Do Not Defy the Council
Books + Comics // Feb xiii, 2019
Qui-Gon Jinn Ponders a Seat on the Jedi Council in Master & Apprentice – Exclusive Excerpt
In a preview from the upcoming book, Yoda and Mace Windu extend Obi-Wan'south chief an exciting invitation.
InStar Wars: The Phantom Menace, Obi-Wan Kenobi implores his master, Qui-Gon Jinn, to atmosphere his request that a young Anakin Skywalker be trained as a Jedi. "Don't defy the Council, principal. Non again," he says. "I volition practice what I must, Obi-Wan," Qui-Gon replies. Information technology's an substitution that offers great insight into their relationship — one of both friction and respect. Indeed, Qui-Gon would later acknowledge that his student is much wiser than he.
Claudia Gray's upcoming Star Wars: Master & Apprentice, arriving April sixteen in hardcover, ebook, and audiobook, will delve further into the dynamic between Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan, which has gone relatively unexplored until now. In the exclusive extract below, the Jedi Quango summons Qui-Gon following a hard mission and makes a surprising offering…
As ever, after a mission, Qui-Gon had been summoned to the Jedi Quango's chambers for his report. It was nighttime—afterward than the Council usually met, at least for ordinary business—and the darkness around them was illuminated by the cyclone of Coruscanti traffic and ships' lights. Withal here, within this room, a sense of serenity prevailed. Qui-Gon relished the dissimilarity.
Master Billaba leaned frontward, studying her datapad with a pout on her face. "It worries me, this misunderstanding between you and your Padawan. This isn't the first time you've reported such difficulties."
Qui-Gon bowed his caput slightly. "Information technology worries me equally well. Obi-Wan is stiff in the Force, and eager to do his duty. The failure must be mine. Fundamentally, I fear, nosotros are a mismatch. I've been unable to adapt my pedagogy methods to his needs, despite my best efforts."
Yoda cocked his head. "Adapt he must too. Cooperation is learned not through individual effort. Merely together can you progress."
Agreeing to that proposition—sensible though information technology was—would mean shifting some of the blame onto Obi-Wan, which Qui-Gon preferred non to exercise. He simply remained quiet. The Jedi Quango had a habit of assuming that silence equaled understanding; Qui-Gon had establish this addiction useful, from time to time.
Regardless, he expected the Council to eventually ask him if he wanted them to reassign Obi-Wan's preparation to some other Master. He'd known before this meeting began that they might fifty-fifty inquire the question tonight, but he still wasn't certain what he would say. The suspense seemed worse than he would've predictable, maybe because he didn't know what he wanted to answer . . .
. . . or considering the silence in the room had lasted a suspiciously long period of time.
Qui-Gon focused his attention back on the Masters surrounding him. They were exchanging glances in what seemed to exist anticipation. He straightened. "Take y'all some other mission for united states?" Perhaps they intended to exam him and Obi-Wan one more time earlier whatsoever conclusion about reassignment would exist made.
"Aye, another job for you lot we have." Yoda's ears lowered, a sign of deep intent. "Consider it carefully, y'all must."
Mace Windu drew himself upright and folded his hands together in a formal gesture of respect. "You may not have heard that Master Dapatian intends to retire from the Council, effective next month."
Qui-Gon glanced at Poli Dapatian, a Master of corking renown . . . so much so that Qui-Gon had failed to notation, in recent years, how aged he had become. "That is our loss."
"We hope information technology will too be our proceeds," Mace replied. "Qui-Gon Jinn, we hereby offer you a seat on the Jedi Council."
Had he misheard? No, he hadn't. Qui-Gon slowly gazed around the circle, taking in the expressions of each Council member in turn. Some of them looked amused, others pleased. A few of them, Yoda included, appeared more rueful than non. But they were serious.
"I admit—you've surprised me," Qui-Gon finally said.
"I imagine so," Mace said drily. "A few years agone, nosotros would've been astonished to learn we would ever consider this. But in the time since, nosotros've all changed. We've grown. Which ways the possibilities accept changed as well."
Qui-Gon took a moment to collect himself. Without any alert, one of the turning points of his life had arrived. Everything he said and did in the adjacent days would exist of swell consequence. "Y'all've argued with my methods often equally not, or perhaps y'all'd say I've argued with yours."
"Truth, this is," Yoda said.
Depa Billaba gave Yoda a look Qui-Gon couldn't interpret. "It's likewise true that the Jedi Council needs more perspectives."
Is the Council actually making sense? Qui-Gon hoped none of them had picked up on that thought.
Mace nodded. "Yes, Qui-Gon, we've disagreed oft. Butted heads, fifty-fifty. But you lot've e'er acted with respect for the Council'due south authority, without compromising your inner convictions. This shows a bang-up gift for—"
"Diplomacy?" Qui-Gon asked.
Mace replied, "I was going to say balance."
It was a fragile line to walk, i Qui-Gon had stumbled over on many occasions. But those occasions had become rarer every bit the years went on. He'd learned how to handle the Quango well enough. At present, it seemed, the Council had go prepare to hear him in return.
Qui-Gon had never imagined sitting on the Jedi Council itself, at least not since he was a youngling. Dooku had chuckled once, early in Qui-Gon'southward training, when they spoke of the Quango. "You have your own listen, my Padawan," he'd said. "The Council doesn't e'er respond well to that." Given how many times Qui-Gon had clashed with the Council—from his primeval days as a Jedi Knight upward to six weeks ago—he'd always assumed that he would never ascend to the heights of the Order.
But now it could happen. Would happen. He'd be able to counterbalance in on the Council's decisions, and perhaps create some of the change he wanted to meet. It was the greatest opportunity of his life.
"Y'all award me," Qui-Gon said. "I ask for some time to meditate upon this before I accept." Of course he would take the seat on the Council. But in doing so, he wanted to more than fully reverberate upon how this would change him, and the latitude of the important role he would assume.
"Very wise," said Depa. "Most of those asked to bring together the Council do the same, myself included. If someone didn't—well, I'd think perhaps he didn't know what he was getting into."
Laughter went effectually the room. Amusement bubbled within Poli Dapatian's respirator mask. Depa Billaba'due south grin was infectious, and Qui-Gon realized he was grinning dorsum at her. Although the Council had never been hostile to him, this was the first time Qui-Gon had felt a deeper camaraderie—the friendliness of equals. Already Teth and the Hutts seemed like a problem from years ago. The future shone then boldly that it threatened to eclipse the present.
Steady, he told himself. Even an invitation to the Jedi Council mustn't get to your head.
"Consider carefully, y'all must," said Yoda, the only fellow member of the Council who remained gravely serious. "No hasty answer should you give."
"Of grade," Qui-Gon said. Hadn't he but indicated that he intended to do exactly that?
Before he could think more on it, Mace said, "In some ways, this invitation comes at an opportune fourth dimension. This change could, potentially, resolve other problems."
Only and then did it hit Qui-Gon: If he took a seat on the Quango, then Obi-Wan would exist transferred to some other Master.
It wasn't forbidden for a Jedi on the Quango to train a Padawan learner; ane of Qui-Gon'south crèche-mates had become the Padawan of Chief Dapatian, back in the twenty-four hours. Exceptions had been made during times of crisis every bit well, when everyone needed to take on extra duties. Only such exceptions were rare. Serving on the Council required a great deal of time, concentration, and commitment. Balancing that commitment with the every bit sacred chore of training a Padawan—well, it would exist a hard state of affairs, i potentially unfair to both Master and student. Merely those who had served on the Quango for a long fourth dimension, and had adjusted to its demands, contemplated such a stride.
"I see what you mean," Qui-Gon said. "Perhaps it would be for the best. Merely I must think upon it."
"Of course," Depa said warmly. Yoda nodded, clutching his gimer stick and proverb zero.
Mace Windu rose from his chair to put his hand on Qui-Gon's shoulder. "We will of course keep this invitation private unless and until you choose to join united states of america. At this point, the only person exterior this room who knows of information technology is Chancellor Kaj herself. But if you lot need to discuss it with Padawan Kenobi, or any other friends, you may feel complimentary to do so, as long every bit they will promise to be discreet."
"Understood."
Qui-Gon walked out of the Council Chamber into the Temple in a strange state of listen. He couldn't call it a daze, considering this was in some ways the exact opposite. Every particular of his environs struck him with fresh vividness, whether it was the colorful patterns of inlaid marble beneath his feet or the ruby-red trim on a young Jedi Knight's gown. It was every bit though the invitation to join the Quango had given him new optics. A new mode of seeing the world, one that he would no uncertainty spend the rest of his life learning to encompass.
The Council, he said to himself. By the Force, the Council.
Maybe another Jedi might have given way to bliss, or even the temptation of pride. Qui-Gon Jinn was made of sterner stuff. Besides, he couldn't bring himself to feel entirely happy when he considered the question of Obi-Wan.
He'd already come up to believe that they were mismatched as teacher and student. The main reason Qui-Gon hadn't asked for a transfer before was that he knew Obi-Wan would be hurt by it, and would blame himself. The Council's invitation would allow the transfer to be impersonal, only practical. Obi-Wan could then be reassigned to a instructor who would serve him meliorate.
Why, then, did the idea fill Qui-Gon with such a profound sense of loss?
Star Wars: Master & Apprenticeis available for pre-order at present.
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Source: https://www.starwars.com/news/master-and-apprentice-exclusive-excerpt
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