Cin Drallig is leaning against the wall when Yoda exits the council chamber. It is late in the evening and the sun is already set, leaving the sky softly aglow in dark pinks and purples. Against the floor-to-ceiling windows in the hallway, Cin's hair is a stark contrast to the deep shades of evening. A blonde so light as to be almost white, it makes the lithe Jedi resemble a glow-droid that the children use to find their way after hours. Yoda's amusement must be evident on his face since the Battlemaster is smirking down at him when he hobbles over. "Are you finding something funny, master?" he asks, cocking a brow.

Yoda chuckles warmly. "My personal glow-droid, are you? Here to escort me to bed?"

He looks confused for a moment before catching his reflection in one of the windows. Then he lets out a hearty laugh. "Don't be suggesting such things to my students. I will gladly escort you wherever you wish, but I draw the line at prepubescent children."

"Erase such a line, I will not," Yoda replies, smiling. "Now… waiting, you were."

Cin nods, still smiling. Yoda lets out a breath that he had been holding. Whatever his friend is here to talk to him about seems to be good news. Or at least not bad news. "Your little friend, Qui-gon, picked up a lightsaber for the first time today."

Your little friend. How… personal. Yoda is a touch warmed at the words, but is troubled at the same time. Ever since he took on Yan as a padawan, he has been forming attachments at an alarming rate and Qui-gon seems to be the most recent. Even Cin has become more of a friend lately.

He taps his stick lightly on the floor, breaking himself from his musings. Cin's eyes tighten a touch even if his smile doesn't waver. The man doesn't miss much. "Oh?" Yoda prompts.

After a brief hesitation in which the younger Jedi assesses the little green master, he continues. "I've never seen a child so excited about something so simple. During free time, when I let them try out the practice sabers, he wouldn't stop babbling about all of the things he's going to do when he gets his own."

"Enthusiastic, he is," Yoda murmurs with a fond smile. "What ideas does young Qui-gon have?"

Cin's expression grows strained as he obviously tries to contain his laughter. "Well the first thing to burst out of his mouth was 'this would make a great weed whacker, master!' to which I could only laugh. I don't think it was the response he was looking for. In fact, he looked rather irked by it."

Yoda snorts. "Rescue all of the gardens' flowers, he will, and put some of our humble gardeners out of a job."

Cin grins at him. "He was quite serious, I assure you."

"Doubt you, I do not. A very serious boy, Qui-gon is," he agrees.

"He was also excited to not have to have his own personal glow-droid. Thank the Force it's his future lightsaber that will acquire that post and not my hair."

Yoda smiles, nodding. "Hm, yes. Too slow for little Jinn, the droids are?"

"Little Jinn?" Cin echoes, one side of his mouth quirking. "Though the moniker fits, I do not think 'Little Jinn' would appreciate it. And yes, he insists the droids are in dire need of upgrades." After a pause, Cin rubs the back of his neck as he straightens. "When do the blasted things get replaced, by the way? I've been blinded more than once turning a corner late evening. Had to apologize to a poor youngling just last week that I tripped over."

"Perhaps stumble around after dark, you should not, if endanger our younglings, you are going to," Yoda pointed out, not able to help the sharp edge that creeps into his voice. He hates to hear of children needlessly getting hurt.

Cin takes it in stride, shooting him a wicked grin. "Well, he wasn't exactly a youngling. I just mistook him for one. Master Piell's odd fixation with those things almost cost him a month in the infirmary. He barely avoided a badly sprained ankle or worse."

Cin is still grinning like a mad fool and Yoda suspects that he feels not even an ounce of regret over the mishap. He shoots the man what he hopes is a convincing glare… until his valiant attempt to hold his laughter in fails. Chuckling, he shakes his head. "Even Piell… fond of all things, sentient or not, that are close to his size, he is. Understand, I do."

His friend smirks. "I'm sure you do, master. Now, about Qui-gon…" His voice takes on a more serious note as he trails off, smirk flattening into a pointed look. Yoda's ears perk as he pays close attention to Cin's next words. "He's a natural with a blade. It's sometimes hard to tell when they're so young, but it took him mere seconds to get used to the feel of it before he was waving it about as if he had grown a third arm. Obviously he knows nothing of form or style or maneuvering yet, but he was smooth, even with those two boards that double as his feet." At this, Yoda lets out a huff of laughter. "Another thing…"

Yoda glances out of the windows, catching the last bits of light as they dim into shadows for good. They are lit merely by the soft, artificial lights of the Temple now. "Hm?"

"He is strong, master. Not the strongest I've seen, but strong enough, and in a different sort of way than most."

Yoda stares intently at Cin now. "Different, you say? Hmm, yes. This I have seen."

A small smile flickers into view. "I do not doubt it. He is very determined. No, that's not it…" Cin's crosses his arms over his narrow chest. He paces for a bit, stopping to face the windows. "He is… resolute. Firm. Once he settles on a course of action, neither the dark nor the light seems capable of swaying him."

Yoda frowns. "Telling this to me, you are? Why?"

Instead of a matching frown or something of similar tone, Cin shoots him a wry look. "How is Yan faring, master?"

Yoda blinks. Well… where, exactly, is the man going with this? He continues to frown out of confusion. "An answer, I do not have for you," he says, because he truly doesn't. Some days his old padawan will comm him with a cheerful – well, cheerful for Yan – hello, but most days he seems intent on research. Brooding over his obsession with shadowy places the likes of which most Jedi would not imagine exist. Such is the nature of being a Sentinel. Yan is well-suited to the task, but as is his right as former master, Yoda continues to worry.

Cin snorts softly at his lack of answer. "That is answer enough. He is not many years older than me, master. While we have never been close, I know that he does not agree with much of the Order's teachings and holds firm in that while still submitting to the Council." He pauses, looking once more to the cityscape of Coruscant, its reflection like a billion stars mashed together in Cin's light blue eyes. "This boy is not so different from him. Opposite in nature perhaps, but similar in character. Yan is, if I may, a shady Jedi. Forgive me if I speak out of line, here; I know you are quite fond of him. This does not lessen his impact for the Order, but he is not exactly someone I would call 'light.' Now Qui-gon…"

Yoda smiles warmly. No, he is not insulted on Yan's behalf, for he has always recognized him as a shadow among many beacons of varying degrees of intensity. Yan's intensity is deep; that cannot be denied, but his intensity is in darker colors. Qui-gon is bright. "A brilliant light, he is," Yoda finishes, humming in agreement. "Listening, I am. Go on."

Cin glances at him again, looking a little surprised at the encouraging words. If he had been expecting reproof for his words "against" Yan, well then... Yoda is well aware that there are many who do not truly understand the bond between him and his darker counterpart. He needs no reminders even though this is yet another of many that he receives on a weekly basis.

"Has Yan considered teaching?"

Yoda blinks again, and now it's his turn to look surprised. He knows that Cin is not referring to teaching classes of initiates or, Force forbid, younglings. Yan would never desire that. No, Cin is suggesting something much more direct, much more personal. "Consider taking a padawan, he has not," Yoda murmurs, and he himself has never suggested it to the Sentinel. Yan, while possessing much knowledge, skill, and wisdom that any Jedi of any age would benefit from, does not strike him as the teaching sort. And yet…

"I know what you're thinking, oh wise one," his padawan says, dark eyes twinkling. A rarity, to be sure. Especially now.

"Do you?"

And Yan had proceeded to describe Yoda's thoughts almost exactly. One of the boy's first teaching moments and Yoda is sure that Yan didn't even realize it.

"I'm different. I don't readily accept the Order's traditional teachings; in fact, I outright question them, and so I'm not quite light. On the flip side, you know there's not necessarily something sinister lurking within me. I haven't quite shown a propensity for what is considered truly irredeemable and so how can you call me 'dark'?"

This had been Yan defining himself, or at least defining himself as how he thought Yoda saw him. Such introspection and at such a young age. And absolutely no fear of the possible repercussions of sharing those particular thoughts with the Grandmaster of the Order.

"I somehow seem to be both light and dark at the same time, but you don't know quite what to do with that do you?"

"Don't count me among the Lost yet, master."

Dark, you are not, he had said.

"Neither were some of them."

Yoda blinks. While Yan's character is perhaps not indicative of what a teacher looks like, he had always been, and still is at times, a teacher. A passer-on of wisdom, someone who likes to share their thoughts and welcomes discussion. Yan would probably brush off the idea with a bark of laughter, but Yoda is suddenly curious. What if…?

Cin has obviously noticed his musing and is smiling openly again. "You think he would do well, don't you?"

Yoda only stares at him, still thinking.

"As I said, they are both quite stubborn in their opinions and not easily swayed. Still, they are opposites in many ways as well, but I can't help thinking that such a bright ball of energy would do Dooku some good."

"And benefit Qui-gon, would this pairing?" he can't help but ask. As much as he knows that his boy desperately needs a constant source of light in his life, he has to wonder if Yan would somehow drain Qui-gon of all of his boundless joy and his love of life. His boy is so broody, and Qui-gon is quick to laughter and passionate about flowers, for Force's sake. What would happen if they collided?

Yoda isn't sure he wants to find out.

He is startled out of his wandering thoughts by Cin's quiet chuckling. "Master, I don't doubt that you know Dooku very, very well, and while most certainly naïve to much of what makes Dooku who he is, I do not doubt the man's wisdom nor his passion for the light. It takes a special sort of Jedi to do what he and so few others do." He is eyeing Yoda now, intent on getting his point across. "You have changed, master. And while you may be wondering where this change is headed or whether it's a good thing or not, some of us on the outside are quite pleased by it. You're different, and it's not because of Qui-gon."

Yoda looks away, unable to hold Cin's gaze. "A special boy, Qui-gon is, but right you are. Thinking about many things for many years, I have been, since Yan became my padawan. Perhaps right, you are…"

Cin looks entirely too pleased with himself, but Yoda can't fault him any. "Qui-gon is a bright young boy, in more ways than one, but he has absolutely no control and strikes me as somewhat rebellious. Only time will tell, but for now I am only voicing my thoughts. His apprenticeship is still a few years down the road." He sighs, narrow frame lifting and falling with the release of air. "I'm sorry, master. I didn't mean to keep you for so long, but I never have been the type to keep my thoughts to myself and this seemed a bit too important to leave unspoken. It's late, and I have an early morning tomorrow."

Cin is up early every morning, but Yoda doesn't comment. Cin graces him with a shallow bow of respect, as well as another fond smile, before turning to leave. "Thank you, my friend," Yoda says. "Think on what you have said, I will."

Cin's smile widens and he nods. "You're welcome, master. Good night."

For those who are wondering, I know that in the movies, at least, Cin Drallig is not as old as Dooku, but I wanted him to be only a few years younger. It's probably not canon, but it's what I'm going with for this series. :)

Thanks for reading and leave a review if you can spare the time!