Attachment Is Forbidden

2. Obstacles & Rumours

MACE SIGHED AND turned off the security hologram he was watching. It was a feed from earlier that day, a shot of the training room where Ahsoka Tano had taken her final lesson with Masters Anakin Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi. Mace noticed a little more than friendship appear to transpire between the two men.

Rumours. Always with the rumours. These latest, about Jedi falling in love left and right, appeared to Mace to be becoming more and more true.

Especially considering he was one of them.

Mace winced at the memory of Qui-Gon Jinn, whom he thought he'd fallen in love with long ago but wouldn't admit it until it was far too late and Qui-Gon was dead. Qui-Gon had been Mace's wilder side, reckless and daring, but never hesitating to teach, to meditate. Mace had loved him -- still loved him -- and hoped that one day when he gave in to the Force he'd be able to find Qui-Gon again. 

The thought of never being able to see him again was too painful to bear.

Mace closed his eyes and opened himself up to the Force, trying to meditate on this new turn of events. He sensed Yoda come into the room and offered a greeting without opening his eyes.

"Hello, Master Yoda."

"Greetings, Master Windu," Yoda replied. Mace could almost see him clibing onto one of the small couch-like things where Jedi meditated whilst at the temple. "Something on your mind, there is?"

"Yes." Mace sighed heavily and opened his eyes. Yoda was sitting cross-legged on one of the seats, watching him. 

"Mind if I ask what, do you?"

"I've noticed that a lot of Jedi seem to be falling in love lately," Mace said. "And then trying to hide it from the Council. Even I can't help falling..."

"Time, it is, for the Jedi Code to change," Yoda said. "Forbid love, we cannot. Human nature, love is. Even different species of Jedi, falling in love they are. Stop it, we cannot. Use it, we can."

"What do you mean, Yoda?" Mace asked.

"Blinds us, love does. But also strengthens us, helps us it can. Use it to our advantage, we can. With Jedi falling in love left and right, new rules, created can be."

Mace contemplated that for a minute. 

"That will work," Mace said eventually. "I imagine the Order as a whole will be relieved. Specifically a certain Obi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker." Mace couldn't resist grinning at the fact that no matter how hard they tried to hide it, he knew they were in love.

Yoda laughed. "Not the only one who noticed, I am, I see," he chuckled. "Hide it well, they do. Not well enough, but well."

Mace closed his eyes again and fell into the Force right as he felt a warm surge of pleasure come from Obi-Wan, whom he was emotionally tied to almost as tightly as he'd been with Qui-Gon. 

"I take it they're having fun," Mace laughed, opening his eyes again. "Obi-Wan's happy at least."

"Confront them, we must," Yoda said. Mace looked up.

"They'll be so afraid," Mace said, alarmed. "How will we explain to them that we're changing the Code? It hasn't been amended in eight centuries. You would know, Yoda -- you are a little over eight hundred, after all."

Yoda sighed. "Figure that out, too, we must."

Mace closed his eyes again and sincerely hoped that Obi-Wan and Anakin would be able to take the news without going too overboard.

And wished once more that Qui-Gon were still alive.

-/-/-/-/-/

Yeah, so I made Mace be in love with Qui-Gon. Why not?

IDK, I'm weird. Anyway, hope you're enjoying so far.

Vote! Comment!

~R.A. Starkiller