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The Jedi bought Anakin when he was ten. He was a little surprised; slaves got sent to the market all the time, but he was special. People had wanted to buy him before, but Watto had always said no before now.
He tried to size up his new master on the trip to Corescant. Master Jinn talked in a soft voice and didn't ask him to do much. Anakin got bored; he wasn't used to not having anything to do with his hands. He spent a lot of time watching the stars.
Master Jinn spent a lot of time talking to Obi-Wan. Anakin understood that he was supposed to be polite to Obi-Wan because he was there first. He watched them at meals; they sat close together and talked in low voices while Padme tried to get Anakin to eat treats off her plate.
He didn't ever hit Obi-Wan. He didn't even raise his voice, although once or twice he looked sternly at Obi-Wan and Obi-Wan's face fell. Anakin wondered if Obi-Wan was a special slave, or just very well-trained. He didn't think being well-trained was much to be proud of.
The second day Master Jinn spent a long time talking to the Queen, and Padme had to sit by the Queen and help. Anakin wandered into the lounge where Obi-Wan was reading. He sat down on the floor a safe distance away and waited.
After a minute, Obi-Wan looked up.
"Hello, Anakin," he said. His smile looked a little forced. "Did you need something?"
"No," Anakin said, and then, "Have you been with Master Jinn for a long time?"
"Since I was eleven. Before that I trained at the Jedi Temple on Corescant. That's where we're going."
"What's he like?"
That got Obi-Wan to put the book down.
"Qui-Gon is a great Jedi Knight," he said. "He's very brave, and very talented. Master Yoda says that he's one of the best in the whole Jedi Order." Obi-Wan smiled wryly. "Not that we're supposed to compete."
"Is he nice to you?"
"Oh, yes." Obi-Wan slid out of his chair to sit next to Anakin on the deck. "No one's going to hurt you, Anakin."
"I know," Anakin said. "I'm special."
"Well . . . yes, you are. It's a great responsibility to be trained as a Jedi Knight. You have to work very hard."
"What will I have to do?"
"Learn. You'll train at the temple at first. You have classes in history, science, literature-a Jedi Knight has to know all kinds of things about the worlds he visits. You learn to fight, and how to use the Force."
"What about pod-racing?"
"They don't have pod-racing on Corescant. But when you're older, you can learn to fly a starship."
"All right," Anakin said with a shrug. He loved racing, but if Master Jinn wanted to train him for other things, that was how it was going to be. "Can I learn now?"
Obi-Wan grinned. "I think that's Qui-Gon's decision."
"You don't call him Master Jinn," Anakin said.
"I do when we're in public," Obi-Wan said, "and so should you. But we don't have to be so formal. Especially not if you're going to be his next apprentice."
"What about you?"
"I'll be a Jedi Knight soon," Obi-Wan said. Anakin didn't understand why he looked both proud and sad. "Then I'll be on my own."
"Who tells Jedi Knights what to do?" Anakin asked.
Obi-Wan shrugged.
"The Jedi Council. Or they decide for themselves, if they can't ask the Council."
Anakin accepted that philosophically. There was always somebody who gave the orders. It still sounded like being a Jedi Knight was pretty good. Everyone treated Master Jinn with respect, and he had slaves of his own to help with his work. That was even better than having droids.
Later Master Jinn died, killed by a Sith. Anakin wasn't really sure what a Sith was even after Obi-Wan tried to explain, but he didn't guess it mattered. Obi-Wan went off with Yoda for a while and when he came back he was Master Kenobi. Anakin had just gotten used to calling him Obi-Wan. He'd have to remember not to anymore.
Obi-Wan took him to a quiet set of rooms in the Palace after the funeral. Anakin wondered where Padme was. He wished she'd come to see him, but he didn't guess she would be able to. She had to tell her handmaidens what to say.
The air smelled wet. Everything smelled wet, like they were deep underground. The room was all green stone and gold, with little yellow lights that put Obi-Wan's face in shadow. There was a basket of fruit and some bread and cheese on a table. Obi-Wan silently made a sandwich, which he handed to Anakin along with a piece of fruit. Obi-Wan sat down in a chair, eating a piece of fruit slowly.
"You cut your hair," Anakin said after he'd finished his food and put the plate back neatly on the table.
"I'm not a Padawan learner anymore," Obi-Wan said. He put the half-eaten fruit down and smiled. Anakin wasn't sure he meant the smile. "Come here and I'll cut yours. I think it's just long enough to braid."
Anakin sat on the floor in front of Obi-Wan and let him cut his hair. Obi-Wan did it slowly. Anakin didn't think he really knew how to cut hair. Anakin reached up a hand to feel the spiky shortness, with a long tail left in the back. Obi-Wan braided that part quickly, his hands much more sure.
"There," Obi-Wan said, and he sounded pleased for the first time that day. "You look the part now."
"Do you miss Master Jinn?" Anakin asked, fingering the braid.
"You should be in bed," Obi-Wan said. "Come on, I'll show you where you're to sleep tonight."
Anakin climbed into the big bed and pulled up the heavy covers. Obi-Wan stood looking at him for a minute. He ruffled Anakin's hair with one hand. That seemed like it should be scary but it wasn't.
"I'll be right next door," Obi-Wan said. "You can come and get me if you need anything."
"I'll be all right," Anakin said.
"Well," Obi-Wan said. "Good night, then."
He went out. Anakin could hear him moving around in the outer room, and then the door next to his closing. The wall between the rooms was stone, and he couldn't really hear anything else. He didn't know why he thought that Obi-Wan was crying.