A New Master

Inside the famous and lavish Jedi Temple in Coruscant, an almost 20-year-old female Miraluka stood in the centre of the main Council Room. The High Jedi Council was sitting around her, forming a wide circle. Almost all were present except for two who were attending via hologram communication.

The young woman stood silent in front of the wise and powerful Jedi in front of her. Her trials had just finished, and she had failed. Of the 5 Trials, she failed one; the trial or mind or as people called it the mirror. Going too deep into meditation, she had encountered her demons but gave in to their temptation and taunting.

She almost failed the Trials of Skill as well, losing to it third part. Defeating the enemy easily, she lowered her guard and then was badly defeated by a new enemy they had added.

She managed to defeat the enemy in the end, but she had shown recklessness. She was certain though that it could be overpassed, has she succeeded with the Trial of Mind. It had taken her so long to attend those trials and yet she failed.

She wasn’t happy about it and the news that awaited her once she was done didn’t help either. Her master, Jedi Mane, had died in a terroristic attack while attending a peace agreement. She wasn’t so close to him, many times getting into conflicts and heated arguments.

Yet, he was the master who had tolerated her the most and had allowed her to try in the Trials, meaning he had faith in her. Unlike her other two Masters who had given up on her, saying her character was unsuited for a Jedi.

Thankfully, Master Yoda and many Jedi Masters had seen her talent and potential which allowed her to stay and continue her training. If only she could get rid of the Padawan title. However, even her luck was running out and a padawan could be a burden that long before being sent away for labour work. That was what she feared the worst but tried to mask and hide it from the Jedi around her, knowing too well they would sense it easily if she let her guard down.

“The trial, young Padawan, you failed,” Master Yoda said, breaking the silence in the room.

She didn’t speak, knowing it was not her place at that moment. She lowered her head a little and waited for the rest of the speech.

“According to the report, you failed the Trial of Mind. You gave in to the dark side and its temptations” Master Mace Windu said.

Sheira lowered her head even more. Ah yes, the Dark Side. She hadn’t exactly given in. Just got tempted too much and tapped where she shouldn’t have. She was brought back through by the Templar there, but the damage had already happened.

“Reckless, in the Trials of Skill, you were. Here, cocky is what written”

Cocky, she wasn’t like that. Yeah, she had a sharp tongue and yeah maybe she was a little overconfident in that battle, but it was so easy. Anyone would have been tricked, well almost anyone.

She kept her thoughts and arguments to herself, not wanting to make her situation worse. The patience of the council running thin and she knew she was stepping on thin ice. She had been in that situation one too many times and that was not really a good thing.

She just wanted them to be over, assign her to a new Master and be out of there. Maybe punish her again by putting her on Library Guard Duty like before. She didn’t care, she was in no mood. She was annoyed by failing and also frustrated, for she was looking forward to getting rid of the padawan braid and just being a Jedi Knight. The loss of her third master was also one she needed to process, because unlike the other two; this one did not leave her but rather died doing his duty.

Yet, they seem to take their time, observing her like dogs to fresh meat.

“Do you have anything to say?” Master Windu asked.

“No Masters…I acknowledge my failure and that I was not ready for them”

Perhaps she wasn’t or perhaps she made a tiny mistake. Either way, it didn’t matter now. The more she thought about it, the less she saw the reason to argue. It had already been done and there was no turning back.

“Sad the news was. Sad is Master Mane’s death”

The image of the human Master Jedi flashed into her mind. She would miss him, and they might not have matched perfectly but no one deserved to be gone like that. No one deserved to be gone in general, especially when they did not deserve it.

“A new Master has been chosen for you Sheira,” Shaak Ti said.

Her voice was soothing and made her smile faintly.

Of all the Masters, Yoda and Shaak Ti were her favourites. Kind, understanding, wise and able to calm you down; not to mention that their force aura was bright and easy to approach.

Unlike a certain Jedi Master who could intimidate a Sith Lord and ironically was always sitting next to Master Yoda.

“Outside he is waiting. Young Padawan, good luck I wish you”

She bowed and then walked out of the room, saying nothing on the matter. She did not see a reason to, for she had a lot of things to sort in her mind and of course, meet her new Master. She was not sure whom they assigned to her but she was ready for another strict, grumpy one that would stare her down or throw her straight into training.

Once the door closed behind her, she leaned against it and let out a sigh. The air in there was hot, the tension too thick and the eyes of the Council on her felt as if they were still on her.

Now she was away, a wave of relief had covered her body. You would think after all those times she had been called, all those times she had been scolded or punished; she would have been used to it.

Nope, not even close. Each time was like her first time, nothing changed except the scolding and charges she had to hear…sometimes the punishments too, although most of the time they were the same.

“Tough day I presume?” a voice said by her side and she almost jumped in fright.

She was so deep in thought; that she didn’t sense that there was someone by her side. Turning her body she looked at him through the force and she almost opened her mouth in surprise. The man had a warm and bright signature in the force.

The whole aura was welcoming and unique, rivalling the ones of Shaak Ti and Yoda. He wasn’t naturally strong with the force, but he seemed to have achieved a certain clarity with it. Such brightness and warmth were rare to be seen in any Jedi and certainly, not often in the Jedi she had met. It was so unique that it made her intrigued and also wonder how someone could reach that stage.

“Who are you?” she asked, at last, having finished with her evaluation and also gaining control over her thoughts and her mouth.

“My name is Obi-wan Kenobi. From today, I am your new teacher” he said with a smile and offered his hand.

This caught her off guard, not expecting such a warm and civilised approach. After all, he should have been informed of her past and her attitude and most likely heard plenty of comments about her behaviour in general. Thus for him to act so calm, was new to her but she found it welcoming, nonetheless.

“I am Sheira…master,” she said and shook his hand, feeling her cheeks flushing slightly, out of embarrassment.

The council had literally told her a single minute ago that her new master was waiting outside and yet she seemed to have totally forgotten it. In her defence, she had a lot in her mind and she was not always the most concentrated individual when she was not in the mood.

“Well, then Sheira. Let’s go, we have a lot of things to do”

He started to walk away, and she smiled, quickly following him.

Perhaps this Master wouldn’t be bad at all.