Said Kenobi stiffened and glanced at Jinn, then resumed his perfect Padawan pose. Mace considered his friend for a moment—yeah, he could definitely see where the older Obi-Wan had developed his sabaac face and excellent arguing-with-Council skills—er, that is, bad habits. He grinned internally; it was funny to see this kid version of his friend again, all anxious and stressed by what his Master might say in front of the Council. If only he knew that someday he’d be just as bad as Jinn.
He shrugged helplessly. “The last thing I remember, I was falling to my death in evening Coruscant traffic.”
Depa’s eyes widened. “That could certainly affect your view of things. Why were you falling? Couldn’t you have grabbed onto something?”
“I had no hands.”
She seemed to have no words to answer him.
***
Depa was silent, taking it in. “So, if that’s the short version, what’s the long one?”
Mace thought for a moment. “Over ten years of Council dumbfuckery. I swear, the only thing that changed were the names making the stupid-ass decisions.” He paused, mulling it over. “Except for Obi-Wan, he made some good decisions over the years and talked everyone out of some of the worst of it. Except for that Rako Hardeen bullshit, he should have just murdered us all for that.”
Mace scrubbed a hand over his face and then scalp, and then looked at it. At both of his hands. Man, you never really appreciate what you have until it’s gone. Fierfek, had he ever impressed that upon Depa? “Depa, hands are beautiful. Don’t ever take the handy things in life for granted.” She glared at him, unimpressed with his appreciation of hands. “I’m serious, Depa. I never realized how Attached I was to my hands until I lost them. I have to hand it to you, even Jedi Masters can forget that some things are transient.”
“You think you’re so clever,” she told him in the driest of voices. He shrugged; there would be plenty of time in the future to help her appreciate her hands.
ЫЫЫЫЫЫ. Почему Винду не дожил до того момента, когда он смог бы научить Канана жизни.
***
It's fine, I am a Jedi, he told himself calmly. Okay, maybe a little less than calmly. Alright, fine, Mace Windu, Head of the Jedi Order, was fucking terrified. This is why Sith-spawned Qui-Gon Jinn goes on all of the active missions and I don't! No wonder why Kenobi and later Skywalker had been adrenaline junkies, it was in their lineage!
...So what did that say about Dooku and Yoda?