Titles: New Balance

Author: Ornery

Series: Loving

Fandom: The Phantom Menace

Status: Complete (this one)

Category: AU

Rated:

Pairing: Q/J

Summary: In which New Rules for Council Membership are established on a rotating basis.

Disclaimer: On Part One.

Loving 7: New Balance
In which the Order gets used to Qui's totally unorthodox but effective mate.
by Ornery

Yoda, Mace and ten other Masters debarked at the Temple Spaceport shepherding fifty small children of several different races off the ship that had returned them from the "vacation" world of Ula Minor. The Initiates were still bouncing all over the port, while the Masters' collective asses were dragging the ground. One and all, the adults agreed it had been a horrid trip. One and all the children agreed it had been a wonderful one.

Tale-bearing flooded the creche, rumors flooded the Temple and the former Councilors did their best to hide. Some were genuinely indisposed, to a greater or lesser degree. Of those, a few were in the healer's while most were on bedrest. Perhaps unfortunately for them, neither Yoda nor Mace had either option to assist them in avoiding the new assignments waiting for them when they got up the next morning.

"Inhumane, this is." Yoda insisted.

"There are eight of the twelve Masters who went with you who are physically unable to return to their normal assignments, Yoda. You and Mace are still in relatively good health. You will assist the Temple by taking on those duties until the Master usually assigned to it can take it up. Considering you used to do *this* job with such each, a few more chores should be no great hardship." Master Giube told him.

"We're exhausted from the last "extra" chore!" Mace protested.

"You can rest on the ship." Master Hireto told him.

"Ship?": Yoda said blankly.

"Yes, Mace is to ship out again, with a crew of fifteen, twelve-year-old padawans, minus their masters, for two weeks. It will be morning before your new students arrive to begin piloting lessons, Master Mace. I suggest you use the next several hours to prepare your padawan, meditate and rest. Aboard ship." Master Hireto told him. "When you return, you will write, administer and grade a written test on the lessons you gave. That should take up another week."

Mace moaned "Those kids are but obeyed.

"As for Master Yoda, you will be assisting in the creche art room, teaching first level Force Dynamics, and are assigned Lunch Duty."

"First level taught for many years, have I." He dismissed that. "But art and Lunch? Know, you, what the little ones will do to me, before next shift, I see?" He asked plaintively.

"Actually, yes, we do." Master Thouic smiled at him. "And every master not on the Council has to take his or her turn. The rotation changes every three weeks. I think you can last that long."

"When you have both completed the assignments, you will trade duties." Master Larvac intoned, and after that time the regular masters who teach those courses should be out of the hospital. If
some are still not fit for duty, other assignments to fill the gap will be assigned to you both."

"And if all can return to duty?" Mace asked hopefully.

"Then you will be assigned to Force-Flying Classes for the Initiates. Yoda will school all Initiates in the Force, and will also train those padawans who are Foreseers. You are both experienced Masters, these skills are vital, touchy and should not be left to those with less…talent." Master Larvac told them. "You will remain in those positions until the Council of that time either reassigns you to other in-Temple duties, or until your Padawans are old enough for field duty."

He ignored Mace's groan as he did Yoda's grin. He knew Yoda's grin would fade rather quickly when faced with five classes a day of those five-year-olds that the ancient Jedi thought he was rid of. The Old Jedi thought he was getting older students, padawans at least. Jane had pointed out that concentrated lessons at an early age would improve the quality of the children when they reached an age suitable for bonding to a master. Such lessons would also make her husband's lessons far easier for the children to learn. Yoda would get them centered properly, Mace would teach them the more dangerous skills like flying, hovering and such, and her husband would teach them to fight.

And as she had said as she had waddled toward the hospital area, "I'll teach them common sense, and how to use their minds for actual thinking. You lads and lasses aren't too swift at it."

"Where is that meddlesome female, anyway?" Mace asked, "She's usually in here gloating at us."

"She would be, but she's a little bit busy at the moment. The healers just rang in to tell us she's giving birth, and so will be off-duty, sort of, for a few days."

"Sort of?"

The Creche Master smiled. He was the only current member who didn't mind the appointment. He had a direct role in decisions that concerned his young charges, and he was satisfied with that. It was a welcome change.

"She'll be running things from her bed, I would think." He answered quietly, speaking for the first time.

END