Star Wars Fanfic - The Padawan Path

Chap. 9 - Leap of Faith

The same situation was repeated once more. Roy waited patiently kneeling in front of his teacher to begin the meditation that was supposed to strengthen his connection to the Force. It would surely be as useless as the rest of the time. Two hours just waiting for time to pass. If only...

Pablo: - Is something wrong, Padawan? -

Roy: - No... No teacher... Everything is fine. Ready to start. -

Paul: - Are you sure? Today he seems to be more distracted... than usual. -

Roy: - Don't worry. I was just... thinking about a few things. -

The Padawan tried to force his usual smile, but when he looked up he was met with the Jedi's questioning gaze. Pablo seemed to be at the end of his patience, and with reason.

Pablo: - Young padawan. I need you to stop wasting my time.

Roy: - Master? -

Pablo: - It's been several weeks since we started training and your condition with the Force hasn't improved in the slightest. Your connection to the Force is still so weak it seems nonexistent. He might think you're not even taking this seriously.

Roy: - I... I'm doing the best I can... General. -

Roy's face was hidden in his shadow, as his lowered head prevented Pablo from seeing the fake smile on his face. But the Jedi didn't need to see her to know what he looked like.

Pablo: - Here I am not your general. Here I am your teacher. And as your teacher I must worry about your development. But I can't do anything if you don't do your part. I am just a guide, not a lever. Improving your connection to the Force only depends on your own time and effort. -

Roy found no malice in his teacher's words. In fact, the simple fact that he called himself a master and not a general made the load on the environment lighter, but that didn't mean he had more hope. Would there be any point in trying to excuse himself? Would it even be worth doing? And the most important of all. Would he have a chance to remain a Jedi if they knew the truth? Or at least part of the truth? Hammer and Tukk's words seemed very tempting at the time. He had so much to lose... and yet... he decided to move on.

Roy: - Master, I... - He sighs.

Pablo: - What happens? -

Roy: - I think there's something I should tell you. -

Pablo: - I'm all ears. -

Roy: - I... have reached my limit in the control of the Force. -

Pablo: - Your limit? That makes no sense. You are too young to even think that. In fact, no master has been able to reach the limit of it. Not even Yoda himself could sign that.

Roy: - I barely have five hundred midichlorians per cell. -

Listening to that was... worse than a bucket of cold water for Pablo. That was impossible. How did someone who only has 10% of the midichlorians of an average Jedi even get accepted into the academy? If true... Roy's training wasn't even worth it.

Pablo: - You need at least five thousand midichlorians per cell phone to be accepted into the academy. Tell me... How could someone like you get admitted? -

Roy seriously thought about his answer. What he was going to say was not something easy to digest, not even for himself.

Roy:-I arrived at the temple like any other child... a baby who never knew his family. He said it was promising, that my control of seven thousand five hundred midichlorians per cell would make me a good Jedi, and I believed that for a long time. He was always one of the crowd, nothing to write home about, but at least he had decent control of the Force.