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Hours later, Yaniko worked quietly side-by-side with Qui-Gon as they packed up their things, preparing to return to the Temple. “After all,” she had said after she’d concluded the lesson by the water, “neither of us really want to be here.”
After she had taken him through a lesson in connecting with his surroundings, she had asked direct questions about his interests, about what he felt were his strengths and weaknesses at this point. To her delight, she realized that she finally had a Padawan whose affinity matched her own: the living Force rather than the unifying Force. This would help her immensely in shaping his future training, and it would make teaching him much easier for her because they would understand each other’s perspective.
Since their talk, she had seen his small, shy smile directed at her more than she had during the entire time he had been her apprentice. Finally she knew what he wanted and needed; finally his training could begin in earnest.
When everything was cleaned and packed up, she hesitated before shrugged her backpack on, moving to stand in front of him instead. Impulsively, she smoothed her hand over his short, spiky hair and ran his braid through her fingers, pleased by the closeness established between them that let her feel comfortable enough to show her affection.
“You have learned more than one lesson here today, I think,” she said somberly. “Remember it well, my Padawan. The reason you had such an outburst was because you bottled your feelings up rather than expressing or releasing them. Trapped in that manner, they had no choice but to explode somehow. If it had not happened today, it would have happened some other time in some other fashion than flinging mud at me.”
“I’m sorry…” Qui-Gon bowed his head, a pink stain appearing in his cheeks, but she cupped his chin in her fingers and lifted it so he had to meet her gaze.
“Learn from this and grow,” she told him, her tone firm. “No matter what sort of repercussions you may fear, the damage to you will be greater if you hold your emotions in rather than dealing with them and then letting them go.”
“I’ll remember, Master.” He nodded resolutely, then offered another little smile which she answered with one of her own; once more he addressed her with the formal honorific, but this time…this time, his tone was different. No longer remote, his voice was respectful but laced with warmth as well.
“Come along then.” She caressed his cheek gently, then turned to retrieve her pack, settling it onto her shoulders; it was still heavy, but it didn’t feel like as much of a burden as it had when they began this trip. “Let’s go home. I’ve got some texts I’d like to show you. I think you’ll like them.”
With that, she began the hike back down the mountain to where their shuttle awaited them, but this time, Qui-Gon didn’t trail along behind her, taking his place by her side instead—right where he belonged.