Any Jedi Master, if asked, would say that a padawan bored and restless is a dangerous thing.
It’s a sentiment Kit has often heard expressed with fond exasperation, usually by a healer or master after the fact.
He’s beginning to understand why they say it now.
Not that it’s going to stop him.
Kit is bored, terribly bored.
He’s not allowed on missions, the council too concerned about Republic attempts at revenge to allow their padawans anywhere outside Mandalorian space.
He’s not allowed out on Mandalore alone either, the broader order still a little bit twitchy about the whole thing.
He’s been around a few places but always with a master watching closely and frowning when he tried to do anything fun.
His Master is gone on what he promised would be a short mission and isn’t around to help with the itching under his skin.
Kit’s a senior padawan now and terribly interested in their new hosts.
Plus, sneaking out of the temple is a rite of passage no padawan should have to miss just because the temple is more or less a series of AgriCorps domes on a planet that houses their ancient enemies right now.
He can handle a little risk.
Still, Kit considers absently, arrogance gets people hurt. A Jedi is not arrogant.
He’s so bored though.
Well, bringing backup wouldn’t be arrogant now would it?
Kit considers his options, bringing a junior padawan is asking to get in massive trouble but… Padawan Kolar’s been spending a lot of time training lately.
He grins and heads out to find his target.
-
“Padawan Kolar! Care for a spar?”
A tight nod is all he gets. Kit was right, he’s wound up and with his master gone as well, likely having trouble dealing with it.
Agen beats him, Kit was expecting it and makes a low frustrated noise in his throat when he surrenders.
“How’s it going Agen?” He inquires quietly.
“I’m…” He takes a deep breath before disengaging his lightsaber and sitting heavily next to where Kit’s found himself sprawled on the ground. “Frustrated, I don’t know… I thought we were… I didn’t think the Senate would do that… I always… I thought we were meant to… be together…”
Kit nods and says nothing, waiting for his friend.
“I feel betrayed. They didn’t even see us as equals, Kit, and I feel so stupid for believing in them.”
“You’re not stupid.” He returns firmly. “You had faith, I think all of us did. It’s not your fault they betrayed it.”
“I know, I just… I don’t know what to do now. I’ve never had so much trouble with my emotions before, usually I can work through them but… I’m scared and I miss the Temple and I don’t know what to do about it.”
“Yeah.” He misses it too. He misses the meditation rooms and the gardens and his room. He misses the way he could just wander the halls when he felt lost. He misses the classrooms and the training spaces, the real ones. He misses the feeling of the Force in those walls, ancient and older than he could imagine. The way it always made him feel wonderfully small and cared for when everything felt so overwhelming.
They sit in silence for a bit before Kit springs up to poke his friend into some cooldown stretches.
“Y’know, I might have an idea…” He hedges.
“Oh no, that’s your scheming face, please no…”
“C’mon,” Kit tries his most innocent grin. “The Temple might be gone but that just means we need to make this place feel like home.”
“And how do you propose we do that?”
“Well…” Kit allows his grin to turn slightly mischievous. “You know how we used to sneak out to explore Coruscant…”
“No, no way, we are not sneaking out! You can’t convince me!”
“Ah, well, it was worth a shot, guess I’ll have to go on my own then…” He turns and starts to slowly leave.
“No! I’ll-, I’ll tell the guards!”
“C’mon Agen, would you miss the chance to be one of the first padawans to explore Keldabe? Really explore? Without a master breathing down your neck the whole time?”
His expression wavers.
“They won’t even realize we’re gone.”
“Fine, but you take the fall when we get caught.”
“Fair enough.”
-
They almost make it out, they’re so close.
Kit can practically smell it.
“I knew you were up to something Fisto!”
“Kark!”
They both startle and whirl around.
“You shouldn’t be out here!” A high voice announces.
“Padawan Allie! Fancy meeting you here!” Kit gives his best charming smile. Stass Allie scowls at him.
“Where do you think you’re going?”
The smaller padawan takes a step forward, crossing her arms and raising an eyebrow in a way that might be intimidating if she wasn’t like four years younger than him and more than a full head shorter. He glances at Agen, no help at all.
“Well, you see, we thought that we might do a little exploring…” He chuckles nervously.
She may be small but if she sets her mind to it she could make getting out of here terribly difficult, or more realistically, completely impossible.
“You’re sneaking out aren’t you?” She asks, as if it isn’t blatantly obvious that’s exactly what they’re doing.
“Just for a little bit, c’mon Allie, we’ll be back before anyone realizes we left.”
She glares harder before puffing up taller and opening her mouth, no doubt to explain the bribes necessary for her silence. Kit mentally prepares himself for the loss of whatever it is she demands.
“Take me with you.”
What.
“I wanna go too.”
“You!?”
“Kit…” Agen finally speaks up, warning in his voice.
Yeah, if they get caught they’re going to be in so much trouble.
Two senior padawans sneaking out is one thing, Allie is still a junior padawan.
“Oh no, no way, Allie, your master would kill us!”
She tilts her head and sighs dramatically.
“Then I suppose you leave me no choice…” She sucks in a huge breath and Kit scrambles to cover her mouth with his hand.
“Wait!” He feels something wet and pulls his hand back with disgust. “Did you just lick me!? Oh gross!”
She rolls her eyes, dignified and poised as if she didn’t just lick his hand like some diseased Initiate.
“I don’t know where you’ve been! What if I die, huh? What then genius?”
“You’re not going to die Fisto, don’t be so dramatic.”
“How do you know!? Tholothian spit might be deadly to Nautolans!”
She just humphs, “unlike some people, I pay attention in my biology courses. Now, am I calling the guard or what?”
Kit grimaces at Agen, who grimaces back.
He is really curious…
“Fine, you can come, don’t do anything stupid.”
She perks up, finally looking a little like the kid that she is.
“I won’t!”
Kit sighs, maybe they won’t get caught.
“Here.” Kit startles as she throws a jacket at him and another at Agen.
“What?” She looks genuinely surprised, already halfway pinning her braid out of sight behind one of her tendrils. “Looking like a Jedi is going to get us caught in seconds. Didn’t you think this through at all?”
“Did you… Did you have this all planned out?” Kit is feeling played, noticing for the first time that Allie isn’t wearing her Jedi robes.
“Of course I did! I knew someone was gonna break down eventually!” He bites back a comment about just going by herself, that might be a little mean. She is still a junior padawan after all.
“Alright… Let’s just… get going…” He sighs.
Agen carefully gets the speeder out and starts it up. It’s concerningly noisy in the quiet of the night and has Kit and Allie glancing around nervously.
They move quickly, clamoring on the speeder together and holding on tight. Their excitement spiking as the speeder nears the outskirts of the city.
Keldabe is big.
Nowhere near as big as Coruscant but still… it’s big.
Agen parks their speeder in a quiet corner and they all kind of stand and gape for a bit.
Sure, they’ve all been before but there’s an added feeling to exploring the city by themselves. They can go anywhere they want! If only they’d thought that far ahead.
Suddenly, Kit feels a little overwhelmed.
Just a little bit! He’s not going to turn back now, just… it’s a big city.
“So… where should we go first?”
Agen gives him a look that just screams you don’t know?
Allie, the little tagalong, pops up between them with a datapad already loaded up with a map. Where did she get that?
“Our best bet is probably here.” She fumbles one-handed with the datapad until Agen takes one end to help steady it. She points to an area somewhat close to the edges of the city. “There isn’t a lot of traffic from outside Mandalorian space but there is a small district here, it’s mostly frequented by spacers passing through and it’s the most likely area if we’re looking to avoid questions.”
How long has she been thinking about this?
“Lead the way then, Padawan Allie.”
She turns her nose up at him slightly and uses the Force to jump and flip her way onto the roof of an adjoining building.
“Well, aren’t you coming?”
Kit huffs and follows with a flourish that would have his master raising an eyebrow.
Agen joins them with an air of exasperation.
It’s fun, dodging and jumping off of roofs and poles and walls.
The Force is powerful and to be respected of course but Kit has always loved it for little joys like these. The whoosh of the air and excitement of being so high and falling and trusting that he’ll be alright.
He can tell he’s not alone in that feeling either. By the time they reach their destination Allie is breathing hard with a little grin on her face, Agen is wearing the expression he sometimes gets after a good fight.
They all look at each other and giggle a little, giddy with success before making their way down to the surface.
Kit peaks out around the corner and realizes they were right to take the roofs. Even in this part of the city most of the people around are wearing at least some Mandalorian armour, they would have stuck out terribly if they’d tried the streets.
However, he doesn’t think it’s so common that they’ll be caught. There’s still plenty of people without wandering in their midst.
He turns back to his companions, “all clear!”
The three of them shuffle out of the alley together, Kit probes the Forces carefully for any ill-intent or suspicion.
Feeling none he forces himself to relax, remembering his master’s instructions on avoiding attention.
If you look nervous or frightened, people will pick up on it and wonder.
So, he tugs Allie under his arm and wanders over to the closest stall, as carefree as can be.
Agen clearly remembers similar lessons as he squares his shoulders and follows.
Allie looks nervous, her confidence failing in the moment. He can feel her nerves radiating in the Force despite her best efforts to hide it, not that she could hide her sudden anxious fear from him either way. It makes his tendrils twitch.
Kit squeezes her a little closer in reassurance. He won’t let anything happen to her.
He shares a glance with Agen, who nods and wanders off a little. Kit subtly guides her over to a quiet bench.
“What was it you wanted to see?” He pushes reassurance in the Force to her.
She accepts the comfort readily but says nothing.
“Stass?”
“I wanted to see the crafts.” She mumbles. “When I heard we were going to Mandalore I did research and there were these holos. They were beautiful but my master couldn’t come with me to see Keldabe. She would have let me see them but I went with Adi and her master and she’s… she didn’t mean to ignore me but… she gets really excited sometimes and she was more interested in other things.”
“Why didn’t you ask your master to come later?”
“I-, it isn’t worth bothering her over.”
Kit can’t help it, he smiles a little teasingly. “But it is worth sneaking out over.”
“I guess.” She buries herself further into his side. “I’ve never snuck out before.”
Yeah, Kit had gathered that.
“I-, it’s stupid.”
“Probably isn’t, c’mon tell old wise Elder Fisto your woes.” He gestures to himself dramatically with the arm not draped around her shoulders.
“My crèchemates, they used to say that I was only so well-behaved because I was scared of getting in trouble.” She crosses her arms again. “I’m not scared. I can have fun, I can sneak out like other padawans, I just don’t feel like it.”
Ah, that would explain it.
Kit squeezes her shoulder again and offers reassurance that has her slumping a little bit.
“Well, I guess we’d better have a night to remember huh?” He grins encouragingly.
She smiles a little back at him, hesitant and fragile this time.
“Yeah, I guess.”
Their heart-to-heart is interrupted by Agen’s return, his hands full of sticks of various tasty looking street food.
“Want some? It should be fine for all of us, oh, except this one.” He takes a bite of one of the items in his hand. “That one’s no good for you Kit.”
Stass straightens up a little and cautiously takes a very sticky looking piece of meat dripping in some kind of sauce.
Kit grabs some kind of seafood that smells amazing. Soon enough the three of them are nibbling away at mysterious foods.
Agen gets confident and takes a bite of a new item and immediately splutters and rushes off. Kit probes at his Force presence and gets enough distracted reassurance back he isn’t worried.
There’s a Mandalorian in full armour watching the proceedings, seemingly holding back laughter watching Agen rush away. Kit hadn’t noticed their attention at all, that’s a little worrying. The Mandalorian makes a peaceful gesture at his glare and goes back to haggling.
Eventually Agen returns with drinks for all of them.
Kit laughs at his suffering but accepts the drink with appropriate gratefulness. He was getting a little overwhelmed by the spices himself, even as slow as he was taking it.
Nautolans are not usually spice lovers, or at least not the kind of spice Mandalorians seem to enjoy.
Finally, full and satisfied, Kit stretches a little and stands.
Agen and Stass, just finished as well, join him in looking out and surveying the area.
“Well, who’s up for a little exploring?”
They both nod in agreement and tentatively move to explore the area further. It’s bright with lights and activity even at night. There’s interesting little stalls and booths scattered around, and a few places with adults gathered with alcoholic smelling drinks.
Agen drifts over to a group playing some kind of knife throwing game, Kit lets him go. He’s old enough to handle himself, at least in Kit’s opinion, and he can call on them if he needs.
He follows Stass in the opposite direction, towards shops with delicate jewelry and beautiful embroidery depicting scenes of valour and bravery.
“Wow!” She studies the detail with reverence that has the shopkeeper puffing up with obvious pride, their armour shifting as they sit a little straighter in their chair.
“See something you like, ad’ika?”
“It’s lovely! How did you get the metal to bend like that?”
“Oh, there? That metal’s got a real interesting property to it, if you bend it while it's a certain temperature, not only does it bend, it twists. It’s really hard to work with but if you get it just right…” They gesture to the completed work.
“That’s amazing.”
She examines another piece before turning her full attention to the shopkeeper. Sharp interest leaking into the Force.
She takes a few steps forward, Kit following close behind.
“Could you tell me more about your craft?”
Kit would challenge anyone to say no to that earnest face. He doubts this Mandalorian will ever have a better chance to talk about all the little details and origins of their craft.
They grin back at her, just as excited. “I’d love to.”
Kit manages to drag Stass away only on the condition that she exchanges contact information with her new friend and that her new friend gets to give her a piece for free. That part takes quite a while, Stass refusing to take such wonderful work without paying for it, her new friend refusing to sell it to someone as passionate and invested as she is.
He needs to check on Agen.
They find him in a different spot than they’d left him, playing the knife game with a large Mandalorian.
“Hey Agen, how’s it going?” He asks casually, evaluating his fellow Padawan’s state in the Force. He mostly feels focused and determined, a good sign.
“Hmmm? I’m fine.” He answers distractedly, chewing on his lip and not taking his eyes off the board.
Kit focuses on the Mandalorian then. They’re not easy to read, too much armour on for it but he doesn’t get any warnings from the Force so he shrugs and sits on one of the chairs near the ongoing game, tugging Stass next to him.
“Would you like to join us?” The Mandalorian asks, “I believe we are almost finished with this round.” There’s a slightly indulgent edge to their voice that has Agen scowling.
“I can still turn it around.”
“Of course, ad’ika, I do not doubt it.”
He can’t as it turns out. Kit does not understand the game but even his uninformed eye can see it’s hopeless.
“Another round?”
Kit grins at the challenge and Stass gives a determined little nod of her own.
-
Kit is not spectacular at cu’bikad as he learns the game is called. Neither is Stass, much to her slight frustration.
Agen remains the best of them and even he isn’t good enough to beat their Mandalorian challenger.
“You will get better, I have several years on all of you.”
Kit isn’t sure that’s true, the getting better part at least.
He'll keep trying though. Partially because he thinks it would be very entertaining if he gets good enough that when this inevitably makes its way to the temple, knives and all, he’s able to mysteriously trounce most of his opponents.
She pauses after a turn and leans back slightly against a wall.
“So, what are you doing out here ad’ike?”
Kit carefully doesn’t tense and lounges strategically across his own chair. “Exploring, we thought it’d be fun to see what Mandalore’s like and Stass wanted to see some crafts.”
She tilts her head again, this time focusing on Stass.
“Did you find any?”
Stass nods enthusiastically. “Yeah! They even let me ask questions!”
“That’s good.” She shifts forward to take her turn, Kit is definitely out now. Stass is barely holding her own and he suspects it isn’t entirely skill on her part.
“So, um, what do you do?” Kit asks.
She makes a small noise of satisfaction as the knife lands exactly where she was aiming.
“I do many things ad’ika, you’ll have to be more specific.” Kit can feel her smiling smugly through the beskar and Stass scowls at her. “My training is as a beroya, a bounty hunter, but mostly I serve the Mand’alor these days.”
“What’s that like?” Agen asks this time.
She hums thoughtfully for a moment, “it is more varied, I have many more responsibilities, many I never thought I would have. I am not alone and my life is not the only one at stake in turn. I have little time for my trade these days but… I am happy as I am.” She pauses for a moment before chuckling slightly. "I get to meet many different people from around the galaxy in my current role, I have very interesting friends."
She makes her move, thoroughly knocking Stass out this time. She’s tired enough Kit isn’t sure she even cares anymore.
“Now, enough of my reminiscing. What are your paths?”
Kit really should have seen that question coming, he tries very hard to come up with something that’s not “Jedi” but fits enough to not be an obvious lie.
“I’m gonna be a healer.” Stass pipes up, saving him from answering.
“An admirable choice, ad’ika.” She audibly softens. “I wish you the best in your journey.”
She takes her last knife and Agen sighs heavily in defeat before it even lands.
She doesn’t move to reset the board, tilting her head instead like she’s listening to something.
“Hmmm,” he can hear the smile in her voice. “Unfortunately, I do believe it may be time for little ones to get to bed.”
She gestures to Stass, who’s starting to list. She bristles immediately at the title, Kit can almost hear the denial coming that she is not a child. She’s a Padawan. Thank you very much. He sends her a look and warning prod in the Force before she can start blurting such things.
The last thing they need is to get caught because she couldn’t stand a little adult concern.
She sends him an annoyed look but doesn’t say anything.
It probably is about time to leave though, if they don’t head out now they may get caught on the way back.
Kit doesn’t feel any warning in the Force.
He doesn’t notice the Mandalorian reach for her vambrace to press one of the many buttons there.
He doesn’t notice the amused tilt to her helmet as she watches him gather Stass and Agen for the journey back.
He does notice the very sudden arrival of some very familiar Force signatures.
“Oh, Kark.”
Kit feels a sudden wave of apprehension claw at his throat at the sight of their pursuers.
Oh, they are so very dead.
Well, maybe not Stass, she is a Junior Padawan after all.
He’s definitely dead though.
For perhaps the first time since he made Senior Padawan, he finds himself envying a Junior Padawan just a little bit.
Agen notices it too, ducking slightly behind their Mandalorian companion, much to her obvious amusement.
Stass picks up on it last, blanching and choosing Kit to hide behind. She clings to his jacket which is adorable but also not at all helpful and peaks around his side at their doom.
Several Jedi turn the corner of the street up ahead, striding in that dignified way that tells Kit they’re totally speed walking.
Master Windu spots them first and is on them in moments.
“Padawan Fisto.” He greets sternly before catching Kit’s companions' eyes and nodding to each of them in turn. “Padawan Kolar, Padawan Allie.”
“Greetings Master Windu.” They chorus, well and truly caught.
They’re momentarily spared the lecture by Knight Feemor’s appearance, slightly ruffled and harried. A Temple Guard following calmly after.
“Vor’e Kho, for finding them.”
She simply nods.
“Their cu’bikad game is improving.” She comments, as if that has anything to do with the dire situation they’ve found themselves in.
Knight Feemor seems to agree, sending her a slightly exasperated look.
“That’s wonderful.”
She just hums and steps slightly to the side, exposing Agen to the Master's scrutiny. He squeaks at the attention before flushing in embarrassment.
“Padawans.”
Master Windu starts up again.
“What are you doing?”
“Uh…” Kit tries eloquently.
“It was Kit’s idea!” Agen blurts and Kit shoots him glare, just because he knew he’d be blamed doesn’t mean he likes it.
Master Windu opens his mouth to respond when yet another Jedi rounds the corner and Stass, still hiding partially behind Kit, immediately bursts into tears at the sight.
The whole group startles and freezes in place. Kit can see passersby looking over, their attention drawn by the sound of a child’s crying.
Kho casually walks over to a few of them and they slowly begin to nod and move on.
The Jedi actually runs over and tugs Stass into an embrace the moment she’s in reach. Kit steps back to give them room.
They all wait in silence until Stass has calmed down to sniffles, reassured by her Master’s promises that she isn’t angry, not about this, she was just so worried when they couldn’t find her.
Master Windu nods to them once she's mostly calm and Stass steps forward and bows to Kit and Agen first, eyes still blotchy and thanks them for watching over her. She turns to the adults and bows again, apologizing for worrying them and plasters herself back to her master’s side.
Her Master nods firmly to Master Windu and leaves with her clinging Padawan and the placid Temple Guard in tow.
That is so not fair.
Kit and Agen smile nervously at Master Windu and Knight Feemor.
He can feel the last remnants of worry, the electric emotion already nearly faded and leaving nothing but relieved exasperation behind.
Kit maybe feels a little bad.
“Just…” Master Windu sighs, weary. “Where did you park the speeder?”
They walk back to the outskirts in silence.
Kit does his best not to fidget under the renewed disappointed look of Master Windu.
Knight Feemor gives them a strained but reassuring smile.
Unfortunately, that’s all he does before waving and leaving them to their fate.
Master Windu stares into their souls for a moment.
“I am far too tired for this.” He sighs, he sounds tired. “Please tell me you understand we would have let you visit.”
Kit and Agen both nod, they knew that.
“We wanted to explore.”
“In the middle of the night? Without telling anyone? Alone? With a Junior Padawan? I understand this transition has been difficult but please, please don’t make it worse.”
Kit nods and hears Agen mumble an agreement.
He sighs again and gestures them onto the speeder.
They scramble on, desperate to avoid the disappointed look.
He turns to them and crosses his arms once they arrive back at their temporary home.
“Master Dooku has graciously offered to meditate with you both in the morning." Oh no. "Madame Nu has also requested some Senior Padawan assistance with organizing some of the temporary archives." He raises an eyebrow. "If you can find the time?" Kit and Agen both nod, desperate to get away as soon as possible. "Very well, I'll let her know. Now," he closes his eyes for a moment, clearly organizing his thoughts. "We are going to comm your Masters.”
“Now?” It comes out a little more whiny than Agen probably wanted.
“Yes, Padawan Kolar, now.”
“What if they don’t pick up?”
“Then we will try again in the morning and if that doesn’t work Padawan? They’re both due back sometime this month and I have a very good memory.”
Kit, feeling very much like a scolded youngling, sighs.
“Yes, Master Windu.”
Neither of their masters pick up. Kit has no idea whether waiting is better or worse than facing them immediately.
Master Windu sends them both to the dorms with strict instructions not to run off again.
As if Kit would risk it, that’d be stupid.
He undresses quickly, smiling at the oversized jacket Stass gave him and going through the pockets.
He stares at the wall of his room and fiddles with the detailed piece of metalwork he’d been carrying around for her, devastated upon realizing she had no pockets to carry her gift in.
He sets it down carefully on his desk, she’ll want it back.
He wouldn’t be surprised if he opens his door first thing in the morning to a demanding little Padawan Allie.
Surprisingly, he finds the thought doesn't bother him at all.
He drifts off to pleasant memories of wonderful street food, metalworking techniques and cu’bikad strategies swirling together in his mind.