The Clone Wars: One-shots

Late Night Studies

Timeline: Early on in TCW (Clone Wars season 1-2)

Caleb was sitting crosslegged on his bed, scrolling and scrolling through all the articles he had downloaded from the Jedi Archives. It was lights out in the dormitory for a while, but this was more important than sleep. He'd been reading through the digital papers for hours, eager to prove to his master and everyone else that he was ready to be a Jedi. To prove that he wasn't too young. Too naive. Too childish. He was ready, and no one would tell him otherwise.

He yawned, glancing out the window into the dark skies of Coruscant. His room lay in the temple dormitory, located below the archives he was in earlier that day. It was so late that even the city surrounding the temple seemed quiet. There was barely any traffic, which was a shocker. Rubbing his tired eyes, he squinted to make out the lights of a few hovercrafts drifting across the landscape along with the silhouettes of Coruscant's buildings and skyscrapers that loomed overhead.

Stretching his arms above his head, he put his disbanding attention back onto the task at hand. He continued endlessly scanning through writings of war tactics, lightsaber fighting styles, and different planets and their species. As he read, the letters started blurring and mushing together. His eyes were going in and out of focus, and the light from his tablet straining his eyes wasn't helping. He squeezed them shut for a moment before peeling them back open to continue studying, ignoring his body's aching request to rest. If he was to be the best Padawan to Master Billaba, he would have to work as hard as he could, with no complaints whatsoever. He wouldn't stop yet, even though his throbbing head was begging him to do so.

After a few more painful articles, he finally set the tablet down next to him on the mattress and leaned back into the soft cushioning, giving himself a small study break. He closed his eyes and let his breathing even out, but only for a moment.

There was still work to do after all.

His thoughts slowly drifted away as he dozed off until he jerked back upright, sighing in relief before turning his tablet back on and picking up on his studies.

He was so zoned in, supplying all the remaining focus and attention he had left to coherently read the words on his tablet he didn't hear her slip into the room. It wasn't until he felt the weight of the mattress shift beside him that he realized his master was there next to him. That she found him awake this late at night.

Caleb immediately stopped what he was doing, a knot tying up in his stomach.

"Master," he started, preparing to come up with some sort of an excuse for what he was doing at this time. "I was just—"

He was cut off by a gentle hand placed on his shoulder. His cheeks burned a deep red. Good thing it was dark.

"Caleb," she spoke softly, grabbing Caleb's tablet from him with her other hand before scrolling through it herself. His hand itched to snatch it back, but he stopped himself. He had already embarrassed himself enough.

"I—I'm sorry, Master," was all he could muster. His sleepy eyes stayed glued to the floor, refusing to look anywhere else.

"For what?" she asked.

"For staying up longer than I was supposed to just so I could read through random articles. It was lights out hours ago," he rushed out, murmuring the last part almost to himself.

"Jar'Kai is indeed a very powerful fighting style, but I'm not sure it's one for you," she said, causing Caleb's eyes to dart to the tablet Master Billaba then set aside. "But it is still important to understand nonetheless. You never know what opponents you may face, especially in times like these."

"So... you aren't angry with me?" he questioned carefully, finally having the courage to look up at his master.

"Not angry, Caleb," she assured, looking back down at her young padawan. "But I am concerned," she continued, "what made you stay up this late?"

"I was simply, uh, studying," he blurted, frustrated that he didn't think of an elaborate excuse. He caught his master's eye again, and she gave him a look that made him realize he had to tell the full truth. "I guess I just feel like I'm not good enough," he began, hugging his knees up to his chest, "even you said that I was too young to be a padawan. I don't want to be a burden to you. I suppose I just wanted to prove that I wasn't," he sighed in defeat.

It felt nice to tell her the truth, even though it felt extremely awkward doing so. Embarrassment still swelled inside him, and he took his gaze back down to the tiled floors, chewing on the inside of his cheek.

"Thank you for telling me this, Caleb. I do still believe you are very young to be a Padawan, but you are very exceptional, especially for your age. Even if you weren't, as your Master, I must teach you what you need to know and help you grow, no matter where you are on your journey. You don't need to try to prove yourself to me or anyone else. You already have."

Caleb felt stunned by his master's words, but that quickly turned into a feeling of warmth and gratitude. He really didn't need to prove himself to anyone—he already had. A small smile spread across his face with the thought.

He tried to stifle a yawn, but it came out anyway. Master Billaba lightly chuckled before standing up, her arms pushing against the mattress, causing it to slightly shift as she did.

"It looks like someone's tired," she expressed playfully. "I'll let you get some rest. Sparring sessions start at dawn." She stopped at the doorway before cocking her head to give him one last regard. "And don't even think about getting on that tablet again. I'll be notified if you do, Padawan Dume."

She took her leave, leaving the content Caleb alone with only the company of the cityscape and the tablet he was too scared to touch after his master's strict words.