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It was purely by chance that Mace had met the latest student of that annoying woman who made Mace want to punch a wall.
Knowing that he could bring down a wall with said blow if he aimed for its shatter point or at least leave a hole the size of his fist, it was best that he control his temper.
Not knowing what to do with such a peculiar child as the Skywalker boy, he had left a message on the only place he could hope to reach the Dark Woman – the nickname alone was stupid for a white human woman with already gray hair, but he had already determined she was a particularly stupid woman back when they were Padawans together, best not to dwell on it.
He did not approve of Kenobi going from Padawan to teacher, especially for such a special case. Besides, if Skywalker was indeed to be the "Chosen One", it would be best if he were taught by someone really skilled, just in case. Whether he liked this despicable person or not, she was capable of teaching a student.
Master Yoda would agree, but Mace was not so resigned. Except instead of finding an annoying woman at his door one morning, Mace found a young human man bowing, fully covered with only his chin visible.
- ... who are you?
- I am Jon Antilles, Master Windu. I came as quickly as I could, my Master decided long ago that she would no longer answer the calls of the Order, I am sorry.
- You are... her student?
- Yes, I am.
- We were not aware of your existence, young man. Come in.
After a quick glance that noted every exit, Antilles stood in the middle of the living room.
- So what was the emergency?
- A child. He needs a Master who can adapt to his peculiarities, because he knows absolutely nothing about the Jedi and has a bad temper, a lot of fear and anger.
- How old is he?
- He is about ten years old. It will be difficult for him to adapt to our social structures so abruptly and the only person who wants to take him is still a Padawan.
- "It wouldn't be a good idea," the young man understood immediately with few words. "However... far be it from me to criticize my Master, but I doubt she has the patience to deal with a ten-year-old who knows nothing about the Force. She already had little patience with me."
- "How old were you when she took you?" Mace asked, openly curious.
- I was four.
That was young. Really young.
- When did she start your training?
- Four years old.
... okay, Mace now had a new reason to hate this horrible woman. Another plan was beginning to form in his mind, though.
- And do you have a Padawan?
- "I... uh... no, why do you ask?" The other answered hesitantly, losing his confidence as the questions strayed away from subjects he needed to master enough to show confidence, especially in front of an authority figure such as Mace.
He obviously had no desire or intention of frightening or making shy a young man who had never seen the inside of the Temple, but he also knew that he had a reputation, and even if he did not he was still the Master of the Jedi Order, that gave him an image and notoriety to go with it.
Besides, Mace had the dark suspicion that the man in front of him was barely twenty, but he would not ask. One’s valor does not depend upon age, he was well placed to know it.
- Have you ever had any?
- No, I haven't.
The situation was simple as Mace saw it. He was in the presence of an exceptional case that no one wanted to handle except the one person Mace disapproved for the job. He wanted to leave the child with someone competent and relaxed enough about Jedi protocols that Skywalker would not make a complete rejection of their culture in the first week. But he also did not want to leave the child with a crazy woman who did who knows what with children.
- Would you take the boy as a Padawan?
Antilles made a physical defensive movement and took a big step back.
- What? Me?! You can't be serious, Master Windu, that would be sheer madness!
- "Wouldn't you want to meet him before you said that? That kind of rejection on principle doesn't sound like the word of a Jedi." Mace pointed out, shrieking a mental victory roar as the other's shoulders slumped and he nodded.
- You're right, I'm sorry, it's just... I don't know anything about children.
- "We all don't know what we are doing when we're given the first one," Mace reassured him. "If the child survives the first week, it's a good sign that he'll survive almost anything. Follow me."
Clearly it was true, Mace had been relatively prepared, but he had also struggled with parenthood. Being a Jedi Master was not the same as being a teacher, and since they did not have any teaching classes, they learned on the job. It was a lot of trial and error and mutual failure before the Master-Padawan pairs worked, even when they knew and liked each other. Mace himself had mixed up two ingredients in a dish that was being prepared on the first night, forgetting that Depa was allergic, and they had spent the night at the Healing Halls. Really, outside of missions, surviving a week was a good indicator.
He did not really give him time to refuse as he led him down the corridors to one of the individual rooms in the Crèche where Skywalker and other children prone to violent nightmares, sick or even just species-specific sleep patterns, were resting next to the others.
He knocked on the door, which opened after a few minutes.
- Good morning, Young Skywalker. May I ask you to follow me to the Gardens?
- "Yes", the blond boy agreed with a wariness that was only heightened by the dark figure behind Mace.
He moved off in another direction without delay, relieved to be followed quickly by two uncertain young people, and stopped right in front of the place he was interested in: what was at stake now did not depend on him anymore.
- Anakin Skywalker, this is Jon Antilles, a nomadic Jedi.
- " Jedi can be nomads?" the boy asked, still curious despite his wariness.
- "I'm not... exactly like the others," Antilles answered awkwardly, paradoxically attracting the boy with his hesitant attitude that contrasted strongly with the other much more confident Jedi around him.
Mace watched them walk away and have a stilted, tense conversation as they walked together through the gardens, the discussion gradually becoming more fluid even though Mace could no longer hear them, giving them privacy to get to know each other.
He did not want Antilles to feel pressured and bring the child back after a few weeks, that would be worse than anything else, he just hoped they would choose each other. Kenobi had not really taken back the mission report he had filled out right after they had taken the kid, he thought Skywalker was "dangerous" and the kid knew it. It was stupid, no kid was just dangerous by nature, especially not this one, but he had to be protected from himself, and Kenobi, unable to protect himself, would not be a good teacher. Emotional repression was not good emotional management.
In the distance, he saw the boy mutter something that made Antilles react and put a hand on Skywalker's shoulder to get his attention before putting a hand on his heart and muttering something.
The little boy threw himself into his arms and Mace pulled away with a smile.
He could only feel relief, joy and hope.
Fear and anger were already far away.
*
The next time he would hear from the duo for real would be almost ten years later.
Mace would be an emissary sent by the Order with a Senator to speak to Jon Kriffing Antilles, the new ruler – and liberator – of several Outer Rim systems he had conquered by overthrowing the Hutt Mafia.
Jon Antilles, wisely advised by his wife, a kindly human named Shmi Skywalker, whose son and Padawan was smiling behind them, and even more so when he saw Senator Amidala.
Negotiations would not begin for a long time devoted to idle conversation, but for once it was a waste of time that Mace was glad to have.
Still, perhaps he should have told Antilles that conquest was not the Jedi way, just in case his Master had not taught him that obvious fact. Same with marriage.
Skywalker Junior put a hand on his Master's – father’s ? – shoulder and shook it excitedly before whispering something in his ear, quickly joined by Skywalker Senior who took his hand in hers, pushed his son away and did the same.
Antilles had not moved backwards at all, and his presence in the Force was balanced, gentle and serene.
... should he advise conquest to some other Jedi? He knew from experience that young Master Vos would be more than willing to go and conquer Ryloth and all the Twi'lek colonies in the Galaxy in honour of his Padawan to stop the everlasting trafficking of women.
Something to meditate on.
*
The Force said yes.