"What's your name, kid?" Han asked as he helped a young human red-headed boy load his bag into their (apparently it was shared) cabin.

"Obi-Wan," the boy answered.

"No kidding? I knew an Obi-Wan, oh, years go," Han said, his trade-mark crooked smile on his face as he recalled that meeting. "I thought he was just this crazy old man... I learned better, but not before he died. Oh, I'm Han, by the way. Han Solo," he added, and extended his hand for the kid to shake.

"Pleased to meet you, Mr Solo," Obi-Wan said politely as he shook the offered hand.

"Mr? Pfft, kid, no. The only person I can think of who wouldn't choke on their spit to hear me called that would be my wife, and even then, only because she was always too damn elegant, even when she was in a temper," Han said with a chuckle. "Just call me Han, okay?"

"Okay," Obi-Wan agreed cautiously. "Are you travelling to join her on Bandomeer?"

"Bandomeer's a layover. I'm headed for Corellia. But I'm travelling to join her every day of my life," Han admitted, "and every day I get a little closer. Especially the dangerous days. Probably not going to meet her on Bandomeer though."

Obi-Wan's face scrunched together as he tried to figure that out.

"She's dead kid," Han explained. "Or one with the Force, or whatever. I never did quite get that bit in the Jedi teachings..."

"You're a Jedi?" Obi-Wan asked, blue eyes large with surprise.

"Never was trained that I can remember," Han denied with a shake of his head. "But my in-laws were, and my wife was Force-sensitive, and our kids... well," Han trailed off as he considered the absolute mess that was every Skywalker ever, knowing or not, named or not, and their relationship with the Force. "Doesn't matter now, anyway. Tell me why you're off to Bandomeer, I'm just getting myself depressed thinking about all the family I don't have any more."

"I aged out of the Jedi Temple," Obi-Wan confessed, head down and shoulders slumped. "I'm too old now, and none of the Masters or Knights wanted to take me as their Padawan."

"Too old?!" Han yelped. "Kid, I know for a fact that my brother-in-law didn't even start his Jedi training until he was older than you are now, and you've had years of Jedi training already, haven't you? Growing up in the Jedi Temple and all, right?"

"I have, yes," Obi-Wan agreed slowly, an expression of confusion on his face.

"Well, what does being someone's Padawan mean?" Han asked seriously. "Whoever takes you on is supposed to, what? Teach you more advanced things? Remind you to meditate every day?"

"Both of those, I think," Obi-Wan said, his face screwed up a little in thought. "I'm not sure exactly."

"Then you can be my Padawan," Han declared firmly. "I remember what I learned from that other Obi-Wan I mentioned, and from my in-laws, and I can definitely sit you down to meditate every day."

"I thought you said you weren't a Jedi," Obi-Wan objected, possibly more confused than ever. "I mean, only a Jedi Knight or Master can take a Padawan."

"Then you can be my tag-a-long," Han said with a chuckle and mussed the boy's hair. "And I can teach you all that stuff anyway, and we'll come back to Coruscant in a couple of years and whoever is in charge can check that I'm not teaching you wrong. Sound okay?"

Obi-Wan bit his lip and looked down for a moment, before he slowly started to nod.

~The End~