Haa Ri and the Sorcerer's Padawan
by OlorinTheMaiar

Disclaimer: Am I the second richest woman in England? No. So I don't own Harry Potter. Did I spend over thirty years making an iconic cinematic sci-fi epic? No. So I don't own Star Wars. Am I making money off of this? No. So you can't sue me.

Summary: In one of his many reincarnations due to his status of Master of Death, Harry Potter, known in this reality as Haa Ri, the Grand Master of the Jedi Order and the Jedi Sorcerer, tries to prevent the destruction of the Jedi Order and the collapse of the Galactic Republic when he takes young Anakin Skywalker as his Jedi Padawan and his Sorcerer Acolyte. Will Harry, Anakin, and the rest of the Jedi Order be able to save themselves, let alone the Galactic Republic?

Chapter 2: Moral Dilemmas and Preparations

The fourteen year old Anakin Skywalker stood at the center of the High Council Chamber. He had vastly changed in the time that had passed since his last appearance before this Council. Last time, he had been ruled by his fear, by his anxiety. Today, he was calm.

"Anakin Skywalker," Mace Windu's voice rang out, cold and sharp, reverberating around the High Council Chamber, "against the better judgment of some of the members of this Council's," the stern, black skinned Master shot Haa Ri a reproachful glare, "you have been granted a five year probationary period after which you will now be judged for full admittance to the Jedi Order. The Council will submit their votes… Masters of the High Council of the Jedi Order, do you find Anakin Skywalker of Tatooine to be in accordance with the Jedi Code and ready for full admittance into its mission? Agen Kolar…"

"Yes."

"… Coleman Trebor…"

"Yes."

"… Eeth Koth…"

"Yes"

"… Haa Ri…" The Togruta Grand Master let out a chuckle.

"Most definitely!" Windu shot him a stern glare, "Oh, alright… Yes."

"…Ki Adi Mundi…" The cerean Master was pensive for a moment, thinking over all he had come to learn about the Tatooine native. To most of the Order, he was seen as a stickler for tradition. It wasn't that he upheld tradition for tradition's sake; the reality was that he saw the wisdom in the old ways… that wasn't to say that the old ways could be wrong.

"Yes." Windu snapped his head around to stare at his friend in shock. He had expected Ki Adi to help him try to kick brat out of the Order. Lauded as one of the wisest of the Order, Ki Adi Mundi's vote could have helped sway the more impressionable members of the council, like the newly elected Shaak Ti. Now, it was likely that Windu was going to be the only vote for the casting out of the boy. Suppressing a grimace, he continued.

"… Mace Windu… No," a few of the Masters rolled their eyes at Windu's pronouncement. While Mace Windu usually kept an even head and thought things through, he was blind when it came to Haa Ri, and through his teachings, to his Padawan and Acolyte.

"…Oppo Rancisis…" The thisspian Master's eyes narrowed in thought, flicking back and forth between Mundi and Windu. Seeming to make up his mind, he sighed.

"Yes."

"…Plo Koon…"

"Yes."

"…Saesee Tiin…" Tiin also took a moment in thought before responding.

"Yes."

"…Shaak Ti…"

"Yes."

"…Yarael Poof…"

"Yes."

"…Yoda…"

"Yes."

"The Council has spoken," Mace Windu forced out the words through his clenched teeth. "Anakin Skywalker of Tatooine, you are hereby formally accepted into the Jedi Order as a Padawan."

Anakin walked through the halls of the Jedi Temple, trying to find his Master. Usually, Anakin could just close his eyes and pinpoint Ri using the Force. Unfortunately, the togruta didn't want to be found. Obi-Wan had told him that the Grand Master was in training with a group of older Padawans, so Anakin had spent the last half hour searching all of the Padawan training areas. Turning a corner, Anakin walked out onto a small balcony overlooking a large combat room.

'Of course,' the fourteen year-old thought, 'he has to be in the last place I look.'

"Well, this should be fun to watch," Obi-Wan Kenobi's voice filtered over Anakin's shoulder, making the boy flinch. He hated when people snuck up on him. Anakin turned to face the smug Knight.

"I thought you said that you didn't know where Master Ri was?" Kenobi laughed.

"No, you asked me where he was at the time, and I didn't know… but that was half an hour ago. I never said I did not know where he would be." Anakin rolled his eyes and turned back to the training floor.

"What are they doing?" The teenager looked down at the lines of Padawans meditating in front of his Master.

"He does this every year with the Padawans who are going to be attempting the Jedi Trials," Obi-Wan moved to lean on the railing of the balcony, next to Anakin. "As a group, the Padawans will attack the Grand Master. If any Padawan can land a blow on Ri, they all win a prize."

"So, what's the prize?"

"I don't know. When people ask Master Ri, he just smiles. The last person who got a hit in was Master Yoda. Of course, he is the only one still alive from his graduating class and he has never told anyone."

"Ah, but an advantage I had," Yoda had joined the two humans on the balcony unnoticed. Anakin didn't feel as bad about being snuck up upon in Yoda's case… the little green man could be incredibly sneaky if he tried. "Spent fifteen years analyzing my old Master I did. Only then, able to barely knick his rear lek I was after being gored by his montral*," Obi-Wan and Anakin saw Yoda rub his backside, wincing at the remembered pain. "A limp for two months I had," the Master's mouth bloomed into a wide smile as his face became smug, "but won we did!"

"I don't think I've ever seen Master Ri in a real lightsaber battle. Is he actually that good?" Anakin tried to act nonchalant, but he had heard murmurs of rumors of his Master's skill in battle and he was anxious to find out if there was any credibility to the whispers among the Knights.

Obi-Wan laughed heartily, "Well, you'll find out in a few seconds," the Knight pointed down at the training room floor. Sure enough, both Grand Master and Padawans were rising from their meditation cushions. With a wave of Haa Ri's hand, the cushions soared into the air and stacked themselves neatly against the wall.

To the inattentive eye, the togruta stood stock still, his stance appearing to be off balance and weak. Anakin, however, knew differently. While his master had not yet taught him the specific stance he had taken, the boy saw the miniscule movements that signaled the Grand Master's combat readiness. A foot angled two or three degrees to the left. Knees bent a millimeter. Head angled slightly so that his peripheral vision was clear. While Haa Ri had his hands clasped in front of him, not even moving to retrieve his lightsabers from his belt, Anakin expected that his Master could still take anything that the Padawans could throw at him. With a nod, the Ri started the fight.

The Padawans activated their own lightsabers and started to circle the togruta. Anakin could feel the feelings rolling off of the attackers: nervousness, self confidence, fear, constipation. The teenager did a double take when he felt the last one. It seemed that one of the Padawans, having only recently arrived with his Master to the Temple for their Jedi Trials, had not yet readjusted to the food in the Temple mess halls.

Abruptly, a Twi'lek broke from the circle, lashing out at the Grand Master with a wild swing at his head. As Ri's form seemed to blur from the incredible speed of his dodge, Anakin's eyes widened. Many of his lessons over the past five years clicked into place. This was his Master's mysterious Weirding Technique. Hours upon hours of training had been devoted to developing absolute control over every muscle in his body, whether major (like his quadriceps) or minor (like the tiny muscle that closes his bottom eyelid). He had been told that all the muscular training resulted in the learning of the Weirding Technique. When asked what said technique was, Ri had only said, "You will know when you know."

Now Anakin knew. The Weirding Technique was total control over his entire body, every second of every day: absolute combat readiness.

"One hundred and eighteen seconds," Obi-Wan's voice startled Anakin out of his epiphany. "They lasted thirteen seconds longer than last year's class."

Looking down, Anakin saw, to his disappointment, that he had missed the fight. Padawans littered the floor around Grand Master, who was standing nonchalantly at the center of the ring of bodies. All of the soon-to-be-Jedi had some sort of disabling injury. Many were knocked out cold. Most had broken bones. Usually it was just a broken wrist or ankle, but one unfortunate human Padawan had his femur snapped like a twig, the bone piercing through the skin of his thigh. (Thankfully, he was one of the unconscious ones.) Three of the Padawans actually had what looked to puncture wounds. Two were a result of being gored by the togruta Grand Master if the thin trails of blood running down Ri's montrals were any indication. The last puncture wound, however, was the most unique of the Padawans' 'training game' injuries.

In the side of a zabrak Padawan were five linear wounds, all circular and relatively similar in size. Anakin was puzzled as to how these wounds occurred. For the duration of the fight, never once did the Grand Master draw a weapon. It wasn't until the boy saw his Master wiping blood off of his hand that he realized what had happened. The togruta had speared the unsuspecting Padawan with his fingers, each digit tearing a clean whole through the young man's skin. Anakin guessed that this was why Ri hadn't had his talon-like nails filed down like many others of his race.

The Grand Master raised his arms, his palms facing the floor that was still littered with Padawans. Anakin could feel the surge in the Force. Life around him seemed to flicker and ripple as the Force was channeled through Ri. The teen had felt this twice before. This was what his Master called Greater Magics, sorcery that required more power that was readily available from the Force within one's own body. To enact these great acts of Sorcery, the sorcerer strained the bindings of reality: space, time, gravity, any force that helps shape the universe. When the Force reacts against that strain, trying to hold the very fabric of existence together, it exerts itself against the user. Just like in physics, for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction, so too does the Force. The Sorcerer uses that reaction to power his spell.

Therein lies danger of Sorcery. If one stressed the world around them too much, the resulting reaction from the Force would provide more energy than the spell needed, destroying the Sorcerer via immolation in a reaction ranging from size of a thermal detonator to a five kilometer blast radius. If the Sorcerer does not strain the world around them enough, the Force ends up not providing enough energy for the spell. After being started, a spell will complete itself. The amount of energy needed for the spell to reach its goal will be torn (rather painfully) away from the caster. The best possible result was that the Sorcerer is forced into a semi-temporary coma. The most common outcome, however, was that the caster was left as a puddle of ectoplasm on the floor as every atom in his body was torn apart in an attempt to release enough energy to power the spell.

Anakin felt the world return to normal, signaling that his Master had finished collecting energy in preparation for his working of a Greater Magic. In a low whisper that was nevertheless audible, the togruta started to chant in a long forgotten ancient language, his eyes closed, each word palpable in its potency. Slowly, a white mist dripped from his hands, coalescing into a near-solid disk around his feet. As the chant increased in intensity and volume, so too did the flow of the mist. Reaching a tumultuous and deafening crescendo, the Grand Master fell silent, clenching his hands into fists as he stopped the stream of mist. For a moment, there was tense pause in the world around him. All of reality seemed to stop and hold its breath.

Anakin could see the strain and concentration on his Master's face as Ri let his hands fall to his side. The teen watched anxiously as the togruta started to tremble slightly, straining to control and command the energy he had taken from the Force. Relief flooded the boy when the trembling died away; the togruta's visage of concentration melted into a smile. Gasps could be heard from Jedi occupying the other observation balconies around the room as Haa Ri opened his eyes. Gone were the white sclera, green irises, and black pupils of the Grand Master's eyes. Instead, they were replaced by all-encompassing deep emerald globes, slightly pulsing with an inner light.

Quickly, Haa Ri brought up his hand, pointing resolutely at the ceiling. A single deafening and unintelligible word rang throughout the training hall as the togruta released the spell. The white mist rose up, quickly snaking around the Sorcerer's legs and torso. Upon reaching the tip of the pointed finger, it shot into the air in a thick rope, winding its way toward the ceiling. As the stream of magic became level with the observation balconies, it exploded outward in hundreds of strands of varying sizes, snaking down towards the still injured Padawans on the floor. Each spiraled through the air to affix themselves to a Padawan's wound; hair fine threads of mist delicately attached themselves to minor scrapes and bruises while one of the thickest white ropes wrapped itself firmly around the thigh that contained the broken femur.

Anakin watched in awe as the wounds began to heal before his very eyes. While he nearly lost his breakfast over the sickening crunch as the femur was forced back into realignment, he had to admit, it was fascinating.

Soon, the Padawans started to wake up. Grumbling, most pulled themselves into a seated position, wincing slightly as they used muscles that were still sore from the healing. A few (the ones who had been the worst injured) only had enough energy to turn their heads towards the Grand Master when he finally called for the Padawans' attention, still laying on their backs.

"Now," the togruta said in a voice that betrayed only a hint of his actual exhaustion, his eyes slowly fading back to their original appearance, "what lesson did we learn today?"

Anakin had decided to give his Master some time to recuperate from his use of Greater Magic; the message for his master that had originally sent him searching when he had been ordered to use the day for personal meditation could wait until they met for lessons tonight. Saying his farewells to Master Yoda and Obi-Wan, the boy retreated to his room in the Temple's Padawan barracks to meditate upon what he had seen. From his observations of his Master over the last five years, the teenager knew that Ri hated violence in any form. He always advocated peaceful and non-violent methods to conflict resolution. Up until now, Anakin could have sworn that his Master didn't have a single violent bone in his body… But what the Padawan saw today didn't conform to that assertion.

What he had just witnessed, the complete incapacitation of twenty-three Padawans (most of whom, if not all, were ready to become Jedi Knights) in under two minutes, that was the work of master of battle. Yes, Anakin had heard the rumors that Ri was the best swordsman in the Order, but that didn't mean that he was skilled in battle. The use of the lightsaber was extremely different in a duel than it was in large scale combat. What Ri had just demonstrated was not the work of an artist of the sword (or fist, in Ri's case) it was the work of an adept of all aspects of war, a hardened warrior, a master of death itself. According to Master Yoda, Ri had personally gored his own Padawan with his montrals all those years ago; The same person Ri was sworn to protect as Yoda's Jedi Master. Ri could have just as easily killed those Padawans.

While, as an Acolyte Sorcerer in addition to being a Padawan, Anakin could not adhere to the entirety of the Jedi Code. One of the many consistencies between the Jedi and Sorcerer Codes, however, was the teaching 'Anger begets violence'. This was one of the reasons why Ri had spent so much time teaching him to order his emotions. If he was not able to overcome emotions like anger, hate, and envy through force of will, it would, in turn, eventually lead to the abuse of his powers. If his Master could produce that much violence, that much destruction, did that mean that he was constantly fighting the temptation to abuse his powers? Could the Jedi Order, the Republic, even sapient life as a whole defend themselves against Ri's vengeance, should he ever give in to those temptations?

Anakin did not know.

In the end, Anakin decided to apply one of the greatest (and hardest) lessons that his Master had taught him, "Do not judge until one has analyzed the entirety of the situation, and even then, you may be wrong." Anakin did not understand the situation fully, so he decided to go the only person who did. He needed to speak with his Master after he discerned what he truly knew from what he thought he knew. The teenager realized he could not rush into this. It was too important. If Ri wanted to breech the subject before then, Anakin would trust the togruta's judgment.

At the appointed time, the teenager got up from his meditation cushion, slung his training saber across his back, and left his small room, heading for the combat studio reserved for one-on-one Padawan/Master saber training. As was his habit, Anakin entered the training room , seated himself in front of his meditating Master, and began stretching. While he realized that his Master was still tired, he knew that the togruta definitely still had enough strength to make him temporarily regret starting his Jedi training. While Ri was usually a calm smiling sage, within these four walls the Sorcerer was a terror. Here, there were no jokes, no smiles, no fun. According to his Master, this room's purpose was to give him the best possible chance for survival in the outside world should he need to protect himself or others. Logically, Anakin appreciated this training, (and, after hindsight had set in, had thanked his Master multiple times) but it was hard to correctly evaluate the training while he was actually in the process of turning his muscles into putty.

"I am proud of you, Anakin," Ri's voice was soft and compassionate, a small smile gracing his face.

Anakin, surprised by a calm tone and kind words being spoken within the room his Master semi-jokingly called "Saber Hell", faltered in his attempt to lower himself gently into a split. His foot slipped, sending the boy into to the ground at far greater speeds than were comfortable.

"Ma... Master?" Anakin squeaked out, his voice noticeably higher due to his abrupt contact with the floor.

"You saw the Padawans' demonstration," Ri must have seen the look of confusion on Anakin's face, so he continued, "You saw me defeat those Padawans with a rather good deal of violence. What you saw conflicted with the morals you hold, and yet, you still come to me to seek answers. You realize that you most likely do not know the whole story and you do not judge. For that I am thankful and your actions fill me with pride." Anakin let out a small sigh. His master had hit the nail on the head. He had long gotten used to the togruta knowing things like this.

"I just don't understand, Master," the teen said, shaking his head slightly.

"Anakin, do you know what is the deadliest threat to a Jedi?"

"No, Master," the boy answered after a few seconds of thought.

"Pride, Anakin, a fault that is all too common in Jedi today. After a Padawan passes the trials, many believe that they somehow become infallible. They believe that they are seasoned warriors, that they are undefeatable. All it takes is one underestimated opponent, one time that they do not pay attention to their surroundings, one enemy that knows the terrain better and their pride could cost them their life. Now, with this in mind, Anakin, why do you think I did what I did."

Anakin was silent for a minute, working the problem out. Finally, the teen's eyes widened slightly in realization, "You wanted to be the one to show them that they aren't invincible, that there is always someone better than them. You didn't want them to learn that the hard way in the field and have that lesson be potentially fatal," he furrowed his bow, "But Master, if you just wanted to teach them that lesson, couldn't it have been taught without the extraneous wounds?"

"In a perfect world, yes, those wounds would not have been needed. But this is not a utopia. While some may have learned the lesson, others would have brushed it off as just another training exercise, not real combat. To them, their defeat would have no effect on how they perceived threats in the outside world. I treated them a great deal like actual enemies would treat them. While not lethal, the wounds I inflicted were painful. It is the memory of this pain that will help many realize that there is always someone who can defeat you."

"But they could have been killed, Master!" the boy blurted out, immediately wincing as he realized that the outburst could be construed as his disbelief in his Master's judgment.

"That's the point, Anakin. I knew that they would not die, but they did not. One of the laws of nature governing any sapiential reaction is that an initial stimulus must be applied if the sentient being is to be prepared to handle future simuli. They must first be confronted with possible death before they will be able to adequately prepare for the same scenario in the future. I would rather it be here, in a controlled environment... Do you understand, Anakin?" Ri paused, his head dropping to stare at his hands resting in his lap. "Please tell me that you understand," Anakin could hear the pleading in his Master's voice. He could feel the sorrow and regret begin to roll off of his Master. The boy could only watch as a single tear rolled down the togruta's cheek.

"I hated doing that to those younglings, but I would rather take that burden upon myself than allow the Padawans to go out into the galaxy and be killed, knowing I had not done everything in my power to prepare them." Anakin didn't know what to say. He had never seen his Master like this. Ri had always been the one to comfort his Padawan. The teen had absolutely no experience with the inverse action. His Master was the one constant in his life since he had left his mother, caring for him, teaching, guiding, disciplining. If Anakin was absolutely truthful with himself, while not biologically related, his Master had become his father. The togruta meant as much to the teen as his biological mother did. It shook Anakin's world, seeing his Master so vulnerable.

Tears started to stream steadily from his Master's eyes, the kind togruta's shoulders shaking with sobs as Anakin realized his Master was remembering all the pain he had caused those he had been trying to protect in his long lifetime. Hesitantly, Anakin crawled over to his Master and wrapped his arms around the sorrowful man. Ri dropped his head to his Padawan's shoulder.

"Master, I won't say that I know everything that you have done in your life, everyone who has been hurt. But I will say this. You have taught me that the only thing we can do in this world is to do our best, to try our hardest to do what is right. I, for one, am thankful that you did what you did, whatever it was. We are shaped by our actions; you taught me that. You are who you are because of your past. You, Grand Master Haa Ri, are the kindest and most generous person I know. I know you have always tried your hardest to do what was right, even if you hurt yourself to do it." Anakin's Master looked up at his Padawan, the normally vivid emerald eyes glassy from his weeping.

"Don't say that Anakin. I have done horrible things in my life! I have killed trillions, Anakin, trillions, whether by my own hands or at my command. I always tried to do what was right, but what if I was wrong? What if I could have done something differently and those lives were truly in vain?" His Master was rambling, wallowing in his own deeds and perceived failures. This was not good. Anakin knew that he had to do something to shock the togruta out of this sorrow before it destroyed him.

SMACK!

Ri reeled slightly from the slap. The shock that his Padawan had just struck him jolted the Master out of his sorrow. The man could only look down at the teen in surprise. Anakin's indigo eyes burned with determination as he looked up at his glassy-eyed Master.

"I am sorry, Master, but I will not allow you to wallow in your perceived failures. You did what was you thought was necessary. I know you well enough to know that you would not have taken those lives if there was no other option. If you do not trust yourself, then trust me. All those years ago, you told me that one of first rules of a Master/Padawan relationship is not to lie to one another. I am not lying to you now when I say that you did what was right and you are a good man. No, you are lying to both yourself and me in your doubt. I will not allow that Master, and if you continue second guessing yourself, then I suppose that you are not the same man that raised me these past five years; the same man that I look up to as my mentor, my friend; the same man that has been like a father to me these past five years!"

Minutes passed and Ri could only stare at his Padawan with wide eyes. Slowly, the corners of the man's mouth crept upwards in a small smile, the piercing emerald eyes shining with pride and love.

"Do I have my Master back," Anakin asked with a sly smirk, "or should I go ask Master Windu for a replacement?" Ri gave a barking laugh.

"No... No, I'm back. I wouldn't let you get out of your saber training so easily." Anakin's smirk turned into a full-blown smile.

"I wouldn't have it any other way, Master." A comfortable silence crept over the pair as Anakin restarted his stretching, his Master silently watching his Padawan, a small (yet proud) smill gracing the togruta's face. Nearing the end of his stretching routine, Anakin spoke up. "I actually did have a reason for disobeying your orders and seeking you out earlier today."

"I know, Anakin. You had a message to deliver... I was wondering when you would remember it." Anakin rolled his eyes. Yep, his Master was definitely back.

"Master Windu wanted me to convey to you that you were sent a personal royal invitation from Her Majesty, Queen Amidala of Naboo to attend the celebrations for the fifth anniversary of Naboo's victory over the Trade Federation. Well..." At Ri's raised eyebrow, Anakin adopted a sheepish look, a slight blush momentarily dusting over his cheeks, "the invitation was actually for me, but since you are my Master, it had to go through you first." Ri chuckled slightly.

"I thought as much," At Anakin's inquisitive look, the Grand Master chuckled, "You don't think I haven't noticed the almost weekly messages between the Jedi Temple and the Naboo Royal Palace that have been taking place for the past five years?" Anakin's blush became full blown as he winced at being caught. "I'm not mad, Anakin. Actually, I'm glad you kept in touch with Padmé, she will play a major role in your future and I am glad you kindled this friendship with her now, rather than later." Anakin rolled his eyes at Ri's hint-dropping about the future. He had long stopped chasing after his Master's taunting.

"I will send a transmission to Naboo stating that they should expect our presence at the festivities." While the habit had been greatly muted during his time at the Jedi Temple, Anakin still bounced when he was excited. Ri chuckled quietly as his Padawan practically vibrated in front of him. "We will be leaving tomorrow afternoon. I want you packed before breakfast tomorrow for a long journey, Anakin. You and I have something important to do after breakfast, so no slacking off tonight. I don't want a repeat of our trip to Mandalore." A thought seemed to strike Anakin, and his curiosity overcame his vibrating excitement.

"But Master, the start of the celebrations isn't for another two months, why are we leaving tomorrow?"

"We are going to be training in the field before we attend the celebrations on Naboo. I want to meet you in the Archives directly after breakfast to procure some materials for our training." While Anakin thought it odd that they were going to be training off-planet, he didn't question his Master. Ri always had a reason for his actions, no matter how small.

Finally finished with Anakin's stretching, both Master and Padawan stood. The teen couldn't help but bite back a groan as he saw the wicked grin on Ri's face. The man was going to run him ragged tonight.

"Now, now, Anakin," the togruta's tone sent a slight shiver of fear down the boy's spine. Yea, the teen was definitely going to need painkillers for his muscles tonight. "You disobeyed me today. Yes, another Jedi told you to deliver a message, but you could have done it without disobeying my order for a day of personal meditation. We also can't forget that you struck your Master. While I am truly grateful for it, the fact remains: it happened. I think a double session is in store for you tonight." With a wicked grin, Ri reached his hand into his robes and removed one of the many lightsabers he had wore. With a flick of his wrist, the electrum plated curved hilt of the saber emitted the distinctive snap-hiss, as the white photon blade flashed into existence. Hastily, Anakin scrambled to pick up his training saber from the floor in front of him. With shaking hands, he activated the low-powered blade and held it at the ready.

'Yep,' Anakin thought, not for the first time, 'I'm dead.'

Anakin was still incredibly sore the next morning. Even with the injection of painkillers and muscle relaxants he had been administered the night before did little to soothe his aching muscles. Sitting with his Master at breakfast the next morning, he couldn't help but glower at togruta. Ri was always cheerful in the mornings, damn him... too cheerful if one asked any of his former (or current in Anakin's case) Padawans.

The other Jedi at their table (which mostly consited of Ri's former Padawans and their own Padawans) watched in amusement as Anakin fell asleep at the table, his head propped up on his hand. Ri's former Padawans remembered fondly those days when they were in Anakin's shoes. They knew where Ri was taking Anakin, Ri always ran the Padawans ragged the night before they left for that special planet. Sure enough, Anakin didn't even wake when he fell face first into his cup of caf, the warm liquid flowing over the table to stain the teen's robes. Eventually, Yoda took pity on the boy, trying to wake him up by lightly shaking his shoulder.

Anakin bolted upright with a strangled cry of, "I'm up! I'm up!" Looking around, he saw that his Master had already finished his breakfast and left. Instead, he looked down into the large brown eyes of the diminutive green Master. "Almost late to meet your Master in the Archives you are. Hurry you must!" Anakin looked up at the large clock that adorned the wall of the dining hall. With a strangled yelp, the Padawan jumped from his seat, running out the doors of the hall as if a gundark was on his heels.

Yarael Poof looked down at Yoda, a small smile on his face, "Do you think he realized he has caf all down the front of him?"

The little green man smirked, "Realize it eventually I think he will, but concerned with larger problems he will be" Yarael gave Yoda a questioning look, "For the Archives ran in the wrong direction he did!" the small man said, chuckling and pointing at the doors at the opposite end of dining hall.

Eventually Anakin made it to the set of doors to the Archives where he was supposed to meet his Master. He was surprised he had actually made it to the spot on time. His already sore muscles screamed at him as he skidded to a halt in front of the doors and caught his breath. Seeming to know that they had finally made it to their destination, the teen's legs finally gave out, dumping him spread-eagle on his back at his Master's feet.

"I'm... I'm here!" Anakin managed to squeak out between his desperate panting, looking up at the chuckling man.

"I am glad you value being on time, but you are going to be no use to me in this state," Ri crouched down and placed a hand at the base of his Padawan's neck. Slowly a soothing coolness seeped out from the skin under the togruta's hand. The spell filled the teen's body, washing away the soreness in his muscles, rejuvenating the boy's body. Removing his hand, Anakin's Master fixed him with a questioning gaze, "Better?"

Hesitantly, the boy lifted himself from the ground, marveling at the lack of pain and exhaustion. Once on his feet, Anakin twisted and turned, testing his full range of motion. Finding nothing wrong, he snapped his head up to lock eyes with his Master, "You have got to include that spell when you start teaching me sorcery!" Ri laughed at his Padawan's amazement.

"We'll see, Anakin, we'll see," something caught Ri's eye, "Anakin, why is there caf all down the front of you?"

Puzzled, Anakin looked down, only to yelp when he caught sight of the large stain. Fearing the wrath of the quartermaster when he would have to explain why he needed new robes, Anakin quickly licked his thumb and tried in vain to rub off some of the caf, only making the stain worse.

Rolling his eyes, Ri waved his hand and the offending stain disappeared. The togruta chuckled at the look of relief that passed over his face. Truthfully, Ri knew the feeling. Master Ishi, the Temple Quartermaster, was not a woman to cross.

"Another spell to add to the list?" the togtruta asked, quickly followed by Anakin's enthusiastic nodding. "Well, now can we go inside now, or is there anything else you need me to take care of?" Anakin shook his head sheepishly.

For the next three hours, Ri led Anakin around the Archives in no discernible order. His Master would flit from one side of the massive Jedi Archives to the other, searching out any materials that they could possibly need as inspiration struck the old togruta. Anakin followed, toting around bags full to the brim with datapads, memory crystals, and starcharts. Finally handing Anakin a datapad on the history of the Dathomirian Witches, Ri paused, tapping his chin with his right index finger. After a few minutes of silence (Anakin almost ready to lay down the heavy bags full of gathered information and sit down in a nearby chair), the togruta turned to his Padawan.

"I think that's about it," at this, Anakin let out a sigh of relief, " there is only one more thing we will need. Anakin, put down those bags on the table over there," Ri indicated a nearby study desk, "and follow me, I want to show you something." It took all Anakin's willpower not to throw the heavy bags down, instead gently laying the totes down so as to not damage the contents (Master Jocasta Nu would have his head on a pike if he broke anything).

His Master surprised Anakin by steering him down the long isle that led to the Holocron vault. Few were ever allowed near that area of the Archives, let alone inside it. Only Masters of the High Council and those given specific permission by the Grand Master were allowed inside. Even then, it was rumored that there were areas that were off limits to anyone but the Grand Master. Anakin expected that his Master was going to leave him outside the entrance to the Vault, after all, why would a Padawan need access if he was accompanied by his Master?

Halting in front of the immense doors that protected some of the Jedi's most jealously guarded secrets and most dangerous artifacts, Anakin stood off to the side, waiting as his Master entered the long code into the Force-lock. As the great blast-doors opened, Anakin's curiosity got the better of him. He snuck a peek... and was immensely disappointed. The blast-doors only opened onto a small circular antechamber. There, embedded into the opposite wall was another set of heavy doors. The teen could have kicked himself for being so foolish. Of course, there was going to be other security measures. Apart for added security, that second set of doors were most likely prevent people without authorization to see into the Vault.

Sighing, Anakin watched his master stride into the antechamber, not sparing a look at his Padawan. As the door closed, the teen resigned himself to wait as he sat down, pulling a small force-puzzle out of his robes to pass the time and help fine tune his basic force manipulation. Not thirty seconds had passed before the Vault doors reopened, his Master standing in the doorway, arms crossed, his foot taping impatiently at on the marbleplaz of the antechamber floor.

"Aren't you coming?" Anakin could only stare up at his Master in confusion. As he lost his concentration, the pieces of the force-puzzle fell from the air in front of him. The tinkle of the metal pieces impacting the floor brought the teen out of his daze.

"I'm allowed to come in?" the teen asked thickly.

"I wouldn't have brought you down here if I hadn't intended you to accompany me; I would have left you with the bags. Now, are you coming?"

Anakin scrambled to his feet to rush over to his Master's side in the antechamber. As he heard the groan of the mechanism that operated the vault door, he remembered his force-puzzle which laid on the floor where he had been sitting, forgotten. It was his favorite puzzle and he definitely didn't want to lose it. With a hasty tug with the Force, the metallic pieces zoomed across the door's threshold just as the door locked behind them. Smiling, he pocketed the pieces. The teen's attention was brought back to his master as the togruta cleared his throat.

"Now, you have to promise me, Anakin, that you will never utter a word of what you are about to see without my express permission. You are about to see one of the greatest secrets of the Jedi Order. The High Council does not even know about this. You have to promise me before we can go any further." Ri looked Anakin straight in the eye. The Padawan could see that his Master was deadly serious, "I understand if you do not wish to bear this burden, because, if this information leaks out, even if it is just to another High Council member, you could become a target... Do you wish to proceed, Anakin?" The teen knew that Ri would only present this option if he was absolutely sure that he could handle the knowledge. His Master would never put his Padawan at risk if there wasn't absolute necessity. He trusted his Master.

"Master, if you think I can handle the information, then I will promise. I trust you to know whether or not I would be able to keep the secret. You would not have brought me here if there was any doubt in your mind. It trust you. I promise." The togruta gazed into the boys eyes for a moment before nodding.

"When I was accepted into the Jedi Order, the galaxy was being torn apart by the New Sith Wars. The Grand Master of the time, Kor Dastu, took me aside. While many Jedi were skeptical of my Sorcery, having seen it be used against them by the Sith, Master Dastu saw the need for the preservation of the knowlege of Jedi Sorcery. She ordered me to create a vault in which to preserve my knowledge of Sorcery. I was to keep this vault a secret, only allowing those I would train in Sorcery to know of its existence." Ri smiled down on the wide-eyed expression on his Padawan's face, "You are the first Sorcery Acolyte I have taken, thus, you will only be the second person to ever set foot inside the Grimoire Vault."

"Master, where is the vault? Has no one found it before? I mean, I assume we access it from the Holocron Vault, but Jedi have been coming and going through here for the past thousand years, surely someone would have notice before."

"Ah, Anakin, you not thinking as a Sorcerer. Things are never as they seem. The entrance isn't in the Vault," Ri nodded over his shoulder at the blast-door that would take them into the Holocron Vault, "It's below us."

Anakin didn't have time to be confused as his Master's eyes flashed a magical green light. Almost instantaneously, both Master and Padawan fell though the solid floor of the Holocron Vault's antechamber.

Anakin landed in a flailing heap on the floor of the Grimoire Vault. Groaning, Anakin rolled over just in time to see his Master gently land on his feet. The boy couldn't help but roll his eyes at the questioning look on the Grand Master's face.

"You could have warned me!" Anakin exclaimed, rising to his feet and brushing nonexistent dirt from the front of his robes.

You're a Jedi," the togruta replied, "you are supposed to be prepared for the unexpected."

"I think you just like to see me..." Anakin trailed off as he took in the sight around him. He and his Master were standing in room that rivaled the size of the Jedi Archives. Turning slowly, he was baffled as to how such an immense room could go unnoticed within the Jedi Temple. Aisles upon aisles of shelving glowed with pulsing blue lights. From what he could see, there were hundreds of holocrons per shelving unit, hundreds of units per row, hundreds of rows. It never occurred to Anakin how much his Master had learned in his lifetime. If he could learn a thousandth of what his Master had forgotten, then he could consider himself a very lucky man.

"This is my masterpiece," Ri's voice jolted his Padawan out of his awe, "The portal through which we just traveled through has a purpose in addition to that of transport: it judges you. If you are found worthy, you are allowed through unharmed, if not... well, let's just say it isn't pretty." The cold gleam in his Master's eye caused a shiver to run down Anakin's spine. After a moment's pause, Ri swept off down one of the aisles, his Jedi robes billowing in his wake. "Come Anakin!" the togruta called, not bothering to check if the teen complied with his order or not.

After catching up, the teen had to jog to keep pace with the togruta's long stride. Anakin realized what had caused such a dramatic change in the normally happy Master. In the Temple, Haa Ri was first and foremost a Jedi. Here, in the vault, Ri carried with him the power and majesty of great Sorcerer. This was the domain of magic, of powers and spells that, with the slightest mistakes, could kill just as easily as protect. Here, magic was law.

While none of the holocrons on the shelves were labeled, Anakin did not wonder how his Master could tell them apart. From his dealings with Ri's workings of Greater Magic, Anakin could tell each holocron apart. These devices were magic in and of themselves. Each had their own magical signature, each distorting the reality around them in a slightly different manner. Some of the magical holocrons, or grimoires as his Master had called them, shimmered as if Anakin was looking at them through water as they bent the light around them; hovered in place, defying gravity; seemed to constantly contort themselves as the space in which they rested was stretched and bended; was present one moment and gone the next as they jumped around in time.

Anakin nearly ran into a wall as his Master abruptly turned a corner. Unnoticed by the teen, they had traveled to the end of the Vault. His Master was striding towards the corner of the room where a unobtrusive door was inset into the wall. Exiting the large hall, both Master and Padawan stopped.

He didn't know what he was expecting, but Anakin felt slightly disappointed when he stepped into the small room after his Master. Instead of more shelves of grimoires, the room's main focal point was a plain pedestal upon which rested an extremely small grimoire crystal. To Anakin, it almost looked like it could be mistaken for a lightsaber focusing crystal. Despite the unassuming nature of the grimoire, the teen couldn't help but wonder why this grimoire would have its own room.

Reaching out, Ri delicately removed the grimoire from its resting place on the pedestal. The togruta turned to his Padawan, holding up the holocron for Anakin's examination.

"This, my Acolyte, is your first step to actually practicing Sorcery," Anakin's eyes grew wide. Finally, he was finally going to be learning Sorcery! "Your first task is to understand the information contained within this grimoire. I will not help you access it, you must do it on your own. The only thing I will tell you, is that you must use magic to do it." The togruta pulled out a small pouch and tucked the grimoire crystal inside. "Only remove the crystal from this pouch when you are working to unlock it. Whenever you are not trying to access it, it will be in this pouch around your neck, is that clear?" Anakin gulped and nodded at the stern command of his Master, "Good. I will allow you begin working on it once we reach our destination tonight."

"Sorry, Master, but where are we going? You never told me."

For the first time since the two had entered the Grimoire Vault, Ri smiled.

"Well, you are a Sorcerer now, you will be attracting trouble to you like womprats to water. We are going to Ilum so that you can make your real lightsabers. A Sorcerer must be able to defend himself, mustn't he?"

*A 'lek' is the singular form of the proper name of one of the head-tails that adorn Twi'leks and Togrutas. The plural form is 'lekku'. While a Twi'lek's lekku contain part of their brains, thus causing severe brain damaged if a lek is injured, a Togruta's lekku do not. Togruta's have three lekku. One short and wide lek grows from the base of the skull while the remaining two grow from the sides of their head, one each protruding from the base of one of the Togruta's montrals (hollow horns that sprout from the top of the Togruta's head that aid in a mostly passive form of echo-location).

A/N: Rember to Review!... Please!

Next Chapter: Ilum and possibly Anakin and Harry's first encounter with Asajj Ventress