“I feel like
sometimes I’m screaming as loud as I can and he’s just not
listening to me.” Anakin sulked at his knees, not wanting to meet
the others eyes just in case of censure. “I’m trying but Obi-Wan
just keep pushing and doesn’t seem to understand.”

There was a little
hum at that and Anakin peered up cautiously to see Master Yan
casually stirring milk into his tea slowly.

That made Anakin
frown, he didn’t think the other liked milk in his te-

Yan held out the
cup to him. “Take this Anakin and take a sip.” He rumbled.

Anakin blinked but
did as told, took a small sip of a strongly flavored but sweetened
tea.

“Good. Now take a
deep breath for me.” Yan encouraged with a small smile as he poured
a fresh cup.

Once again Anakin
did as told, feeling a fragile sort of calm settle as the nerves that
had made him feel vague nauseated settled his stomach along with the
tea.

“Very good
Anakin.” Yan praised as he sat back in his chair, a small glow
settling in Anakin’s belly at the praise that seemed to bring
warmth to all the chilled parts of him.

The older, refined
master blew on his tea for a few seconds before taking a slow sip.
“Do you honestly think that Obi-Wan doesn’t understand?” He
finally asked.

Shuffling his feet
a bit, Anakin shrugged.

He’d been so
certain in his upset that Obi-Wan couldn’t possibly understand. All
Anakin had wanted was to help someone gain their freedom.

Yan placed his cup
down on the table and leaned forward. “Obi-Wan most certainly
understands, he knows what its like to wear both a collar and
explosives as with his freedom taken from him.” Yan said quietly.
“But he can’t act on all his desires. He is a representative of
the Order and more then that, he is your guardian. His major concern
is your safety… you scared him when you put your life in jeopardy.”
Yan said bluntly.

Anakin stared at
the other Jedi for a long moment.

In one way he
wanted to rage at Yan and call him out on all of that.

But his curiosity
made him keep still. “…What do you mean?”

“About what
part?” Yan hummed.

“…All of it,
but lets start with why being a representative of the Order doesn’t
allow him to act on his desires if he wants to help slaves and then
on the freedom thing.” Anakin whispered.

Yan sat back,
stroking his beard. “Its not something the Jedi are proud of but…
we have become intertwined with the Senate, we dance to their tune to
keep their goodwill as we need it to remain here. But in return, we
have to do the missions they send our way. We have to not antagonize
the hutts into a war. And we if we do something they don’t like, we
answer to the Senate as there has been several court cases. When
Chancellor Valorum sat, he had beneficial view to the Jedi, would
more quietly deal with it… Chancellor Palpatine does not share his
predecessors view…” He sighed. “And the Jedi have to thread
very carefully.”

Anakin blinked at
him.

“As for the
freedom part… Obi-Wan was sent from the temple, no one wanted to
take him on as a padawan. He was captured and taken as a slave and
eventually gained his freedom and an apprenticeship that was severely
rocky with Qui-Gon Jinn but that’s all I know.” Yan smiled
apologetic to the now gaping young man. “If you really want those
details, you will have to ask someone in the know… and that is only
Obi-Wan now. But I do know that he was forced into an explosive
collar to behave.”

Anakin stared at
him, wide eyed and shocked. “Master never told me that.”

Yan hummed, picking
up his tea again. “I don’t think its a happy point of his life.
He was sent away from the temple, the only home he’d ever had, told
he wasn’t good enough to be what he dreamed of and hadn’t been
prepared properly for what came next. Then he was put in a collar,
his freedom taken from him and forced into a mine which is dangerous
work even under guidelines, never mind slaves, a young boy of
thirteen among adults… I don’t know what he went through, he
refuses to tell me.” Yan took a sip of his tea. “But I can guess.
A fresh meat boy from Coruscant with his accent and his freckles and
red hair… that’s a target if I’ve ever seen one, even in a dark
mine.” He sighed heavily.

Then he leveled
Anakin a long look that froze him in place. “And that’s why you
scared him. Because he knew what could have happened if you’d been
captured too and set into the mining operation and he would never
wish it on you.” He murmured quietly. “And he might not have
chance to rescue you because of the Senate.”

Once again Yan set
his cup down on the table and Anakin followed suit.

It proved to be the
right action when Yan leaned forward and took his hands, the older
mans hands large and a bit colder then both Anakin’s and Obi-Wan’s.
But they felt safe as they cupped Anakin’s, a little shield against
the galaxy. “Obi-Wan is trying his best Anakin. I swear, but some
times he can only do so much and I know its the last thing you want
to hear but he is going to keep trying to do his best by you.” Yan
squeezed gently before smiling at him. “But when you have the times
when Obi-Wan doesn’t seem to understand… you can come to me. I
promise you, what you tell me will not be told to anyone else and I
will listen to you.” He murmured.

Staring at the
older man for a long moment Anakin finally smiled and nodded,
grinning a bit more when Yan squeezed his hands carefully.

“I feel like
sometimes I’m screaming as loud as I can and he’s just not
listening to me.” Anakin sulked at his knees, not wanting to meet
the others eyes just in case of censure. “I’m trying but Obi-Wan
just keep pushing and doesn’t seem to understand.”

There was a little
hum at that and Anakin peered up cautiously to see Master Yan
casually stirring milk into his tea slowly.

That made Anakin
frown, he didn’t think the other liked milk in his te-

Yan held out the
cup to him. “Take this Anakin and take a sip.” He rumbled.

Anakin blinked but
did as told, took a small sip of a strongly flavored but sweetened
tea.

“Good. Now take a
deep breath for me.” Yan encouraged with a small smile as he poured
a fresh cup.

Once again Anakin
did as told, feeling a fragile sort of calm settle as the nerves that
had made him feel vague nauseated settled his stomach along with the
tea.

“Very good
Anakin.” Yan praised as he sat back in his chair, a small glow
settling in Anakin’s belly at the praise that seemed to bring
warmth to all the chilled parts of him.

The older, refined
master blew on his tea for a few seconds before taking a slow sip.
“Do you honestly think that Obi-Wan doesn’t understand?” He
finally asked.

Shuffling his feet
a bit, Anakin shrugged.

He’d been so
certain in his upset that Obi-Wan couldn’t possibly understand. All
Anakin had wanted was to help someone gain their freedom.

Yan placed his cup
down on the table and leaned forward. “Obi-Wan most certainly
understands, he knows what its like to wear both a collar and
explosives as with his freedom taken from him.” Yan said quietly.
“But he can’t act on all his desires. He is a representative of
the Order and more then that, he is your guardian. His major concern
is your safety… you scared him when you put your life in jeopardy.”
Yan said bluntly.

Anakin stared at
the other Jedi for a long moment.

In one way he
wanted to rage at Yan and call him out on all of that.

But his curiosity
made him keep still. “…What do you mean?”

“About what
part?” Yan hummed.

“…All of it,
but lets start with why being a representative of the Order doesn’t
allow him to act on his desires if he wants to help slaves and then
on the freedom thing.” Anakin whispered.

Yan sat back,
stroking his beard. “Its not something the Jedi are proud of but…
we have become intertwined with the Senate, we dance to their tune to
keep their goodwill as we need it to remain here. But in return, we
have to do the missions they send our way. We have to not antagonize
the hutts into a war. And we if we do something they don’t like, we
answer to the Senate as there has been several court cases. When
Chancellor Valorum sat, he had beneficial view to the Jedi, would
more quietly deal with it… Chancellor Palpatine does not share his
predecessors view…” He sighed. “And the Jedi have to thread
very carefully.”

Anakin blinked at
him.

“As for the
freedom part… Obi-Wan was sent from the temple, no one wanted to
take him on as a padawan. He was captured and taken as a slave and
eventually gained his freedom and an apprenticeship that was severely
rocky with Qui-Gon Jinn but that’s all I know.” Yan smiled
apologetic to the now gaping young man. “If you really want those
details, you will have to ask someone in the know… and that is only
Obi-Wan now. But I do know that he was forced into an explosive
collar to behave.”

Anakin stared at
him, wide eyed and shocked. “Master never told me that.”

Yan hummed, picking
up his tea again. “I don’t think its a happy point of his life.
He was sent away from the temple, the only home he’d ever had, told
he wasn’t good enough to be what he dreamed of and hadn’t been
prepared properly for what came next. Then he was put in a collar,
his freedom taken from him and forced into a mine which is dangerous
work even under guidelines, never mind slaves, a young boy of
thirteen among adults… I don’t know what he went through, he
refuses to tell me.” Yan took a sip of his tea. “But I can guess.
A fresh meat boy from Coruscant with his accent and his freckles and
red hair… that’s a target if I’ve ever seen one, even in a dark
mine.” He sighed heavily.

Then he leveled
Anakin a long look that froze him in place. “And that’s why you
scared him. Because he knew what could have happened if you’d been
captured too and set into the mining operation and he would never
wish it on you.” He murmured quietly. “And he might not have
chance to rescue you because of the Senate.”

Once again Yan set
his cup down on the table and Anakin followed suit.

It proved to be the
right action when Yan leaned forward and took his hands, the older
mans hands large and a bit colder then both Anakin’s and Obi-Wan’s.
But they felt safe as they cupped Anakin’s, a little shield against
the galaxy. “Obi-Wan is trying his best Anakin. I swear, but some
times he can only do so much and I know its the last thing you want
to hear but he is going to keep trying to do his best by you.” Yan
squeezed gently before smiling at him. “But when you have the times
when Obi-Wan doesn’t seem to understand… you can come to me. I
promise you, what you tell me will not be told to anyone else and I
will listen to you.” He murmured.

Staring at the
older man for a long moment Anakin finally smiled and nodded,
grinning a bit more when Yan squeezed his hands carefully.