" Hey Padme, so are you ready for your Padawan braid?" Nyckol looked up from her data-pad, as Padme came into the room after her shower.
" Yes, I am. Do you know that I have been waiting for this for a long time? So, what is my role as a Padawan Learner?" Padme came over to Nyckol's bed and sat down next to her.
Nyckol grabbed the brush and some rubber bands, so that way, she could begin doing Padme's Padawan braid. Before she started, she first began to brush Padme's hair, so that way, she could make sure that there wasn't any tangles and that the braid had the correct amount of hair for the three strands of hair that will be braided together.
" Well, as a Padawan Learner, you will be executing open-ended missions and will be expected to keep up with the Jedi, who could out match you in every way." Nyckol took a small section behind Padme's right ear and began braiding the small piece of hair that she was holding in her hands.
" Does that mean that I get to travel away from Coruscant too?" Padme just sat there as her Master put her Padawan braid in her hair.
" Yes, you will be going on a few missions with me. There will also be times I will have you go to the Archives and look up some stuff for us about a planet and people on that planet.This way, we can know more about their culture and customs, so we can help out the people." Nyckol said as she finished with the braid.
" I see. Well, I'm good at that and will I be sitting in at the Senate too?" Padme got up, went over to the mirror, and looked at her new braid.
" Yes, you maybe doing that too. Oh, and there maybe times you feel tempted by self-pity or feel inadequate to the task at hand, but these feeling will recede after a few months. If you begin to have those feelings, you know that you can always come to me and I will do my best to help you out." Nyckol sat there and watched Padme look at her braid and it was then she could tell that Padme felt more like a Jedi.
" Thank you and I will." Padme put the mirror down and turned to look at her Master.
" The only thing you need to do now, is listen to my teachings. If they seem to contrary to what you have learned earlier here at the Temple, you are more than welcome to question me about anything you feel that's not right to you. Ok, with that said, let's go and get your new clothes." Nyckol got off the bed and headed for the door.
" Ok and I understand. I will be staying here, when you are gone a mission that I can't go on?" Padme asked as they started heading down the long hallway to the turbo-lift.
" No, you will be staying in the Padawan Dorms, which I will show you after we get your clothes. If you don't feel comfortable about staying there, you can stay with your Initiate Clan, if that would make you feel better, but most of the time you will be with me. If you are worried about missing your classes, you wont, because you will using the holo-com, while we are on a mission." Nyckol stepped onto the lift. She hit the button of the level that the Quarter Master was located.
" Ok. Can you tell me what is the difference about my attire now that I'm a Padawan Learner?Well, besides the robe and the braid?" Padme asked as the lift stopped and the doors opened up.
" Well, your braid will let people know that you are now a Padawan Learner. As for your clothes, like you said, you will get a robe, but you will also be getting a utility belt with pouches that contains food capsules, and even your own personal com-link. As well as other mission, the Quarter Master will issue specific tools to you the day before going onto the mission. As a Padawan, you will also reflect upon not only me, but also upon the entire Jedi Order. And always remember to carry yourself with calm professionalism, to answer all questions directed your way, to be fair but firm and to stay far far way from cantinas and spice dens." Nyckol said with a laugh.
" I take it that part gets broken because that's where we can get juice information that we need to help us with our mission." Padme said as they walked into the landing bay and saw a couple of Initiate Clans already there, and she even saw Carah there with the new Initiates.
Twenty minutes later, Padme had her new clothes. They went back to their quarters so that way Padme could change clothes, before heading to breakfast. Right after breakfast, they headed down to the Gardens and sat under a tree and meditated for thirty minutes. Then, they headed back to their quarters, so they could change clothes. They walked into the training room, where Anakin and Obi-Wan were working on Form II, as they waited for them. Soon both Masters were teaching their Padawans Forms II and III of lightsaber combat moves. After a two hour work out on the two Forms, they cleaned up, before heading out of the Temple for lunch.
" In a few weeks or so, we will be going on assignment. That means I need you to look up a couple of things in the Archives for us. Also, for a week, before heading out on the assignment, we will be spending the whole week in the Senate. Don't worry, I will get you all the names of the places and people or species that we will be dealing with, after I get the full down load too with the Council." Nyckol took a bite out of her Dewback burger, before looking over to Padme.
" Sure, I can do that." Padme smiled at her Master.
" Anakin, you will go with Padme.The four of us will be going on this assignment together." Obi-Wan looked at Anakin, who was stuffing the last of his burger into his mouth.
" Ok, that sounds good to me." Anakin said, as he tried to swallow his food in his mouth.
" Anakin, please don't talk with your mouth full." Padme hit Anakin lightly on the shoulder.
" Hey, that hurt, Padme. Sorry." Anakin began rubbing his arm and taking a sip of his Jawa Juice.
Thirty minutes later, the four Jedi headed back to the Temple. Once there, both Anakin and Padme headed for the Room of the Thousand Fountains, so they could meditate for a couple of hours. Five hours later, Padme said goodnight to Anakin, after they left the training room, where they were practicing the lightsaber combat Forms I, II and III. They stopped in the hallway between the two rooms and said goodnight, before walking into their quarters, and to bed.
Author's Note *(pages 48-51; 52-53 of the book, The Jedi Path: A Manuel For Students of the Force - text and annotations written by Daniel Wallace.)