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“Bring in Jedi Knight Jonghyun Kim.”

Jongdae presses his head down even further into the cool metal. He can barely hear the muffling of the Jedi Council. He knows the air vents wasn’t the most sustainable way to listen in on their conversations. He should have never listened to Chanyeol. He’s a terrible spy.

Jongdae shifts his tiny body through the air vents as silently as possible. At the end of the metal corridor Jongdae can see little bursts of light. He shunts his body forward to investigate. Lo and behold, he finds a grate that he can peer directly into the council room.

Jongdae counts the bodies of three council men, head Jedi Masters. One other council member is a holographic projection sitting on their respective chair. In the center of the circular room stands his Master Jonghyun, hands clasped behind his back. Jongdae can only get a side profile of him, so his expressions are half blocked.

“I understand that your mission to Deltooine was unsuccessful,” one of the Masters speaks calmly yet authoritatively. His very presence has Jongdae feeling uncomfortable. “Your report, Knight.”

“Yes, Master Shiik,” Jonghyun nods to the Anzat. “My ship was headed for Deltooine on the Hydian Way. Unfortunately, I incorrectly input the coordinates, and my ship tumbled out of hyperspace. Kamar was the nearest planet for a crash landing.”

The council is in a silence for a few bated moments. Jongdae has to hold his breath, lest he be caught.

“I find it hard to believe you were so incorrect on your location. You were practically three planets away from your target,” the human Master projection is on the edge of scolding. Jonghyun bows his head in defeat, and Jongdae’s heart nearly drops through his stomach with guilt.

A beautiful Pantoran Jedi Master hums carefully, shifting in her seat, “What happened on Kamar, then, Jedi Kim?”

Jonghyun perks his head back up, “When my Padawan and I crash landed on Kamar’s surface, I instantly felt the Force present. We investigated the nearby village and found a powerful Force-sensitive boy.”

“Insectoid?”

“No, human.”

The Council is taken aback by the sudden revelation. The ghostly Givin Master speaks with gravel in his tone, “A human on Kamar? With great power, no less. What a find, Jedi Kim.”

“Is that the extent of your report?” The Pantoran Jedi purses her lips.

“No, there’s more,” Jonghyun explains, stance still respectfully military. “My Padawan and I were engaged in an ongoing fight within the insectoid species. We barely escaped with the Force-sensitive boy.”

“You brought him here? To Tython? Our home?” the projection of human Master Jedi is getting visibly frustrated now. His blueish projection waves in and out of signal. He sighs, and drawls with disappointment, “This was most irresponsible of you, young Jedi.”

Jonghyun, again, has his head bowed in defeat. Jongdae doesn’t quite understand the problem. Baekhyun is a powerful Force-sensitive boy, just like him and all the other Younglings. It is the job of the Jedi Order to bring gifted individuals to the Jedi way. Was it so hard to accept Baekhyun?

“This is both a fortune and a misfortune,” Master Shiik grimly speaks amongst the Council. The Council nods in agreement to his word. “Powerful Force-sensitive beings does not equate to Jedi peacekeepers. History has taught us this. You’ve put the whole Jedi Order at risk.”

“If this boy turns to the Dark Side, that will be our downfall,” the human projection sternly reminds.

Jongdae has to keep his gasp trapped in his throat when the shock strikes him. The Dark Side is never spoken about amongst the Younglings in such a direct way. The Dark Side is an unspeakable evil. It is the evil that can control any species, Jongdae has read. He can’t believe the Council would think that Baekhyun is that evil – they haven’t even seen him yet. Baekhyun was enslaved for most of his life, or so he says – the jury is still out on that. Evil is the last thing he could be.

“Unfortunately, we cannot make a decision about the boy’s future until Grand Master Pho returns,” Master Obrec speaks with his gravel tone. The rest of the Council agrees, nodding in unison and turning toward Jonghyun. “You are dismissed, Jedi Knight.”

Respectfully, Jonghyun bows and turns on his heel towards the exit. Jongdae feels frustration bubble up. So many questions run through his mind. He doesn’t know what fate had in store for Baekhyun. Was the Council going to hold Baekhyun captive until Grand Master Pho came back? Jongdae internally growls at the thought.

Jongdae gently slips out of the air ventilation system with only a little struggle. He is lucky not to get caught in there. He would be punished severely for listening in on private Council matters. However, there is no other way if you really want to know the information, as Chanyeol put it. Jongdae is a little suspicious that Chanyeol has previously done it on his own father’s Senate meetings.

Jongdae quickly runs down to where Baekhyun is being held. He knows the droids took him down into the holding cells where many criminals would get processed. But Baekhyun is no criminal, Jongdae knows it. Baekhyun is just an innocent boy without purpose in life. By bringing him to Tython, Baekhyun would gain the wisdom and skills of a Jedi. And Jongdae would make a new friend.

The Padawan quickly navigates past droid guards, his body light and quick against the machines eyes. Jongdae runs down the hallway of holding cells, quickly spinning to see if any contained the small freckled boy. It is only until he stops into the corner that he finds the boy curled up in his cell, the orange shield blocking him from entering. Jongdae quickly knows how to override it (only because of the one time with Kyungsoo stealing food from the mess hall), pressing the code to release the orange glow.

Baekhyun’s head perks up at the wobbly noise the evaporated shield makes and hardens at Jongdae’s silhouette. It’s only when Jongdae gets closer that Baekhyun releases a little reserve.

“How are you?” Jongdae asks quietly, in fear of being caught. For the second time today, he is doing things he is not supposed to. He is being very courageous for an eight-year-old new Padawan.

“Cold,” Baekhyun mutters. Instantly, Jongdae notices the way that Baekhyun’s slender arms wrap around the expanse of his torso. His clothes are still dirty and shredded from the escape.

Jongdae quickly wraps his own brown robes around Baekhyun’s frail frame. It is not the warmest material, but at least he puts another layer on Baekhyun’s skinny body. He pats Baekhyun’s shoulder once the robe is situated, “Wasn’t it cold on Kamar?”

“Oh, yeah. We should have stopped to pick up my clothes. Those parasites would have killed us on the spot, for sure,” Baekhyun sarcastically quips with an accompanying glare. Baekhyun suddenly sinks into the robes, his emotions draining him. He has a despaired look on his face. “You shouldn’t have taken me off of Kamar.”

“What are you talking about?” Jongdae widens his eyes, shocked by Baekhyun’s confession. “We protect good people like you. We are peacekeepers, that’s what we do.”

“I’m causing more harm than good,” Baekhyun’s eyes are downcast as he mumbles into the soft robe. “They’ll just ship me back to Kamar.”

“They won’t. You’re too powerful for them to let you go,” Jongdae feels a rush of anxiety flow through him. He wants to believe that Baekhyun would stay. It’s not just because of his power. Jongdae feels a strange connection to the boy he saved.

Baekhyun gives Jongdae an incredulous look from underneath the safety and comfort of his attire. His eyes are saturated in curiosity, “What do you mean?”

Jongdae smiles simply, “You’re strong in the Force. Even I could sense it, and I’m just a Padawan.”

Baekhyun seems a little more relaxed by the comment. His eyes are not fearful, and his mouth doesn’t form an instantaneous frown. Jongdae feels it’s a good start to a friendship.

Suddenly, both of them can hear a commotion coming from the outside. Jongdae jolts his head out to see two droid guards and Jedi Knight coming straight toward Baekhyun’s cell. Jongdae gasps quietly and flees inside the room again.

“I have to hide!” Jongdae whispers, crazy to find a spot in the cell. Baekhyun looks a little less nervous than Jongdae, despite his condition of being locked up.

“Here,” Baekhyun calls, shoving Jongdae underneath the robe he was gifted. Baekhyun fits Jongdae snug onto his back underneath the robe. Jongdae feels a little stuffy underneath the robe. It certainly traps any air. “Just don’t move unless I do.”

The droids arrive to the unlocked cell to beam lights at the boy. Underneath, Jongdae can hear Master Wakku enter the cell with astonishment.

“Why was the shield broken?” Master Wakku squints his eyes toward the young boy. “Never mind it. The boy is to be transported to the Council.”

Jongdae can feel Baekhyun’s heart race, especially with his cheek squarely on Baekhyun’s back. Jongdae feels himself sweating underneath the robe, effectively creating a heat capsule for himself. He’s not so sure this is one of his greatest plans (although, to be fair, it was Baekhyun’s).

Jongdae can hear the robotic whirs of the droid guards escorting Baekhyun out of his cell. Baekhyun hesitantly, for Jongdae’s sake, gets up and slowly makes his way out of the cell. Through dark lights and clueless droids, four pairs of legs on a human seems normal. Jongdae is praying that Master Wakku would not be at the back of the party.

Baekhyun leads the pair into the lit hallway where everything can be seen. Jongdae holds his breath for as long as he can, until he finally feels like he is going to pass out. Extreme heat, anxiousness, and loss of air is not good for a young Padawan like Jongdae.

“What’s this?” Master Wakku’s voice can be heard behind Jongdae. This was it, Jongdae knew he was to be found out. Jongdae can feel the fingers of Master Wakku gripping around the robe. Through his hearing, he can make out Baekhyun’s apology in a whisper. In a flash of light, Jongdae is found out.

“Padawan! What are you doing here?” Master Wakku huffs in annoyance when he recognizes the young ones face. Jongdae just simply shrugs, exhausted from the sweaty travel. “Go back to your quarters this instant.”

Jongdae mutters acknowledgement dejectedly. He takes one last look at Baekhyun. The boy looks half terrified, and half guilty of the situation. Jongdae simply gives him a thumbs up in luck as Master Wakku pushes the freckled boy down the hall. Baekhyun’s fate would await him at the Council’s circle.

-

When Jongdae returns to his quarters, he falls face down into his bed without a care. He doesn’t notice, nor did he care, about the light switched on the overhead, or his fellow Padawan studying at his desk. He needs rest after one of the longest journey’s he’s ever taken. He is only a Padawan for a few months and he’s already exhausted.

Sleep must have overcame him quick, because the next thing he knows, the overhang light is out. Jongdae groggily rises to search through the window. It’s night, with the wisps of clouds clocking the view of the stars. He huffs, and his stomach instantly grumbles. He whines about it because he knows he’s missed dinner.

Through the dark room, he reaches out to feel for his nightstand light. With nimble fingers, he clicks the light and illuminates the entire room. From Jongdae’s stance, he can’t see his roommate’s sleeping form, so he turns the overhead light on. Jongdae’s stomach insistently growls, so he taps it to calm its hunger. Unfortunately, the mess hall is closed, but Jongdae is sure he has snacks lying around somewhere.

Jongdae carefully crawls underneath the bed to see if he’s left anything in his storage containers. Nothing. Desk drawer, nothing. Pillow case, nothing. Laundry, nothing. And his stomach groans tirelessly.

Jongdae is just about to give up until the door slides open and Kyungsoo steps in. He has books tucked underneath his arm and a tired look on his face.

“Ah, you’re up,” Kyungsoo hums monotonously, eyes sunken in. He settles his books in a neat pile on his desk, waiting to be opened again tomorrow morning. “You missed dinner.”

“How could you tell?”

Cue Jongdae’s stomach growl.

“It’s a sense,” Kyungsoo shrugs indifferently. He is always that way, very cut and dry. Even being slightly younger than Jongdae, he acts way more mature (even in Jongdae’s standards). He is the top of his class, and one of the youngest Younglings to become a Padawan. Kyungsoo is very talented in controlling his sensibilities, which is one of the hardest tasks to becoming a Jedi.

But even with an emotionless cloud around him, Kyungsoo breaks out of that streak when he’s around Jongdae. Kyungsoo is the sensible mind in the Padawan operation, always telling Jongdae that things aren’t good ideas. Like when Jongdae tried to hide all the snacks he stole from the mess hall – Kyungsoo had to come and save him. And by save him, he tries to further the plan and they both ended up with punishment.

Kyungsoo slides Jongdae an extra granola bar that he’s saved, and Jongdae showers him with adorable eight-year old affection. Kyungsoo is used to being koala hugged by Jongdae.

“Park came by again looking for you,” Kyungsoo huffs as he shyly changes into his nightwear. Even young, Kyungsoo is modest in undressing.

Jongdae muses with a smirk on his lips, “You can call him Chanyeol, it’s not going to hurt. Did you talk to him?”

“No,” Kyungsoo grumbles dryly. He’s now in his nightwear getting ready for bed.

“You’re always so mean to him,” Jongdae munches happily on his present. His stomach is satisfied by the affection.

“He’s annoying,” Kyungsoo fluffs his pillow a little too hardly. Keeping all those emotions pent in takes a toll on Kyungsoo, and he takes it out on inanimate objects. Poor pillow. “Why does he always bother me with trying to find you? Doesn’t he have better things to do?”

Chanyeol is a Senator’s son. He is from Naboo, just like Jongdae. They became instant friends growing up. Chanyeol would always visit the Younglings when his father needed to come to the Jedi capital. Secretly, Chanyeol always wanted to be a Jedi, but the Force within him is a little weak. Nonetheless, he is still a good friend to Jongdae. Kyungsoo just thinks he’s a nuisance.

Jongdae shrugs, and in mid laughs, says, “I think he’s just craving attention.”

“Well, I don’t like him,” Kyungsoo finally sits on his bed, exhausted from his frustration. “By the way, where were you? I thought you arrived back at mid-morning.”

“Master Jonghyun and I found a Force-sensitive boy on the planet Kamar. His name is Baekhyun, and he was a slave for some mean men,” Jongdae grit his teeth at the thought of one of those insectoids harming Baekhyun. “We saved him. The last I saw him, the Council was going to decide if he…”

Jongdae gasps. It must have been decided tonight, but he was asleep. Jongdae quickly runs out of the room, Kyungsoo yelling and padding his feet along behind him. Jongdae hurries off to the lock up cells, hoping that Baekhyun wasn’t shipped off back to Kamar that night.

“Jongdae!” he can hear Kyungsoo’s incessant growling behind him, but it won’t stop him. He’s determined to find out what happened to Baekhyun. “Wait!”

Jongdae searches the cells, calling out Baekhyun’s name in hopes of finding that freckled boy. When he gets to the cell Baekhyun and he previously shared, he finds nothing but an empty cell in the corner of the lock up. Dejected, Jongdae slumps onto the floor, a tired sigh on his lips.

Kyungsoo finally reaches him, panting at the chase. He smacks Jongdae’s head with a growl, “Don’t run away like that, idiot.”

Jongdae mumbles an apology as he rubs the back of his head. He can hear footsteps approaching, and he knows that he’s deep in trouble yet again. Two Master Jedi’s appear in front of the two young Padawans. Jongdae recognizes them as two of the Council members, Master Shiik and the beautiful blue Pantoran Jedi, Master Andula.

“Master Shiik, Master Andula,” Kyungsoo greets, bowing with upmost respect. Jongdae hesitates, but greets them.

The Masters each greet the Padawans carefully with suspicion in their eyes. Master Shiik is first to call it, “What are you two Padawans doing up so late?”

Kyungsoo’s eyes shift between them, like he’s got an excuse on the tip of his tongue, but Jongdae gives him a cutoff. Jongdae builds up a frown, “I wanted to know what happened to Baekhyun, the boy from Kamar.”

The two Masters (and Kyungsoo) are surprised by the Padawans outburst. The Masters look in between each other, and, in a silent agreement, confidently look back at the younger ones.

“I shall take you back to your quarters, and then I shall tell you the fate of Baekhyun. Fair?” Master Andula softly smiles. Jongdae could not help but instantly agree. “Bid farewell to Master Shiik then.”

After saying goodnight to the other Master, the three walk back to the Padawan quarters. It feels slow, as Jongdae’s mind is filled with questions that he will finally get answers to. Master Andula looks trustful enough and she would definitely have insight about Baekhyun. Jongdae just hopes the other is okay.

Kyungsoo politely pulls a chair up for Master Andula to take. Jongdae can’t wait for the news, tipping on the edge of his seat, expectantly waiting for Master Andula’s words.

“Baekhyun went before the Jedi Council this afternoon,” Master Andula gently hums. “Grand Master Pho believed it best that Baekhyun stay here for observation.”

Relieved, Jongdae smiles brightly, “Will he train as a Jedi?”

“We shall see in time, young Padawan,” her voice is very comforting, with a beautifully soft smile to accompany it. Her voice wavers, “I must warn you. Baekhyun is very powerful. If he is to train as you do, you will find he has acquired some skills faster than you have. He is not perfectly skilled in the Force yet, but he has presented himself as a powerful Force-wielder.”

Jongdae can feel a tiny sense of fear in the Master in which he cannot explain. Baekhyun is not all that terrifying, not that Jongdae knows of. He agrees, Baekhyun’s power is great, but he has not harnessed its true potential yet. Jongdae is for certain that if Baekhyun trains with the Jedi, he will become a great asset.

The two Padawans bid farewell to their Master, and quietly tuck themselves into bed. Usually, it goes silent in the room, but Jongdae can hear Kyungsoo hum in thought.

“Jongdae,” Kyungsoo calls out in the darkness. Jongdae cannot see him, but he faintly senses Kyungsoo’s heartbeat. “Master Andula’s heart was racing when she talked about that boy from Kamar. Should we be careful?”

Jongdae pauses through his thought. Kyungsoo’s heart is now thunderous, Jongdae can hear it through his skull. Or, perhaps he mistook it for his own.

“No. He’s perfectly harmless.”

A/N: 

Hey everybody! Here's the next installment, let me know what you think~

I promise that this will be the last of the short chapters. Most chapters will be around 6,000 words (which will be about 2x as much!)

Also, thank you all for subscribing!! I've reached over 1,000 unique subs!! It's such an accomplishment, and I am so grateful. 

Until next time <3