Masters and Padawans
Finn's head was spinning with the sudden changes that he'd experienced in the past few hours. It wasn't a new feeling for him. If he was honest, his head hadn't really stopped spinning since he'd decided to save Poe all those months ago.
After that decision, that one choice which uprooted everything that Finn had ever known, everything had been constantly changing. At times, it had felt like it was impossible to pause long enough to even take a breath. Finn had been dragged through a whirlwind of chaos and fighting, moving through missions, between different bases, and around different positions in the Resistance. The only times where his mind had seemed to slow down were when he was with Poe or Rey or the general.
For most of the first few months, Finn hadn't been sure about what he wanted to do. There had been something, deep inside him that had screamed at him to run, to find a dark corner of the galaxy so far away and well-hidden that the First Order would never find him, not matter how far their influence spread and how much power they took. However, whenever he went to ask the general for transport, for help in hiding (he knew that she would give it without judgement should he ask, in fact, she was the one who offered a few days after he'd woken up in the med bay after Starkiller Base), he seemed to catch sight of Poe fixing his TIE fighter or talking quietly to BB8, or Rey determinedly walking off into the forest to yet again sit there for hours or pouring through books as she tried to understand how to fix the galaxy, and he knew that he could not abandon them.
These people were his people and they were fighting for what was right. And, yes, it was scary and it was difficult and they were losing. But, it felt good every time they helped someone, or saved a planet from the First Order's clutches. Finn had never felt like he was doing something right before. He didn't want to stop and, ultimately, every time he had faltered, that conviction had proved stronger than the fear.
But time travel? That was hard to tackle.
Finn followed General Kenobi to the luscious garden. The first thing he noticed when he entered the room was the sudden increase in temperature. This ship was fancy enough for the halls to be heated even in hyperspace. However, the humidity in room of tropical plants, which was almost like a greenhouse, took the edge of the chill that permeated hyperspace more than the heaters ever could. The second thing he noticed was the frankly ridiculous water feature that dominated the centre of the high-ceilinged room.
General Kenobi led him over to a clear section of glass right next to the fountain and sat down in a cross-legged position.
Finn scrambled to do the same, trying his best to match General Kenobi's posture.
He must have done something right because General Kenobi smiled at him, filling Finn's chest with a warmth.
"I know this must be very overwhelming for you," General Kenobi said.
Finn nodded. "That's one way to put it."
General Kenobi's smile widened a little. "Yes, that was rather an understatement, wasn't it? My apologies, I've had so much practice with phrasing things diplomatically that it has become automatic."
"That's… useful."
General Kenobi chuckled before he looked seriously into Finn's eyes. "Regardless of the… unusual circumstances you've found yourself in, you are my padawan now, and we will be working very closely together. We will be partners, even above the battalions we will be working with and Padawan Rey and Master Windu, do you understand?"
Finn frowned, but he nodded again. "Yes. You'll be teaching me and I'll answer primarily to you."
General Kenobi nodded. "Of course, given your age and circumstances, this will be a highly unusual padawanship and, as such, we will both need to be flexible and open to our expectations for this dynamic."
Finn blinked. He hadn't expected such a frank and open discussion. Honestly, it reminded him of General Organa, when she'd sat him down and frankly asked him what he wanted.
"Uh… yeah. That would be good actually."
General Kenobi smiled gently, his posture somehow becoming even more straight even as eh inclined his head towards Finn.
"I promise to do my best to train you in the ways of the Jedi and help you gain mastery over the Force. However, I also want you to know that, should the Jedi path not be suited for you, you will always have my support going forward, even if you decide to leave the order. I have many contacts that could help you establish a life outside the Order."
Finn frowned. Over the past couple of months, he had come to accept the fact that he would eventually join the sparse ranks of the mystical Force Users. However, he hadn't been prepared for joining such an organised and established Order.
"And what does it mean to be a Jedi?" Finn asked. "Rey and I tried to figure it out, but there wasn't much… I mean most records had been destroyed and it was hard to find real solid evidence of what the Order really was like… or is like I guess."
General Kenobi put a hand on his chin, pausing in thought for a few moments before he questioned, "What do you think it means to be a Jedi?"
Finn pressed his lips together. "From what I understand of past stories and from what I think… Jedi are peacekeepers, right? They protected the galaxy as best they could and mediate government bureaucracy to try and get fair outcomes. They protect people when they can't protect themselves."
General Kenobi's shoulders lowered slightly. "That's what we try to do. It's become a lot more difficult over the last few years. We… try to do what is right. But you missed one, very important. We are beholden to the Senate. Especially after recent legislation. It has allowed us to have influence within in the galaxy to make it better, but everything comes at a price and we've been feeling it recently."
Finn leaned forward, looking deeply into General Kenobi’s eyes. “There is one thing that I am certain of and that all those in the Resistance, particularly General Leia: the Jedi were good. They helped the galaxy. Even the Clone Wars was... is the Jedi doing everything they can to protect it.”
General Kenobi glanced down, taking a slow breath before he looked up at Finn, his eyes shining.
“That means more than I can say.”
He cleared his throat. “It is not my place to tell you what being a Jedi is to you. However, you must know that if you choose to be a Jedi, you must commit to being a Jedi. It has to be your first priority and you can’t let anything else come before that.”
Finn pursed his lips. “Luke said something similar when he talked about being a Jedi. I think I understand.”
“You do?”
Finn nodded. “Its similar in the Resistance: the cause comes first. Anything else comes second... came second. We couldn’t afford to prioritise anything over our missions or the people we were helping could get hurt... could have died.”
General Kenobi inclined his head forward, his face impassive, but Finn was very good at reading people, having spent much of his life surrounded by people in full armour, and if he had to guess, the slight loosening of the man’s shoulders belied his relief.
“Good. The Jedi do not forbid romantic relationships, just attachments that could compromise our objectivity or our ability to perform our duties, but I think that you understand that. If you do think that you’ve formed an attachment that will jeapordise you’re ability to make the right decision when it comes down to it, then it will your job to come forward with that and either work threw that attachement or step down as a Jedi before you get someone hurt. The Council has been more... lenient with this rule since the war began. It’s blurred the lines for many but it is still important.”
Finn blinked and absorbed this information for a few moments before he replied, “I agree. Poe agrees too. I... think I might love him but we both knew that there would always be something that came first, even after the war. Poe has always been to committed to saving the galaxy above all else and I... I think I like helping people. And I don’t want something to come before that, not even Poe.”
At this, General Kenobi smiled. “That is... an extremely mature response. But, just know, if you change your mind, you are free to leave the Order. You might not be a Jedi afterwards, but you will still have the support of your friends if you wish to keep in contact.”
Finn nodded. “I understand.”
General’s Kenobi’s grin widened and he took a deep breath. “I know that this was extremely unexpected, but I have a good feeling about you and your team. I think you will find your place here and I’m looking forward to teaching you.”
Finn wanted to duck his head but managed to stop himself, even as he felt his cheeks heat up. “Thank you, General Kenobi.”
“It’s, Obi-Wan, or Master Obi-Wan if you want to, but don’t feel pressured if you are uncomfortable with that title or it causes you distress. I know the negative connotations it has in much of the galaxy.”
Finn shook his head. “No, it’s ok. I know that it’s a sign of respect. And I never - the First Order didn’t use that word. It would have been too obvious what we were then. They relied on us being too brainwashed to care.”
Gener - no, Master Obi-Wan pressed his lips together then but went on instead of diving into a discussion about Finn’s past. He didn’t think he could handle it after the emotional upheaval. The Jedi has already talked with them about the ramifications of leaving everything behind before their medical check ups and implied that there would be more of those conversations in the future.
“What would be comfortable being adrressed as? I can call you Padawan, or Finn, or even Commander Finn if you would prefer. You will be addressed as such by the troops. I’m afraid it’s rather impossible to get them to use your first names. Cody has only just started doing so, and that is only in private after we’ve already been doing hours of paperwork together.”
“Any of those are fine.” Just as long as they didn’t use his number, but they hadn’t told him his number, so he would have to worry about that. “I won’t have to call the troopers by their serial numbers will I?”
Master Obi-Wan grimaced. “Many of them have not chosen names for themselves, so you will need to address those as their designations if you want to converse with them, but a great majority have decided upon their names and prefer it if you address them by their chosen names.”
Finn nodded vigorously. “Good. That’s good. I can definitely do that.”
Master Obi-Wan’s eyes softened. “I know that the clones’ reality is not right, but we have thus far been unsuccessful in convincing the Senate that they need rights. I know this will be difficult for you. If you are having difficulties, please feel free to come to me or any Jedi Master if you do not want to talk to me about it. We can arrange a way to make you feel better, even if that is you staying in the Temple, though you will still see troopers there. We have found that we like having them there. It feels right and they help the young kings feel safe.”
Both Jedi flinched after that at the reminder of just what the troopers on the Temple had done. The event was barely under one and a half years away. The troopers there still had their chips in. They couldn’t convey their information to the Council for fear of it getting intercepted. There was no telling how safe even the most encrypted comms were and this intel was too important to risk getting out. It literally meant the life and death of every Jedi. They couldn’t even discuss it with the other Jedi on their trip yet. They needed to get a plan first.
“It’s alright,” Finn assured Master Obi-Wan. “Like I said, I know that this was the best option. Without you, the troopers would be stuck with people like Tarkin, and you would have had even less influence than you already do over the trooper’s fates.”
Master Obi-Wan swallowed and was quiet for a few moments before he looked up. “I think that’s enough heavy topics for one day, Padawan. Do you agree?”
Finn matched the other man’s smile and nodded.
Master Obi-Wan shook his shoulders out. “Now, I know that you have practiced meditation, but I would like to see your progress. It is one of the most important parts of a Jedi’s skill set. It helps us connect with the Force and promotes self reflection, which is essential to ensure that you stay in touch with your emotions and feelings.”
“And don’t fall to the Dark Side.”
“Very good,” Master Obi-Wan agreed with a nod of his head. “But also to just ensure that you are aware of your emotions and that your connection to the Force is healthy.”
“That sounds fair.”
“I’m glad, Finn,” Master Obi-Wan said with a smirk. “Now, would like me to guide you through a meditation?”
“Yeah,” Finn answered without needing to think about it. “I would.”
——
Rey couldn’t stop the giddy smile from splitting across her face as she opened her eyes. That was the best meditation she’d ever had.
“That was amazing!” she said. It made up for the long conversation they’d had about the rules of the Jedi (that part really hadn’t been bad. It was nice when people were clear), trauma (which had been painful and left her feeling hollow) and about her feelings towards her family (which had almost made her cry). The conversation had been long and serious, but she thought that her master was convinced that she knew the dangers of attachment - she’d told him about Joie shelf learnt the difference between a healthy relationship and attachment the hard way after all.
Master Windu’s lips twitched and he glanced down at the comm link on his vambrace, “We have time for me to begin teaching you katas?”
Rey perked up, causing her master to chuckle. Rey’s eyes widened and Master Windu smiled at her.
“Did I shock you, Padawan?”
Rey stammered our a denial but that only caused her master to chuckle again.
“It’s alright, Rey,” he assured her as he sobered. “I am a High General and the Master of the Order, which means I need to present a certain image to everyone. I know I come off as stern.”
Rey blinked before she nodded. “That makes sense. The Order needs a firm leader.”
Her master smiled at her. “However, you are not everyone. You are my Padawan. It is a lot of responsibility for you as we both will be held to a certain expectation when we are around other people. You will need to act respectfully and responsibly. But it also means I won’t be as... stiff around you.”
Rey absorbed that for a few moments before she answered, “I understand... Master Mace.”
Her lips twitched as her master sighed. “There was a reason I asked you to address me as either Master or Mace.”
Rey grinned and Mace raised his eyebrow at her. “Remind me not to introduce you to Depa, your sister padawan. I can already tell that I will never find peace again if I do.”
They shared a smile as warmth thrummed through their newly established bond and then Mace cleared his throat. “Why don’t we get started. The highly unique style of your saber means that you will need to learn multiple fighting styles to master the staff and dual form. However, I think I’ll start off you Shi-Cho forms for a single blade and we’ll go from there.”
Rey nodded in agreement and stood up with her master, unclipping her saber from its stop on her belt and lighting up the blue side. Her master ignited his own saber revealing a brilliant purple colour that immediately had Rey entranced as he started showing her simple stances.
The moves felt good, a little awkward at first but she quickly picked them up, and soon Mace showed her the variations for staff and Jar’Kai. By the end of the lesson, they had moved onto to a slow sort of sparring and Rey felt like she’d actually made progress for the first time since she’d started training.
“That was a good session, Padawan” her master praised her warmly at the end of it, stepping up to her shoulder. “I’ll show you to your room so you can get cleaned up before dinner and then we can complete the last step in making your padawanship official.”
“What’s that, Master?”
“Giving you a braid.”