Darker the Night (A Star Wars Rebels AU)

Chapter Six

Caleb and Sammo returned to the Temple to find both of their Masters waiting for them under the massive stone arches of the main entry hall. Master Secura looked vexed, as was often the case when it came to her Padawan.

"Sammo Quid, how will you pass the Trials if you insist upon ignoring the directives of your Master? Come. We have work to do," she said. With a toss of her lekku, she stalked away down the hall without looking back to make sure Sammo followed.

"Yes, Master." Sammo cast a sly look in Caleb's direction, but Master Billaba caught Sammo's eye, and the young Twi'lek's gaze dropped to the ground as he dutifully followed his Master.

Master Billaba's dark eyes shifted, settling on Caleb. Now shorter than her Padawan, she had to tilt her chin up to look him full in the face. She was silent for several long moments, which was not unusual for her. Caleb waited.

"You're late returning," she said finally. "How did the training with the cadets go?"

"They're very skilled. Captain Enneb will produce another excellent squadron for the Republic."

His Master nodded slowly. "That's good to hear, but it was not a thorough answer to the question. I sense that you are...unsettled by something."

Outright evasion of her probing was out of the question. Caleb knew well enough that Depa Billaba could see through him easily. "There's a cadet in the squadron who can touch the Force," he said. "At least...I think she can. She's flying a Delta-7."

"It does happen occasionally that non-Force-sensitives have that ability," she said.

"Yes, I remember reading about it."

Master Billaba's keen gaze did not waver as she regarded her young apprentice. He had learned to endure these searching looks over the years, but this time irritation welled up in him, and he was surprised by it. He felt suddenly protective of the strange feelings that swirled around his thoughts of the Twi'lek cadet. Even though he knew it was futile, he met her eyes and tried to block his Master from sensing them.

She frowned. "Hmm. I would tell you to be mindful of your feelings, but it seems that you already are."

Caleb's gaze dropped to the floor. It occurred to him that he should apologize to her, but rebellion rose in him. There were times when he found Temple life...confining. Like all Padawan learners, he longed to complete the Trials successfully and become a Jedi Knight. Deep down, though, he knew it was because he craved some freedom, and it made him feel guilty. His teenage years had been difficult on both Master and Apprentice- younger Caleb had been full of nonstop questions and emotions that ran the gamut from euphoria to outright defiance. The Order prescribed training and meditation as the antidote to teen angst, with varying degrees of success. In Caleb's case, the success was hard-won and quite a bit less comprehensive than both Master and Padawan had hoped. Caleb did not like feeling that he had failed her- and, even more, he disliked his continued difficulty controlling his emotional state.

Depa Billaba sighed. "Caleb, it's not unusual for young Jedi to experience feelings that are exceptionally difficult to master. But master them you must."

He was silent for several seconds, unwilling to ask and fearful of the answer. It was not Jedi-like, and he knew it. He did not raise his eyes when he finally spoke.

"What if I can't?"

"One of the reasons I took you as my Padawan is my appreciation of your questioning nature. Granted, at times it can be frustrating- but it is less so now that you are older, and more cognizant of the appropriate time and place to ask your questions. You needn't ever be concerned with asking me questions like this. 'There is no ignorance, only knowledge.' And to know, you must ask."