wan might consider the merits of a Padawan himself. Certainly he is feeling a lot more confident in his skills that he was a few years earlier…

But then Anakin gives his name.

His.

Obi-Wan Kenobi.

So many faces are turned to face them and he can feel them all asking “Why him?” and he doesnt have an answer and…

Anakin is looking at him. Waiting. For his response.

His heart gives him his answer, but he has to be SURE this is the boy’s decision.

“Why now Anakin?”

And Anakin smiles, bright and sure.

“Because you weren’t ready before.”

Oh.

Obi-Wan Kenobi laughs then, in joyous wonder and kneels to look the boy (his student!) in the eye.

“In that case, Anakin Skywalker, I would be honoured to be your Master, if you would agree to become my Padawan.”

And the Force sings.

~~~

I hope you’re not too disappointed! I was tempted to write a Plo Koon is Anakin’s Master AU, but in my heart of hearts, I just can’t keep the Team separated! 🙂

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@resistancepilots :

LC THIS IS SO CUTE WTF

Why do you sound so surprised???!!!! I can totally write fluff! 

Just for that I’ll prove it by writing a bit more. And especially for @letslipthehounds and @princesspotpourri I’m going to see how this might have changed the universe in terms of a certain Sith.

When Chancellor Palpatine hears that Anakin Skywalker has taken a Master, he can hardly contain his joy. Oh he hides it as relief that the boy will at last progress in his chosen vocation, but in truth he is eager to take advantage of the opening the Jedi have finally shown him.

He has prepared a number of different contingencies depending on which of the esteemed Masters has won young Skywalker’s approval – should it be Windu, then he has a multitude of sly insinuations designed to make the boy buck at authority, if it is Koon then a few well placed comments about his non-human nature possibly making it difficult for him to understand a young boy’s passions would be a good start. As for Jinn.. well he need only pass on certain personal truths to raise the spectre of abandonment. In fact, he has considered the possibilities involving every member of the council, up to and including the tiny green troll.

Which is why he is completely unprepared for the announcement that Skywalker has chosen not one of the many Masters vying for his attention, but the relatively inexperienced Knight Kenobi instead.

It is… not something he had ever considered. Oh he was aware of Kenobi’s movements in the general sense – he was after all responsible for the disappointing demise of his former apprentice, and it was always a good idea to keep an eye on promising young Jedi showing signs of disaffection – but the for the most part the Knight had not done anything truly worthy of his attention. He had managed to disrupt one or two of Sidious’ less critical schemes and generally caused an inconvenient ruckus or three, but for the most part his actions had been of little consequence. Just your average new Knight undertaking their first few solo missions.

Well then. All the better. If the Jedi wish to entrust the training of the Chosen One to an untried young man unused to detecting the subtle machinations of a Sith Lord, then who was he to argue? It would just make his life easier.

It won’t take long for him to realise just how wrong he is.

Knight Kenobi is not a grief stricken young Jedi burdened with responsibilities far to early, or a callow youth burning from the sting of rejection. Knight Kenobi is a man who has spent the last three years working out who he is in the absence of his teachers. And as it turns out, he is still fundamentally the same Obi-Wan Kenobi as ever – determined, principled and self sacrificing to a ridiculous extent. All those three years have done is give him the self confidence to trust his own decisions and the skill to hide the fact that he’s about to do something reckless in the name of what is right. 

As a side note, Qui-Gon’s close call with the Sith still has Obi-Wan switching his sabre style to Soresu – he has had ample practice with his new forms thanks to several missions gone wrong. Just HOW good he his isn’t yet known to the Temple. Nor is his growing ability to talk his way in and out of problems with ease.

Which is why the Jedi Order takes the news of Anakin Skywalker’s choice with a growing sense of bewilderment. Why him? Why a newly fledged Knight? Yes, they were friends but Kenobi was barely on the books as an outside chance! 

(Yes, there was betting involved in the whole situation. Nothing monetary, favours are the currency of the Temple, but the pot was still substantial. Quinlan Vos cleaned up in the end – he put two and two together and got “Force ordained bond” after accidentally picking up one of the souvenirs Obi-Wan gave Anakin. He will never have to do senate duty again!)

But any muttering over Anakin’s decision is soon quashed by Yoda firmly announcing that he supported the match. After all, moved by the Force young Anakin was yes? Who are they, to question this? Also, he admits privately to his fellow Masters, Obi-Wan is far too careless with his own life. Even if Anakin hadn’t made the decision he did, Yoda would have done his best to push a Padawan his way in the hopes of mitigating his more reckless decisions.

Which is exactly what happens. Obi-Wan may be willing to risk his own life on a plan with only a slim chance of working, but he is not willing to risk Anakin in the same way. Anakin meanwhile, for all his extra training to deal with his emotions, is still a possessive little ball of attachment (he’s just expanded his range of Jedi he considers HIS in some form or another) and refuses to let his Master leave him behind to do stupid things. Obi-Wan is HIS Master! He CHOSE him, and nothing is going to part them now ok?

(Obi-Wan melts every time because ANAKIN chose HIM. It is hard to hold on to your low self esteem when you are reminded every day that the Orders most desired Padawan turned down half the council to become your student. He vows to live up to the task – Anakin deserves the best after all.)

This incidentally, means Palpatine has one hell of a time to even to get to see Anakin because as a thirteen year old he is considered old enough for most missions and there is no way Anakin is letting Obi-Wan go on missions alone.

And when the Chancellor DOES get the opportunity to talk to him, he finds it nearly impossible to drive a wedge between the pair because Obi-Wan is neither the hide bound traditionalist nor the radical maverick, and will openly admit his lack of knowledge. Also Anakin’s continued relationships with assorted council members mean that he is used to the idea of there being no one answer – Master Mace and Qui-Gon could and would spend hours arguing the finer points Jedi philosophy, and Obi-Wan was very helpful in explaining how they could both be correct, and wrong, at the same time.

Similarly his hope of using the “Jedi don’t care about the slaves/people in need” is undermined not only by Master Koon’s  clear and educational lecture on how the Order because subordinate to the Senate, but also by the fact that Obi-Wan persuaded Quinlan Vos into taking a detour into Tatooine to check on Shmi Skywalker. Blackmail was involved.  Either way Vos returns to the temple able to reassure Anakin that his mother is free and in good health, and with an extra comm code that he surreptitiously hands off to Obi-Wan. Attachment is one thing, but Shmi was a nice lady and deserved the occasional message. It’s not like he’s at all sympathetic to the kid and his fears. Not at all.

And so in next to no time everyone knows. Kenobi and Skywalker? They’re going to be legendary. 

One day.