Ben's first spar with Merrick was an interesting experience. Ben held the blade he'd gotten used to, and Merrick held the staff he was so proficient with. "It'll be a good experience for you," the weapons master had said. Ben had not liked the laughter that sounded at his words. Apparently, someone's introduction to the staff was an event, considering the crowd that surrounded the mats. Ben closed his eyes a moment to center, then grinned at Merrick and nodded.
The first blow was to his feet. It knocked him down, but he rolled with it, coming gracefully back up with his dignity still intact. From the observer's reactions, that hadn't happened often. Merrick couldn't possibly know that he'd had that happen to him already once - and it had burned. Low level lightsabers still hurt. He'd make sure not to fall for that again.
Ben lost the sparing match. It took about four blows before the blade was knocked from his hands, and the other end of the staff whistled around to cuff his ear. He, however, made sure he was not there when it arrived in the vicinity of his head. He'd had that happen, too. And fairly recently, from... He stopped the thought right there. "I concede," he said as he straightened again. Merrick grinned, and the light in his eyes let Ben know he knew something. Ben grinned back. "And one day, I will beat you, my one blade against your staff."
Merrick's grin widened. "Oh, and when you do, I want a droidcam present," he said. "But for now, how about we start you on the staff?"
Ben limped back to his quarters that evening, bruised and aching. He was also happier than he'd been in a long time. Working with his lightsaber had always been one of the things he'd enjoyed most, and his Master - former Masters, except Master Jinn - had used it against him. He paused, leaning against the door to the ‘fresher, and shook his head slowly. He hadn't thought of them in a long time. Much less frustrating - but more painful - were the memories of his current Master, who'd worked with him on his skills, helped make him what he was today. He shook his head again to keep from collapsing into tears, and went to take a shower.
He woke up for his morning meditation, and was barely able to move. Kneeling stiffly on the floor, he found it harder to find his center, harder to concentrate because of the pain. Taking a deep breath, he welcomed it, thanked his body for informing him of the abused muscles, and it eased some. As he let the breath out, he sank into a light trance.
He fell into a routine. During the day, he went about his tasks and them met Merrick in the Weapons Saale. After an hour or two there, he had dinner, and woke up stiff and sore. But slowly, his muscles became used to the movements, and soon he wasn't falling out of bed into meditations; he could actually get up and move.
"No, I've never seen a Jedi. Why?"
Ben's head shot up in surprise, and he turned to the men sitting at the table behind him.
Conversations in the dining hall were usually entertaining in the evening; it was the one time everyone was there. The evening meal signified the end of work for the day, and often there were stories to be heard, when the story could be told without giving something away the teller didn't want to. These two were either long-term visitors, like himself, or were permanent staff; he'd seen them around. Those who visited for a short time did not eat with the rest, and he'd quickly become able to pick out those who would not be allowed to stay.
"Have you ever heard the stories about them?" the first man asked, incredulity in his voice. "None of those can be true."
"What have you heard?" the second asked.
"That they have these weapons of light, and they can use them to deflect blaster bolts, or burn through doors. They can fall from high up and not be hurt - or at least not as hurt as you or I would be. That they can jump really high."
"Well, it's true that they can deflect blaster bolts," Merrick said abruptly. "Although they usually try not to kill people."
That was one answered question, Ben thought as he turned to face the weapons master, who sat across from him. He'd seen Jedi in action before. That was why Merrick had known he'd been trained by Jedi.
"That's not possible," the first man said. "No one can move that fast."
"Possible or not, I saw it happen," Merrick said. "I even met the Jedi after that particular fight, in fact."
Ben perked up as much as the people around him, and he noticed Merrick's amused gaze on him before the weapons master turned back to the man he was talking to.
"What was he doing there?"
"Ending the dispute," Merrick said flatly. "If he'd been trying to, he could have killed a lot of people."
"When was this?" someone else asked. Ben wasn't able to identify the person who had asked.
Merrick paused, his eyes rolling up to look blankly at the ceiling. "About... five years ago," he said, and gave Ben another of those knowing looks.
"A Jedi, by himself? I thought they were supposed to go in pairs," the first man said, sounding almost surly.
Ben stayed perfectly still, afraid of drawing attention to himself. He really wanted to know who this Jedi was, but didn't dare ask, couldn't ask, almost afraid of the answer.
"Anyone been to Coruscant?" Merrick asked, and Ben nodded almost absently, completely against his will. To his surprise, Merrick grinned at him. Ben did not like the look of that grin in the least. "Ben? You were on Coruscant?"
"Yes, sir." It felt right, and he couldn't understand why. It was almost as if the Force were in control - that was why he'd nodded.
"Were you near the Temple?"
"Yes."
"Ever see any Jedi?"
Ben took a deep breath, willing the wild laughter down that threatened to burst out of him. Had he ever seen any Jedi? "A few." Hundred, his mind added.
"In pairs?"
"Sometimes." Usually, his mind insisted. But only because everyone else housed on his residence floor was part of a Master/Padawan team, he argued back.
"Do you remember what they look like?"
Ben shrugged, trying the nonchalant gesture to see how it would work out. This was not comfortable, but he was stuck, now. "Like any other being around the galaxy," he said.
Merrick chuckled. "Any of them sport braids?"
Ben nodded slowly. "Yes. Some of the younger Jedi had braids." His hand twitched slightly, but he fought the urge to reach up and check to make sure that his own Padawan braid was tucked into his hat, out of sight. The bright strings, markers of his achievements, were no longer present, but he hadn't been entirely sure what to do with the hair that made up his braid. So he kept it braided, simply out of habit. He did not want to cut it off.
"They're studying to be Jedi," Merrick said, turning back to the rest of his audience. "Apprentices, like Marin's Kartha." The woman he pointed to blushed and laughed.
"Hopefully they're not so hopeless at their craft as I am with clay," Kartha grinned.
"Don't believe her," Marin grinned. "She's almost better than I am."
"So, who was this Jedi?" It was the first man. Ben almost rolled his eyes at his own wish to find out, knowing that there were a lot of Jedi out there, and the chance of him knowing who it was....
"His name was Qui-Gon Jinn." Merrick's grin was almost feral. "He was an unbelievable negotiator. And to answer your question, he said he had no apprentice."
Ben felt the blood drain out of his face. No wonder Merrick had known he'd been Jedi trained. The man was a weapons master - he'd probably seen hints of Qui-Gon's style in Ben's own. He didn't stay to hear any more, making his way almost blindly out of the dining hall.
As he left, he heard Merrick speaking to the original two men. "So, yes, I imagine most of the other rumors you've heard are true."
Shaking, Ben staggered into his dorm, then sagged bonelessly in his chair. There were 10,000 Jedi knights and a huge galaxy out there. How in the world had he managed to run into someone who knew his Master? He could almost hear Master Yoda's voice, stern, saying "the will of the Force it is."
But why? What purpose could this chance meeting have? To remind him of what he'd lost? He knew that! He knew what he missed, every time he had to hide the braid, every time he looked in the mirror and flinched because he no longer knew the person looking back at him. With a sigh, he slipped out of his chair to the floor. He gathered his thoughts and began to meditate, searching again for the peace the conversation had driven away.
When he arrived at the training room the next afternoon, Merrick grinned at him. "You looked a little distraught last night," he said. "Sorry to put you on the spot like that."
Ben nodded. "It's okay," he said softly. "Just unexpected." He hefted the staff and smirked. "Next punishment."
Merrick grinned. "Yes," he said. "And then you begin with me."
Ben laughed. "That's going to be fun."
Merrick was a fast learner, and a good teacher. It didn't take long before their spars were posted for people to watch, and soon there were other students. One by one, Ben's other duties were reduced, but he refused to let them drop out completely. He needed the skills. He would not be able to remain at the monastery forever; if the darkness didn't find him, then his Master certainly would.
There was not a lot of change around the monastery. People came and went, but for the most part, the people Ben became friends with were a permanent part of that society. It was three months before he decided his hair was long enough to hide his braid in, and he tucked it awkwardly into the thick, short strands and pinned it up. Hopefully it would stay.
Merrick was waiting for him when he arrived in the weapons room. The weapons master grinned at him. "You look a little cooler," he said. "I imagine it gets hot in here while you're fighting."
"Much," Ben responded, and picked up the staff he'd been using. It felt comfortable in his hands; his calluses had grown because of it. He twirled it. Although he wasn't as good with it as he had been with his lightsaber, he was getting better.
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