Jedi Temple, Coruscant, Galaxy Far Far Away
The temple gardens were Qui-Gon's favourite place and never moreseo than now.
His life had been in turmoil ever since Master Dooku had first told him he was leaving the Order. Qui-Gon's own decision to stay hadn't been an easy one, but he was content that it had been the right choice.
Not that things had been any easier after the choice had been made. Even with Master Yoda taking him on as his Padawan, there were stares and whispers not quite out of his hearing. Qui-Gon was doing his best to ignore them and let go any distress they cause into the Force, but it wasn't as simple as Master Yoda made it sound.
So Qui-Gon had been seeking out the refuge of the gardens more and more lately, letting the feel of the Living Force wrap around and soothe him, just as he was doing right now.
"Sure I was to find you here."
Qui-Gon opened his eyes and regarded the short green figure of his Master. "Guess I'm becoming predictable," he said with a faint smile.
Master Yoda snorted. "Pass predictable you did several weeks ago. Now into a rut you are falling. Not good for you it is."
"I know," Qui-Gon said with a sigh. "It's just.... the plants don't whisper about me or Mas- or Dooku behind my back. At least that I've been able to hear so far. So I'm much less likely to do something unjedilike such as feed them their teeth."
"Admirable your restraint is," Yoda told him, humour glinting in his eyes.
"I'm doing my best," Qui-Gon said with the same humour, although he couldn't quite hide the sadness underneath.
Yoda sighed, obviously watching him closely. "A change of scenery, you need," he said decisively.
"Yes, Master," Qui-Gon said, beginning to get to his feet. Yoda was right -- he couldn't hide in the gardens forever.
"Away from the temple you should go," Yoda said, poking Qui-Gon with his cane.
Qui-Gon froze, then reversed his progress, settling back down again to be closer to eye level. "Away, Master?"
"Yes. More than one way to learn and more than one place." He poked Qui-Gon again. "To Fandom you will go."
"Fandom?" Qui-Gon searched his memory, but didn't come up with anything. Not that this was unheard of; no one could know every place in the Republic.
"A school it is. With students from all through time and space." Yoda looked at him searchingly. 'Do you good, it will."
The thought of getting to interact with people not only from other places but other times as well was definitely tempting. But it felt a little like running away. Part of Qui-Gon felt like he should stay and face the whispering voices until they stopped whispering. But that hadn't exactly been going too well so far.
"Not your fight, Dooku's legacy is," Yoda said softly, sensing the track Qui-Gon's thoughts had taken. "To me, leave the whisperers. To Fandom you go, live, learn, grow, heal. When come back you do, no more in the plants will you need to hide."
Qui-Gon looked at his Master, then nodded. If Yoda thought he needed time and distance to find himself as a Jedi again, Qui-Gon wasn't about to argue with him. He took a deep breath and accepted the decision; the immediate feeling of a weight being lifted from his shoulders was proof that Yoda probably knew what he was talking about.
With a hint of his usual cocky grin, Qui-Gon asked, "So when do I leave?"
His life had been in turmoil ever since Master Dooku had first told him he was leaving the Order. Qui-Gon's own decision to stay hadn't been an easy one, but he was content that it had been the right choice.
Not that things had been any easier after the choice had been made. Even with Master Yoda taking him on as his Padawan, there were stares and whispers not quite out of his hearing. Qui-Gon was doing his best to ignore them and let go any distress they cause into the Force, but it wasn't as simple as Master Yoda made it sound.
So Qui-Gon had been seeking out the refuge of the gardens more and more lately, letting the feel of the Living Force wrap around and soothe him, just as he was doing right now.
"Sure I was to find you here."
Qui-Gon opened his eyes and regarded the short green figure of his Master. "Guess I'm becoming predictable," he said with a faint smile.
Master Yoda snorted. "Pass predictable you did several weeks ago. Now into a rut you are falling. Not good for you it is."
"I know," Qui-Gon said with a sigh. "It's just.... the plants don't whisper about me or Mas- or Dooku behind my back. At least that I've been able to hear so far. So I'm much less likely to do something unjedilike such as feed them their teeth."
"Admirable your restraint is," Yoda told him, humour glinting in his eyes.
"I'm doing my best," Qui-Gon said with the same humour, although he couldn't quite hide the sadness underneath.
Yoda sighed, obviously watching him closely. "A change of scenery, you need," he said decisively.
"Yes, Master," Qui-Gon said, beginning to get to his feet. Yoda was right -- he couldn't hide in the gardens forever.
"Away from the temple you should go," Yoda said, poking Qui-Gon with his cane.
Qui-Gon froze, then reversed his progress, settling back down again to be closer to eye level. "Away, Master?"
"Yes. More than one way to learn and more than one place." He poked Qui-Gon again. "To Fandom you will go."
"Fandom?" Qui-Gon searched his memory, but didn't come up with anything. Not that this was unheard of; no one could know every place in the Republic.
"A school it is. With students from all through time and space." Yoda looked at him searchingly. 'Do you good, it will."
The thought of getting to interact with people not only from other places but other times as well was definitely tempting. But it felt a little like running away. Part of Qui-Gon felt like he should stay and face the whispering voices until they stopped whispering. But that hadn't exactly been going too well so far.
"Not your fight, Dooku's legacy is," Yoda said softly, sensing the track Qui-Gon's thoughts had taken. "To me, leave the whisperers. To Fandom you go, live, learn, grow, heal. When come back you do, no more in the plants will you need to hide."
Qui-Gon looked at his Master, then nodded. If Yoda thought he needed time and distance to find himself as a Jedi again, Qui-Gon wasn't about to argue with him. He took a deep breath and accepted the decision; the immediate feeling of a weight being lifted from his shoulders was proof that Yoda probably knew what he was talking about.
With a hint of his usual cocky grin, Qui-Gon asked, "So when do I leave?"