The Chosen Apprentice/Chapter 43

Delayed in a meeting, Bail was again late for the morning session of the Senate, he cursed the long speeches that had held him up as he entered the Alderaan box.

Sheltray met him. “Where have you been?” she asked. “Stokra’s—”

“I know, I can see him,” Bail interrupted, Stokra’s pod was in the centre of the chamber, but there was something rather odd about it. He did not seem to be arguing with anyone, rather reading a prepared speech.

“…I regret that my recent actions and assertions have divided this body and diverted it from its true object,” Stokra intoned, “namely the governance of the worlds and citizens of the Republic, which must always be a highest priority.” He paused. “I cannot excuse them and some of you, my noble colleagues, would say that they were raised for my own personal opinions or any ulterior motives that you may care to name but I will not say these things. We must all agree upon this new constitution in its entirety if we are to be seen at the representative legislative body that we say we are.”

Bail joined in with the applause somewhat tentatively, he could hardly believe what he had just heard. Had Stokra just backed down? Did nerfs suddenly learn to speak? Had the spires of Aldera come crashing down? Was he even awake?

His aide nodded when she noticed his questioning face. “I didn’t believe it, but it’s true,” she said. “I don’t know what has made him withdraw his views against the Jedi, but I'm not questioning it.”

“Neither am I,” Bail said, spotting Danta entering the back of the box.

The Gungan embraced him warmly as the Senate started to applaud louder and cheer, Bail found himself joining in.

“Wesa win!” Danta shouted, running out of the box whooping for joy.

--

To celebrate Bail had brought out some Alderaanian wine, sharing it around with a smile. None of them knew what had caused Stokra to back down and there were ten times as many theories as there were senators. Bail planned to find out, of course, but not now.

“You realise, what’s going to happen?” Mon Mothma asked, her cheeks slightly flushed from her drink.

“Well the constitution should be approved by this afternoon’s session,” Bail said, turning to see Danta and Bel Iblis laughing together, “hopefully we’ll all be a little less rowdy by then.”

They laughed and it felt got to laugh as it had been so long and so hard a fight.

“It’s not just that,” Mothma said, running her finger around the rim of her glass. “Amedda will step down as Chancellor and there will be an election, that’s a whole new battle we have to face.”

Bail almost spilt his drink down his front, realising what Mothma was saying. Could Stokra get in for Chancellor riding on the sympathy he had just made for himself? It was entirely possible.

“Don’t worry.” She reassured him.

--

Exhibition Day was over and while Sona had hoped differently, Jedi Skywalker had not turned up. Master Kenobi had said not to feel too bad about it, but it was hard when several of her friends talked about being chosen by Jedi as they ate the evening meal.

“It won’t be that bad,” Jenai reassured her, she had not been chosen either.

“That’s what they say,” Sona said, playing with the food on her plate.

“Master Sarib’s coming,” whispered one of the others and they started to eat quickly.

The Rhodian Jedi Master stopped at her table. “Sona? Could you come with me, please?”

Sona felt her heart sink as she slid off the chair. Was she going to be sent away from the Temple? She could feel her friends sympathetic gazes as she followed Sarib out of the refectory. They passed the dormitories and entered the turbolift. When they emerged, Sona discovered they were on the level that the Knights and Masters had their quarters, was she going to be punished?

Sarib stopped outside Master Yoda’s meditation chamber, this was worse than she realised. For the second time Sona wondered if she was going to be sent away.

The Rhodian didn’t go inside. “Just go in, Sona,” she said, smiling kindly. “They’re expecting you.”

They? Sona watched Sarib’s retreating back. But she didn’t question her; she timidly knocked on the door and entered when told.

Sona had only been in Yoda’s meditation room once before and that was many years ago when he had spoken to all of the younglings that had witnessed Dooku and Renust Nju’s attack on the Temple. Sona had been in the Temple Memorial Room with several other younglings while Yoda and Nju had battled, but it hadn't affected her as much as it had the others.

But all of these thoughts fled from her mind as she examined the two Jedi that sat in front of her. Of course, Yoda was there but next to him was someone rather unexpected, Jedi Skywalker. All thoughts of punishment fled from her mind, for is that was to happen to her it would be more likely that Sarib would enter with her.

But why was she here then? Somehow, even the question seemed superfluous.

“Jedi Skywalker wishes to take you as his Padawan learner,” Yoda said, giving the impression that Sona had entered mid-conversation, “what say you to this?”

Sona didn’t say anything for a moment. She looked from Yoda’s kind, wise, old eyes to Anakin’s questioning gaze. It was something she had hoped ever since he had taken her ‘saber class—no, before that, when she had seen him the night of the lambent poppies—but had not really considered it until just before Exhibition Day when she had hoped that Jedi Skywalker would see her out of all the others performing well, and perhaps, afterwards, would speak to her…

“I think I’d like that very much,” Sona said, “but I’m not sure what kind of Padawan I’d make…Master.” She added the last word rather hesitatingly, as if she was afraid that everything would vanish if she spoke about it.

Yoda chuckled. Anakin smiled, still looking at her, but it was not an unkind gaze. It all seemed settled, but there were still the ritual words. Anakin got to his feet and approached Sona, kneeling down so he did not tower over her.

“Sona Cantari,” Anakin said, “I would be honoured if you would my Padawan learner.”

Sona smiled. She had wanted to hear nothing else. “I accept…Master.” The word had been spoken so anxiously before, now she said it as if she meant it. And in the Force, the bond between them, created by those words given and received, was formed.