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Padawan Obi-Wan Kenobi still could not believe his luck. He was still a padawan. He was getting taken care of. He was learning so much, in a way that was useful. He wasn't expected to get perfect grades, just to learn and be able to apply the things he learned. Grades were only a way to ensure he was learning and they could only show so much without becoming something of a sign of how well he was memorizing.
And Master Nic understood that all. Master Dominic Vos, supposedly a relative of his friend Quinlan to the rest of the Temple. But they and the Council knew the truth. Dominic, and his husband Ben, were from the future. And were Quinlan and Obi-Wan by a different name.
Sometimes Obi-Wan didn't really see the resemblance between Dominic and Quinlan and Ben and himself. Other times it was obvious. Just because Master Nic held himself back from tackling people and being aggressive about his affection didn't mean that he didn't enjoy cuddling like Quinlan did. That was still the same. Ben still had a mischievous streak, and actually ended up starting a prank war between two crecheclans. On purpose, just to cause some chaos. He was just really good at pretending to be a serious and serene Jedi Master.
Obi-Wan wanted to be like him someday. It was weird sometimes wanting to be like himself. He knew Quinlan was dealing with the same issue. Especially since neither of them exactly expected to be that sort of Jedi Master. But with what their older selves had gone through, it made sense that they would be like that.
It had been three months, and Obi-Wan was pretty well recovered. He was just cleared for a padawan field trip, and if all went well then, he would be back on the mission roster soon. Master Nic had recovered from his injuries pretty well though of course his arm injury wasn't going to heal entirely. Obi-Wan still couldn't believe he was so lucky, though.
He was just hurrying to go pack for the padawan field trip, having put his name down last minute at the same time Quinlan did, who was cleared at the same time, just as thrilled. Quinlan was with him; they didn't live too many doors apart from each other anymore.
“Obi-Wan?”
Obi-Wan froze. That was Qui-Gon. He turned slowly and smiled politely. “Master Jinn.” He bowed. “It has been a while.”
“What are you doing here? You left the Order.”
“I refused to return with you, to abandon the Young on Melida/Daan. I never wanted to leave the Order.” Obi-Wan had to remind himself that everything was okay. Qui-Gon was not his master anymore. Dominic was.
“How did you get back?”
“Another Jedi was drawn to the planet and he took me as his padawan. We resolved the conflict and returned three months ago.” Obi-Wan smiled at the surprise from Qui-Gon.
“Why was I not informed of this? You were my padawan, no one can take you away from me!”
“My padawan was your padawan,” Master Nic said coolly, coming up behind the Jedi master. “Master Jinn, I presume?”
“Qui-Gon. Who are you?” Qui-Gon eyed the unfamiliar master suspiciously, noting familiar tattoos.
“I am Master Dominic Vos. I see you finally returned from your last mission. I am rather surprised you are not with Master Tahl after how panicked you were to get her off planet, from what my padawan told me.” Dominic stepped around and placed a hand on Obi-Wan's shoulder, squeezing it. Obi-Wan looked up and smiled at him gratefully.
“She... was not pleased I left my padawan behind when she found out.” Qui-Gon frowned, looking between the two. Obi-Wan was far more comfortable with Dominic than he ever had been with Qui-Gon in their few months of partnership.
“Ah, yes, that does not surprise me. I am surprised the Council hasn't talked to you yet. They weren't too pleased by our report.”
Qui-Gon grimaced. “That must be the meeting I am to be at tomorrow morning.” He paused awkwardly, looking between the two of them again. “Obi-Wan, are you happy with Master Vos?”
Obi-Wan nodded with a bright grin. “Master Nic is brilliant. He taught me so much on Melida/Daan and since. Even with his arm.”
Master Nic chuckled and flexed his hand. “Yes, well, just because it will never be the same does not mean I cannot adapt to my circumstances.”
“I see.” Qui-Gon didn't seem too happy.
Obi-Wan didn't care. Because he was happy. “I need to pack for the annual padawan field trip. We leave tomorrow and I just found out that I'm good to go on it!”
Dominic squeezed his shoulder with a fond smile. “I know. Go ahead. I believe Ben was getting a headstart for you. I just have a few more things I need to say to your former master.”
Obi-Wan glanced between them warily. He knew by now that Dominic had Opinions on how Qui-Gon had trained his future self, even if they had been a good working pair by the end. He decided he did not want to be there for the lecture and fled.
“Who's Ben?” Qui-Gon asked.
“Ben Kenobi is my husband,” Dominic replied casually, taking a carefully relaxed stance. “Why don't we find somewhere more private than a hall to speak?”
“Very well.” Qui-Gon led the way to the nearest meditation room and knelt down. “Kenobi?”
“Yes, Obi-Wan's uncle. Both of us have been wandering Jedi for a while, following the Force where it takes us. It led me to Melida/Daan, and it led Ben to Quinlan's mission gone wrong. After which, we were reunited for the first time in years.” Dominic didn't bother sitting properly, just comfortably.
“I see. Obi-Wan is making you both stay put, then?”
“Yes. Obi-Wan is special, I think.” Dominic smiled. “He's a fast learner, eager to please, and determined to do the right thing and follow the Force. He will be a great Jedi one day. He just has some rough spots to sort out. But he's young. I'm not concerned.”
“Even though he is prone to fits of emotion?”
“Obi-Wan may be more emotional than average, but some younglings are like that. He still does remarkably well. He was one of three teens leading the Young when I arrived on Melida/Daan. One of the oldest, at thirteen. They were doing such a great job at leading, I didn't even have correct them much.”
Qui-Gon frowned. “I thought it was a lost cause. I thought he was exaggerating when he said that the younglings were fighting.”
Dominic shook his head. “He was not. The Force did not think the planet was a lost cause and was very insistent that something had to be done. I am surprised you did not feel it.” He studied Qui-Gon intently.
Qui-Gon fidgeted. “You don't like me.”
“No. I don't. You disparaged my padawan for his temper, for attacking viciously in response to taunts by a bully, for getting overzealous in one of the few areas he didn't struggle in. You took him on after he proved himself to you by offering to sacrifice himself for him. Regardless as to your reasoning, he's under the impression that he needs to sacrifice himself at all times to be a good Jedi.”
Dominic shook his head, thinking about how much damage that had done to Ben over the years, even though he knew that sacrificing himself was not going to change a thing in many scenarios.
“You have been trying to teach him good habits. Not to center on his anxieties, to focus on the present. Things like that are good, and are very useful, yes. But you also never gave him the tools to be able to do those. He's been pushing aside his feelings, suppressing them, rather than acknowledging, processing, and letting go because that was the only way he could figure out how to focus on the present.” Dominic fixed Qui-Gon with a stare.
“But what really irritates me is that you didn't give him a chance on Melida/Daan. He tried to tell you that it was the Force, but you refused to listen. You just focused on your own selfish fears. Just like you always have been, haven't you? You've been so scared of him turning out like Xanatos that you didn't think to see what was right in front of you. Obi-Wan may have a temper problem. He may even have a bit of an attitude at times. But he has the heart of a Jedi, without needing to be taught compassion. He will always try to do what's right. And you just. Did not want to see that.”
Qui-Gon winced. “I... will have to meditate on what you've said, carefully. Will I be able to help his training?”
“That is up to Obi-Wan and what he wants. Right now he's still deciding what he wants to learn. I'm okay with that. Before I was a wandering Jedi, I was a shadow, and I won't ruin a bright spark like Obi-Wan with such lonely work. Politics, negotiations, that's more Ben's thing, so we will have to see.”
“I understand. Thank you for the... enlightening conversation.” Qui-Gon stood, still very much thrown by the different directions that conversation had taken.
“You're welcome.” Dominic smiled at him. “I'm sure we'll have plenty to talk about if you wish to be involved in Obi-Wan's training.”
.
Obi-Wan was surprised to find that Ben had actually done all of the packing. He just needed to double check that he had everything. He eyed Ben suspiciously.
“What's the catch?”
“I have been thinking of taking a padawan.”
“Okay... who?”
“Bruck.”
Obi-Wan almost protested, but reminded himself that Ben was himself but way older. “Why?”
“He was desperate to be a padawan, got sucked in by lies, and died without being acknowledged.”
“Oh. You don't want that to happen.” Obi-Wan made a face. “I don't want it to happen either. But... it has to be you?”
“I'm the only one who's going to see past his bluster. If he was passed over by everyone the first time around, there's no reason he'll be selected this time.”
“Unless you take him on.” Obi-Wan sighed. He crossed his arms. “Why you bringing this up today?”
“The deadline to sign up for the padawan trip is in three hours, and I have been volunteered as a chaperone. If I don't take him on now, he won't get to go on the trip, and it'll be a month before I can take him on as a padawan.”
“Okay. Go ahead.” Obi-Wan sighed, resigning himself to sharing space with his bully. At least they wouldn't have to share rooms, since there was a spare room.
Ben chuckled. “Oh, no, I need your help.”
Obi-Wan groaned. “What is it?”
“I know he's your bully, he was mine too. But it's far more recent for you. I want to see you two interact, to make sure we can make this work with as little conflict as possible. You're already here. If it's not going to work out, it's not going to work out, and I'll find some other way to help Bruck.”
“Alright. What do you want me to do?” Obi-Wan asked, resigned. He supposed it was a sign of how far he'd come though that he wasn't that bothered by it being Bruck. After everything, the bullying seemed pretty petty, a jealous and petty kid who didn't understand the real problems in the world.
“He's usually training his saber form at this time, on his own. I want you to go and ask him for a spar.”
“Go easy on him?”
“No. Go all out, then offer him suggestions. I want to see how he handles it. I also want him to get a glimpse of how fast one can improve once they are a padawan. You haven't even been a padawan for a year yet.”
Obi-Wan brightened. “Good idea. And where do you come in?”
“It'll depend on how he reacts, but likely at that point to give him some more pointers, and then I'll ask him.”
.
Quinlan was humming to himself as he ran his full forms with his saber for the first time in a long time. Finally. It took three months, but they fully cleared him for everything. Yeah, that meant the padawan field trip and Obi-Wan was going to come with this time, but he was happy to be able to do everything at full speed and with full movement again.
He was still a bit sore from some of the wounds, but overall, they were healed enough, and he was going to take full advantage of that.
As he was considering whether to challenge one of the others in the room to a spar, a mix of initiates and padawans his age and younger, Obi-Wan entered. Quinlan bounced over to him, grinning.
“Wanna spar Obes?”
Obi-Wan smiled at him, but shook his head. “Not right now. I'm going to ask Bruck to spar. Master Ben wants to see how he does. Tell you about it later.”
Quinlan decided to stick with his friend, just in case. He knew how good at getting under Obi-Wan's skin Bruck was in the past, and since becoming a padawan, Obi-Wan had avoided Bruck at all times. He didn't want to cause an issue, after all. Quinlan was prepared to stand up for Obi-Wan as he always did.
“Hello, Bruck,” Obi-Wan greeted calmly. He had his back straight, like he was back with the Young about to negotiate some compromise with the other leaders.
Bruck eyed him and sneered. “What do you want? Aren't you too good for me?”
“Funny, I was about to ask you if you wanted to spar. I think that would answer your question?” Obi-Wan tilted his head, blinking innocently.
Bruck scowled. “Fine. You can't have improved that much, even as a padawan.”
Quinlan followed them to the sparring ring. As they ran through the rules and prepared, all he could think about was how much different things were these days. Bruck was in for a surprise. Obi-Wan had found his confidence with Master Nic, and had been improving quickly, despite not being fully cleared for training before that day.
Quinlan, too, was different. In ways that many didn't notice because they didn't care to notice. With seeing what he could be like when he was older, he didn't feel so much like he needed to prove himself. Didn't go out looking for attention the way he did before. Of course, that wasn't noticeable because he didn't really change his patterns much. It was more of an internal adjustment.
Another change was that though Tholme was his primary master, Ben and Nic had helped out a lot as well, with Tholme helping out with Obi-Wan. It was nice to be so close to his friend, to be encouraged to be so close to Obi-Wan. He wasn't sure why they were pushing it so much, but it was just what he needed after that mission gone wrong.
And maybe Quinlan was reconsidering if shadow work was right for him. If he wasn't going to do something else. Because he thought that maybe working with Obi-Wan as a Knight pair would be fun, but Obi-Wan wasn't necessarily suited for shadow work. Sure, Obi-Wan could do it, but Quinlan wouldn't want to ask him to do it. And he thought Master Nic agreed. He hadn't brought up shadow work as an option for Obi-Wan yet, just made sure Obi-Wan knew there were options.
Also. Quinlan was a little surprised by how well versed his older self seemed to be in other types of missions, missions he had never thought he'd be interested in doing. And yet... it might be worth it.
Without Master Ben and Master Nic, he thought that maybe he would've come out of that mission shaken but even more determined to prove himself as a shadow. But... with their gentle guidance, Tholme's worry didn't seem so much like a challege and something he had to prove himself for, but just genuine worry about if he could handle it. And Quinlan wasn't certain he would be able to handle shadow missions any time soon, not the way the undercover mission had shaken him up.
But that was okay. He was just a padawan, he had time to figure it out. It wasn't like he was even about to be a senior padawan anytime soon. He had plenty of time to sort it out. And if he and Obi-Wan were able to be a permanent working pair, that would be even better.
Permanent pairs weren't super common among the Jedi, but they did exist. Sometimes, Jedi did their jobs better as pairs where one person could cover the other's weaknesses. On occasion, Master-padawan pairs became permanent upon the padawan becoming a Knight because no one was going to break up such an effective team.
Sometimes a Jedi just wasn't good at working with others aside from their partner. It wasn't ideal, they were Jedi after all, but it could be any number of reasons, and usually accomodations were involved for other reasons to begin with.
And sometimes... a Jedi pair just clicked. Regardless of their specialities. A pair could actually be more versatile for missions, more effective for missions than a single Jedi, when they covered more than one area.
The more Quinlan thought about it, the more he realized it didn't matter to him what path he ended up on, so long as he did it with Obi-Wan. He didn't like the idea of being separated. He didn't like some of the things Ben and Nic teased each other about. They may be happy with it, and maybe Quinlan could learn to be happy with it, but right now, knowing there was another option... that was what he wanted, and he was happy to accept them pushing them towards that path. Maybe they did know they would have been happier that way themselves.
Quinlan watched as Bruck and Obi-Wan finally started their spar. They had gathered a small crowd now. It wasn't often a padawan sparred an initiate, even among friends. Everyone knew that it was a bit unfair because padawans had one on one training that initiates did not. On top of that, for most their age, they all had heard of the rivalry between Bruck and Obi-Wan. Had heard of their match at the tournament.
Obi-Wan stepped back once match start was called and waited. Quinlan grinned. Expending as little energy as possible had apparently been a go to strategy with the Young. Master Nic had started teaching him Soresu to take advantage of it, and it was something that Master Ben was well versed in. Quinlan hadn't mastered waiting and seeing yet, but those techniques did come in handy a lot.
Bruck stared at him, confused, then charged right in. Obi-Wan blocked each strike, then countered, scoring the first point easily. The second point was just as easy. Bruck hesitated this time before striking. Obi-Wan had to work a little harder for the point, but in the end, scored easily, accidentally knocking Bruck onto his butt.
Quinlan grinned and moved closer to listen, partially to be ready to intervene if necessary.
Obi-Wan held out his hand. “Sorry. Good match.”
“Good match? You didn't even try!” Bruck glared at him, but accepted his hand. He stood up and brushed himself off.
Obi-Wan shrugged. “Yeah, I've had some good training and some... life experience that taught me a lot about waiting and listening for the right moment rather than charging in.”
“What?” Bruck was throw by the matter of fact tone. No bragging, just stating facts.
“I learned a lot from my experiences,” Obi-Wan repeated. “Want to try a match without points, just to surrender or loss of lightsaber?”
Bruck narrowed his eyes, but nodded. “Got any advice?” he asked, sarcastically.
Obi-Wan grinned. “Oh, yes, plenty. Don't charge in. Don't let your emotions get in the way. You get frustrated, you're guaranteed to lose.”
Bruck stared at him, frowning with confusion at the sincerity.
Quinlan took a step back, out of the way, snickering. Bruck really had no clue that Obi-Wan had changed, did he?
Quinlan supposed that he himself had changed, but he was annoying and 'dumb' enough most people wouldn't notice. They didn't care for him, they didn't care to notice that he had perfected a mask. Initially it was something of a protection from those who didn't understand his need for touch, didn't understand that Kiffar were a bit... insane at their core, and even he found Kiffar to be a bit much. So they underestimated him.
And he had liked to use that to his advantage. It helped him with practicing for undercover missions, in playing the clueless apprentice detective on investigations. It meant that even though people knew what kind of work he did, they didn't expect much out of him. They assumed a mediocre Jedi.
Now... Now it felt weird. Knowing that even some of those who he thought of as friends fell for the act. That they didn't notice the changes at all because they didn't care to look past the surface. Obi-Wan never fell for the act, never underestimated him, though. Which was always nice to see. Obi-Wan would even play along if others were around, then check in with him. Just to be sure Quinlan wasn't hiding feelings or anything.
But he had thought the others knew him at least well enough to look past the mask. Yet... only Obi-Wan, Tholme, and many masters knew better than to assume he was who he presented himself as. It didn't just feel weird to keep playing a part, it hurt that he either had to play a part, or they would question the change in him, even if he hadn't truly changed, just stopped playing. It just. Hurt.
This match, Bruck faired better as they fought without breaking for the points. Obi-Wan's defense was good, and Bruck only managed to score one point, which was right before Obi-Wan disarmed him.
“I got you because you overreached and threw yourself off balance,” Obi-Wan commented. “Good match.” He returned the lightsaber to Bruck.
Bruck eyed him. “You don't care.”
“Don't care about what?”
“I used to be so mean to you and you're acting like it was nothing!”
“It was never nothing.” Obi-Wan responded quietly, aware of the small crowd watching them. “I cried myself to sleep some nights. I let your taunts goad me into reacting in anger, reacting more agressively than a Jedi should. Sometimes I didn't but you'd just push harder until I actually lashed out at you. Either way I was in trouble, and you tended to avoid notice.”
Bruck gaped at him. Surprised that Obi-Wan was admitting to it.
“It was never fair to me that I was always punished when you goaded me into it. Sometimes I let you goad me just because I was tired of trying not to react only to lash out later and get the same punishment. So, yes. It was not nothing.” Obi-Wan let out a breath. “But compared to what I've been through since? It feels like petty childish behavior. I don't have time or energy to spare on you trying to bully me, on the memories.”
“Then why spar me?” Bruck was floundering.
Obi-Wan shrugged. “I still needed to put that part of my past to rest. I needed to see if I have truly changed, or not. It seems I have. I also wanted to see if you were the same as you were. And you? You haven't changed that much, yet I'm no longer scared of you. Good matches, but I think I'll spar Quin now.” He glanced Quinlan's way.
Quinlan beamed. “Oh, I would love a proper spar, Obes. Let's go.” He grabbed Obi-Wan's hand and dragged him away before Obi-Wan could even think about saying good bye to Bruck.
Bruck was so stunned, he didn't notice the Jedi master approach him. Didn't notice the Jedi until Ben spoke and asked him if he was alright.
.
Quinlan bounced alongside Obi-Wan, who was beaming. “We're going on the trip, we're going on the trip!”
“Yes, you are, now behave.” Tholme chuckled. “I have a mission to see to, so listen to the chaperones. Especially Nic and Ben.”
Quinlan nodded, beaming. “I know. It's going to be amazing. Even if Bruck is coming along.”
Obi-Wan shrugged. “It's okay. He was quiet last night, was rather startled to see me with Master Nic. I guess the rumors hadn't reached him yet.”
“Really? I thought everyone would know that you got a different master, a wandering master! Everyone thinks those are the coolest.”
“Are you sure it's not just you, Padawan?” Tholme asked dryly.
Obi-Wan shook his head. “Last time a wandering Jedi came back to the Temple, all the padawan age initiates kept trying to get her attention. But Nic and Ben are keeping to themselves. And they fit in well, like they're not wandering Jedi. Wandering Jedi stand out more.”
Tholme nodded. “Observant of you. I will see you when you two return from your trip.”
Quinlan grinned at him and gave him a quick hug. “Bye Master Tholme!” He then took off for the ship, not hindered by his bag in the least.
Obi-Wan shook his head, amused. “Good bye, Master Tholme.” He was a little startled when Tholme pulled him in for a quick hug, but smiled anyways. Then he followed Quinlan.
Knowing how much he liked affection, especially from watching Ben and Dominic, Tholme had resolved to ensure Obi-Wan had other examples of affection being okay, especially hugs. So long as those involved wanted them.
Obi-Wan and Quinlan quickly claimed their room. All the rooms had a single set of bunk beds, so everyone was doubling up. There was no way they were not going to stay with each other. And Obi-Wan hadn't been told he should stay with Bruck. Ben didn't want to push it too much.
Once they had put their bags up, they darted to join the growing group of padawans, coming to a stop next to Luminara.
Luminara looked down at them and smiled. “Hello, Quinlan, Obi-Wan. I'm glad you could join us this time.”
“Me too!” Quinlan grinned. “It's going to be great.”
Obi-Wan was looking around curiously. “Kit's here? Isn't he almost a Knight?”
“Not yet. He just lost his master, so he's pretty quiet.”
“Oh... Right, I remember hearing about it... wasn't that like two months ago? Why is he here?”
Luminara had a tinge of uncertainty in the Force. “It might have to do with the fact that Master Yoda is teaching him. I don't think Master Yoda would let him continue wallowing.”
Obi-Wan made a face. “No, he wouldn't.” He looked around at the crowd of padawans joining them on the Order's biggest ship, primarily used for this annual trip. “There's so many...”
“It's open to any padawan, junior or senior,” Quinlan responded absently, wrapping an arm around Obi-Wan. He'd noticed that Obi-Wan had developed a slight aversion to crowds. “Even with those who have missions that's still a lot of padawans. We'll all get divided into groups, based on the assessment our masters submitted about our knowledge.”
Obi-Wan relaxed a little. Being split into a group based on what Master Nic said about him wasn't bad. It even meant there was probably a good chance he'd end up in the same group as Quinlan.
Luminara glanced at both of them, a slight furrow of her brow giving away her confusion as much as her Force presence. “You two seem different.”
“Oh, that's right, you only got back like. Last week. Surprised you know about Kit not us.”
“I actually visited with him but you two seem to be harder to get a hold of these days.”
“Master Nic has me busy studying some things I missed on my last mission and he's making sure there's no gaps in my understanding.”
“Master Nic?”
Quinlan grinned. “He's one of the chaperones! His name is Dominic Vos and I guess he's a distant relative and he's really awesome. He showed up on the planet Obi was on and made sure Obi and the other younglings were okay and ended the war with Obi's help!”
Obi-Wan blushed, nudging Quinlan in embarrassment.
“What happened to Master Jinn?” Luminara was pleased that Obi-Wan seemed to be thriving now. There were some negative changes, the way he was pressing close to Quinlan as the room filled up did not escape her notice, but he was more open and happier. More likely to accept affection and reciprocate it. At least from this first look. She would observe further to see if her first impressions were accurate.
Quinlan frowned, getting angry at the reminder.
“He left me there,” Obi-Wan responded simply. “Gave me a choice between obeying him and staying with the Order or staying on the planet to help the Young and give up my lightsaber. Master Nic still curses and grumbles when it comes up. He showed up on the planet months later.”
“Then I'm happy you've found a more suitable master. So you're different because you were in a war with other younglings on your own until he came along, and he's since taken over your training.”
Obi-Wan nodded. “Pretty much. War is scary. Being the oldest and one of three in charge was scarier, but at least I didn't have to worry about my parents being on one of the other sides.”
Quinlan decided to save Obi-Wan before Luminara could question or even react. “My cover was totally blown on my last mission. Master Tholme and I were trying to establish it, not really use it, but they insisted he leave me behind for some reason I can't remember, and it turned out they knew I'm Jedi padawan and they kept tossing me into fighting rings.”
“How did you get out?” Luminara was horrified, eyes wide, mouth slightly open. “Master Tholme came back for you?”
“Well, yeah, he did, of course, but that was more than a month later. Master Ben showed up before that.” Quinlan grinned, and continued before she could ask. “Master Ben Kenobi is Obi-Wan's uncle and Master Nic's husband. He's really awesome too.” Then he got serious and looked away, rubbing at his arm where one of his injuries had been. Obi-Wan hugged him.
“But it was rough,” he said quietly. “I got really injured, and the fights were to the death. If I wanted to live...” He shuddered. “Master Ben really helped me out, made sure I was doing alright, made sure I meditated, taught me some more tricks. He did his best to ensure I didn't get more injured, too. He's here today too, right, Obes?”
Obi-Wan nodded, still hugging Quinlan comfortingly. “Master Ben signed up to chaperone, and he just took on Bruck as his padawan last night.”
“Bruck Chun?” Luminara asked, a bit in disbelief. “Really?”
“Yeah. His bullying seems petty now. And he's not sure what to think of living in the same quarters I am, though thankfully we don't actually have to share a room.”
Luminara nodded thoughtfully, and resolve to keep an eye out for Bruck. She was four years older than Obi-Wan, and knew just how poorly the bullying had affected him. She doubted that Bruck had learned yet. But then her attention was caught by the fact that Quinlan was still clinging to Obi-Wan in a hug. Obi-Wan had been trying to distract him from what he was talking about.
Obi-Wan was far more confident. But Quinlan it seemed had been affected far more negatively, despite his best efforts to act as he always did. Luminara resolved to keep an eye on him for the next month and ensure that one of the adults knew about it. But for now... she could help.
Luminara put a hand on Quinlan's shoulder and squeezed. “You didn't give me a chance to respond earlier,” she said softly. “What you went through sounds horrible. I'm sorry you had to deal with that, Quinlan. If there is anything I can do to help, let me know.”
Quinlan gave her a weak smile. “I will, thanks Lumi.”
.
The yearly padawan trip was a month and a half long trip to some part of the galaxy for life experience. Most padawans, if they did it more than once, wouldn't do it more than every other year, because it took away from mission experience a little too much to do it yearly.
This year they were going to Mon Cala and Lothal. A water planet, and a planet with a Temple. Perfect for padawans to learn some lessons. Divided into groups, they would spend different days from other groups on each planet, learning different things.
Quinlan and Obi-Wan were thrilled to be put in the same group as Luminara, Kit, and some of their friends they hadn't really had the chance to spend time with since they got back. Everyone was always busy.
Their group leader was Dominic. He took the stares and whispers without missing a beat. He was enthusiastic and taught a lot of lessons without the lessons really feeling like lessons. He even got Kit to be a bit more of an active participant.
It took until the first time he tugged on Obi-Wan's padawan braid for their friends to realize that Dominic was his master. They were very confused and badgered Obi-Wan for answers he didn't have.
Swimming on Mon Cala and enjoying learning there was fascinating. Apparently they were all skilled enough with lightsabers and swimming that they got underwater fighting lessons. Which was amazing.
Their time flew by quickly, and then they were back on Lothal, visiting the Temple, where Obi-Wan got to help Dominic reveal it, as it was meant to be done by master and apprentice, if they were both present.
Obi-Wan spent all his time with Quinlan. He did take some time to talk to Bruck when they were in the same area, with Quinlan sticking with him protectively. Bruck still couldn't quite believe he was a padawan, and accepted the caution, as he was being cautious himself.
.
They were relaxing out in the plans, near the Temple, just enjoying the Lothal sun and breeze. Quinlan was cuddling with Obi-Wan as they tended to do more and more lately. It was then some of their friends approached.
These friends weren't their closest ones. Weren't their clanmates in the creche, and weren't the ones they hung out with by default even now. But they were decently close and they worked together on projects frequently.
But they still were happy to hang out. So Obi-Wan looked up at them from the Lothcat he'd been petting.
“Hello! It's a great day isn't it?”
“You've been weird lately. Both of you.” That was Monica. Always blunt.
“We both went through our own ordeals. Of course we're weird.” Quinlan grinned. He shifted so his head was now on Obi-Wan's lap and he had to tilt his head back to see them. They looked like they were upside down as a result. “Nothing wrong with that.”
“Why do you bring it up?” Obi-Wan asked calmly, still giving the Lothcat the scritches it was begging for.
“I don't like it.” Monica crossed her arms. “You're all calm and confident and you don't care anymore about anything. And you,” she gestured at Quinlan, “you're quieter. You're not pranking or getting in trouble. You're not joking around. And I swear I see you flinching every tim someone gets too close with a raised hand.”
Quinlan closed his eyes, slumping with hurt. He really did not want to talk about it. “I had an ordeal. I was majorly injured, even had a knife sticking out of my back at one point. You think I wouldn't change after that? I'm getting better but I can't be who I was.”
“Oh come on don't exaggerate. Like you could ever go through anything that horrible.” Talfer scoffed. “You probably barely suffered at all.”
Obi-Wan sat up, eyes blazing because they didn't get it. “We were both just cleared for this trip hours before the deadline to set up, it was that bad. And you know the rules. No one's supposed to question an ordeal, and if you really don't think there was one, then you should ask your master to confirm instead of confronting the person who suffered and making them feel horrible.”
Quinlan had pulled away from Obi-Wan, pulling his knees up to his chest as he rubbed his arm, one of the wounds that still seemed to ache from time to time.
Obi-Wan was about to say more, but decided his best friend needed him more. He pulled Quinlan into a hug, trying to comfort his best friend.
“It's okay,” he murmured. “They don't understand what you've been through but you're not obligated to explain.”
“Oh stop babying Quinlan, Obi-Wan.” Monica tried to pull Obi-Wan away.
She was met by a steely gaze of determination as he yanked his arm back.
“I will do what I want.”
“Please, a little pain and he's like this.”
Quinlan flinched. “It was more than a little pain,” he whispered. “Master Ben was there too, that's when he lost his eye.”
“What?” Talfer jerked back. “No way.”
Obi-Wan nodded. “We got back at the same time, Master Ben was missing an eye and it was recent. He showed up before Master Tholme did.”
Monica recovered from the shock first. “And what about you Obi-Wan? I heard you'd left the Order, and your master did come back without you and now you have a different master?”
“Master Jinn and I disagreed on what the Force was saying we should do to help. Thankfully, Master Nic agreed with me and was willing to take over my training,” Obi-Wan responded diplomatically. “The mission was on Melida/Daan. I am not comfortable sharing anymore than that.”
“Oh yeah? And what did it do to you?” Talfer sneered.
“Aside from multiple blaster wounds and the damage done to Master Nic's arm? Food was hard to come by. I was underweight and had to build that back up again.”
“Please, you're not even fourteen.” Monica rolled her eyes. “We never get the missions that go that hard.”
“That doesn't mean the mission can't go wrong,” Quinlan spoke up, shaking a little with the memories. “That doesn't mean we won't be forced to do something we're not ready to do, to deal with things we're not ready to deal with.”
“Like what?” Talfer asked, though it was more demanding than curious
“You wouldn't understand.” Obi-Wan shook his head. He had yet to let go of Quinlan and he wasn't planning to. Not unless an actual fight broke out. In which case he would be in trouble because he knew far too much for his age and knew how to be far too brutal. So did Quinlan. They had been working on it with their masters and with Ben. Even Master Mace was helping a little.
The Lothcat sat up; she had been ignoring the drama by focusing on cleaning herself. With a screech, she took off into the maze of mountains.
The padawans stared after it.
Obi-Wan felt a warning in the Force. “After the Lothcat, she knows something is up, and is probably going to safety.” He helped Quinlan up and then they were off running.
The others ended up chasing after them after a moment of hesitation. They followed the Lothcat straight to a small cave. Quinlan and Obi-Wan made sure the others made it in, four others including Monica and Talfer and then squeezed in at the edge, Obi-Wan sitting on Quinlan's lap.
The ground started shaking. Obi-Wan grabbed onto Quinlan, both startled. But far more calm than the other four with them, who all screamed and were panicking at the close quarters. The shaking seemed to go on and on, their entrance was covered up by falling rocks, and then, finally, the dust settled.
Monica was panicking the most. “What we supposed to do? We're trapped!”
Quinlan was already prodding at the rocks with the Force.
Obi-Wan sighed. “Not panicking helps. Breathe, there seems to be a few air shafts. We might have to sit tight and wait for people to find us.”
Quinlan nodded. “Yeah, I'm certain there is no way we can get out without potentially making it worse. We don't have room to dig ourselves out, so the rocks have to be moved from the outside, but that's dangerous without being able to see what we're doing.”
Before anything more could be said, the earth started shaking again. Obi-Wan clung to Quinlan, flattening himself on top of his best friend. The rocks trapping them shifted and for a moment it seemed like a few might shift to fall in the cave and potentially crush them.
“I thought Lothal didn't have earthquakes!” Talfer whispered harshly, trying to hide his fear.
“They're rare. They're like... once ever a hundred years at the earliest, usually,” Obi-Wan responded, mentally going over the information he had found before the trip. I think the average is once every thousand of years, for the entire planet. It's been two hundred and fifty nine years since the last one, so it's not too soon, but it's far earlier than they would have been expecting.”
“The aftershocks will probably appear every five minutes for the next several hours, possibly even a full day. Every seven aftershocks will be more like the original earthquake, sometimes stronger than the original.” Quinlan sighed. “Which means we might be stuck in here for a long time.”
“How do you know that?”
“Research.” Quinlan and Obi-Wan responded at the same time.
Another aftershock hit and the padawans were really trying not to panic after that. The cave may have been the safest option for the first one, but it was going to turn into a bad place to be eventually.
Quinlan and Obi-Wan remained the most calm, but then, they had the most experience with situation where it was necessary to focus now, panic later. They did their best to calm the other padawans but they weren't doing the best job. Not that the other four wanted to calm.
The real panic started when aftershock number seven hit. Because it was as strong as the first one. A rock fell and landed right where Obi-Wan would have been sitting if he had not chosen to occupy Quinlan's lap instead. Both he and Quinlan flung their hands up and caught the next rock before it fell using the Force.
“What do we do?” Talfer hissed.
“What happened to the Lothcat?” Obi-Wan asked.
“Uh... no idea.”
“Figure that out, the Lothcat came into this cave, only to disappear? There has to be another way out. Use it.” Obi-Wan ordered before focusing his attention on holding the rocks back from falling.
The padawans did so, searching carefully with what limited space they had. They were careful not to disturb Quinlan and Obi-Wan's concentration. They were the only ones keeping the situation from getting worse.
Monica was the one to find the tunnel. She was ready to start crawling when the next aftershock shook the ground.
Obi-Wan grunted, sweat starting to bead on his forehead. It was a lot harder to keep the rocks in place when the shaking was happening. But they had to do it. Quinlan didn't say anything, so focused he was on holding the rocks back.
Monica swallowed nervously and started crawling. The other three padawans followed. Talfer was the last one. He hesitated.
“What about you two?”
“We'll follow,” Quinlan said, breathing heavily. “But we have to be careful. Don't bother waiting for us.”
“Yeah, we're going to be slow, and there's a chance that one of the aftershocks will collapse the tunnel. Better you get out of here.”
Talfer hesitated again, then nodded. “May the Force be with you.”
“And with you,” Quinlan and Obi-Wan responded automatically.
Talfer crawled into the tunnel.
Quinlan and Obi-Wan waited until he was clear, then they waited for the next aftershock. By then, they were shaking with the strain of what they were doing.
Once the aftershock was over, Obi-Wan shifted, carefull scooting off of Quinlan's lap and into the cave. The cave was only five feet deep. He didn't stop moving until his back hit the wall. Quinlan followed slowly, eyes closed as he concentrated on the rocks he was holding in place.
The next aftershock hit, and the tunnel collapsed. There went their exit. The area of the cave they were in was holding up, though, so it would be safe enough. Once the earth had settled, the two padawans let go of the rocks. They didn't get hit by any of them, just dust.
Quinlan coughed and then collapsed in Obi-Wan's direction. Obi-Wan caught him and collapsed under his weight. Both lay at the back of the cave, in a space barely big enough for the two of them, in shock. They narrowly survived that, and they had been holding back a lot more rocks than they had been expecting.
Obi-Wan caught his breath. “I don't know that we're going to be getting out of this Quin...”
“Yeah, it doesn't look good, Obes... but we have to wait. I bet Master Nic and Master Ben are looking for us. I don't think they'll leave us down here.”
“Oh... yeah. We can't die.” Obi-Wan smiled slightly. “That's a good point. They'll do what they can to find us. Let's rest and maybe we can come up with a better plan.”
“Or maybe we'll be forced to come up with something on the fly again when the aftershocks hit.” Quinlan snuggled in anyways, taking comfort in having his best friend there at his side. Or rather underneath him.
Obi-Wan hugged him tightly, just happy he wasn't alone this time.
They weathered several aftershocks, just clinging to each other and drawing comfort from each other. Each one seemed to add another rock to the pile, but they weren't in danger of rocks encroaching in their little space, so it wasn't a big deal. Until the next big aftershock dislodged a rock and sent it almost straight for their faces. Thankfully it landed a few inches away, but it was still way too close. By then, they were curled together, occupying as little space as possible.
“Hey, Obes?” Quinlan asked nervously.
“Yeah, what's up Quin?” Obi-Wan responded, a bit drowsily. The effort expended in holding the rocks was catching up to him. He knew he couldn't fall asleep in a dangerous situation like this so he was grateful that Quinlan spoke.
“Um, remember how we talked about how we weren't ready for like... dating and stuff?”
“Yeah, I remember.” Obi-Wan promptly became aware that Quin's face was right next to his own. He started blushing, now wide awake.
Quinlan could feel the heat in his cheeks too but he had to get it out. “I don't think I'm ready to really date, still. That's a lot of stuff to worry about with emotions and we're still padawans. But... Even though we're supposed to make it another thirty five years, there's still no guarantee and I swear we both have the worst luck, especially considering some of the things Master Nic and Master Ben have said.”
“Yeah. That's true... so... what are you thinking?”
“I think... we're not really friends anymore are we? We might as well be dating, but we're not really dating either. Something in between. But either way... Obes? Can... Can I kiss you?” Quinlan closed his eyes, the only way he could aleviate his anxiety. He couldn't get away from Obi-Wan, after all.
Obi-Wan's eyes widened. He didn't need to think about it. He just turned his head towards Quinlan's. “Yes, yes you can.” He had been dying to know what that was like for months, since the first time he saw their older selves kiss after knowing the truth.
Quinlan closed the gap, pressing their lips together. Obi-Wan closed his eyes as they held the kiss there for a few seconds then pulled away.
“That was weird,” Obi-Wan spoke first, “but I think I liked it.”
“Me too. I'm not sure we did it right though.”
“That's okay. We can figure it out.” Obi-Wan hesitated then kissed him again.
Quinlan made a startled noise as he returned the kiss. They pulled out of it as the Force gave them a warning. Seconds later the ground started to shake again.
They clung to each other and made themselves as small of targets as they could. They would not die here. And they preferred not to get injured. Not so soon after the last time, not after just getting cleared.
The rest of the time was spent talking idly about whatever they could come up with. Quinlan started sharing bits and pieces about his family he normally kept secret, though he still kept some things to himself. Obi-Wan confided some lingering doubts and insecurities he had never shared with anyone.
Hours went by. They lost more and more space until they were very much squished together. The aftershocks were slowing down, more time between them. They didn't feel as powerful either. They were surviving, at least.
And then another of the strong seventh aftershocks hit, and a rock slammed into their space. Both of them cried out with pain, but there was nothing they could do, too exhausted, and not enough space for the Force anyways. How they had enough air to breathe was a mystery.
They tried to stay calm, tears streaming down their faces from the pain of rock digging into their sides, crushing them. Or so it felt. And then...
The pressure started lifting. Both reached out with the Force and slumped with relief when Master Nic's soothing and reassuring Force presence met them. He was there. They were getting out.
“We're saved, Quin.” Obi-Wan whispered.
“We're saved!” Quinlan kissed him. Then chuckled sheepishly. “If we're going to be kissing, I think that means we're actually dating.”
“We'll figure it out.” Obi-Wan was too relieved to get out of the tight space to care.