Another collab with  JordilianVector and the second part of this series - please read the first part before you read this!

Part 2 features Plo's own perspective on the intrusion of his shrunken Padawan into his room and the resolution that comes with it!

Check out Part 1 here!
___

Devious Ploy (Part 2)

Plo Koon hummed slightly to himself as he paced down the hall deep within the Jedi Temple. There wasn’t any particular need to rush to the hangar as the preparations for their departure were still underway and a mere few minutes would not make a difference one way or the other. And moreover, the short, solitary trip gave the Jedi enough time to collect his thoughts.

He wasn’t pleased at the prospect of going back on his word to his Padawan, but as eager as young Den had been to come along, Plo simply couldn’t allow that. The situation in the Bith system had deteriorated fast, to think they’d call him all the way from Coruscant… Whatever they were about to face was simply too much for his fresh-faced trainee to handle.

It wasn’t easy. Deep down there was something about Den’s enthusiasm that never failed to fill Plo Koon with joy – a rare thing for a Jedi Knight, given the strictness of their vows – shutting it down just didn’t sit well with him. Still, this was a serious matter, and he was grateful for his pupil’s restraint. For all the excitement at the promises to take him to the field soon, all the joy, energy and eagerness, Den did not hesitate one bit when his mentor told him to stay behind.

“Yes, Master Plo. I understand.” Den had nodded. “I’ll stay here and practice in the meantime.” He’d grabbed hold of his master’s sleeve gently. “Just be sure to come back in one piece.”

“Not to worry, my Padawan.” Plo had assured. “I intend to.”

---

Even among the force-sensitive youth, Den was a bit of a unique case. Most trainees with potential tended to be scouted at a very young age, taken to the temple to be trained in the ways of the Force, but Den had never had the chance, not until much later in his life anyway.

Orphaned at a very young age, Den never even learned his last name before he ended up in the streets. Alone and forced to fend for himself, he quickly learned to both use his gifts effectively and keep them hidden, keeping a low profile until the perfect opportunity presented itself. And even though his technique was raw and unrefined without proper training, he managed to get by just fine.

But by the time he was 16, Den managed to catch the attention of… whoever would go around the galaxy, forcefully abducting force-sensitive children. Den had been travelling for some time, stowing away or hitch-hiking from one planet to another. Some of the children later adopted into the Jedi order had mentioned Den from time to time as ‘that boy who saved their lives’, though he never hung around one place long enough to be located himself. It wasn’t until the abductors targeted him directly that the elusive young man finally showed his face.

For three days he avoided pursuit from both sides – the mercenaries chasing him as well as the clone troopers dispatched to rescue him. A firefight ensued when the two groups ran into one another, but as soon as Den learned that the Wolf Pack was sent in to rescue him, he realized he couldn’t leave. His help was subtle – a light push to throw off a merc’s aim, a tug at another’s leg to trip them up, but by the time the boy was found and knocked out, the Wolf Pack figured out where their target was.

And the rest was history. When Den came too, it was face to face with Master Plo, who greeted the young man, explained what had happened and offered him a chance to deepen his knowledge of his powers. While hesitant at first, Plo’s insistence that this was his choice and his choice only helped alleviate young Den’s fears and soon enough… Den found a new home.

---

The Kel Dor Jedi was now walking through the hangar, receiving dutiful salutes from the clone troopers under his command, as well as a few friendly waves from those he had come to know a little more personally. Still, he regarded each of them with a polite nod. It was strange to think just how recently this entire ordeal had begun. The battle of Geonosis, when the clone troopers joined them and each Jedi Master had become a general in the army of the Republic, and everything that had followed since.

It was astonishing how instrumental they had become and while Plo knew well that attachment was not the Jedi way, he’d be remiss to say he hadn’t grown fond of them. Just as he has grown rather fond of Den.

Having spent his formative years on the run, the boy was slow to trust people, and while he hadn’t been outright afraid of anyone. He preferred solitude to the company of his peers, as well as most Jedi Masters, with just one exception – Plo.

---

“Ah, Den,” Master Plo asked after spotting the young lad pouring over ancient Jedi texts in the temple library. ”How have you been? Already hard at work, I see?”

“Oh, sir!” The boy shuddered. “Hey! I’ve… I’ve been alright, I suppose. Just brushing up on basic techniques like Master Yoda suggested.”

“Good.” Plo nodded. “You are talented, but seeking wisdom passed through generations of Force users will give you a solid foundation to work with.”

“Yeah, I figured that’s a good place to start.”

“How do you find the temple so far?”

"Oh! It’s great!” Den exclaimed with, perhaps, a bit more enthusiasm than necessary. “Beats the hell out of scavenging for food or being a petty pickpocket. But still, it's been... strange settling in. I'm not used to these huge buildings. You've... seen how my planet was, sir.”

“I’ve been told you tend to avoid company though, is everything alright?”

“Oh! Yes! People have been nice, understanding, I'm already learning so much!” His eyes shied away. “But... I’m not used to spending time with others and… I'm not sure I'm on the same level as everyone else here my age so…”

“Hmm…” The Jedi rubbed his chin in thought. “And you wish to be?"

“Y-yeah?”

A single palm extended towards the young man, appearing in his view despite the averted gaze. “Then perhaps the role of my Padawan would suit you better?”

---

Plo smiled to himself warmly as he thought back to the sheer size of the grin covering Den’s face when he had said that. The boy had practically fallen over himself as he vigorously took the Kel Dor’s hand in his own and started shaking it, thanking him for the opportunity and trust. It had only further solidified the Jedi Master’s desire to teach young Den, to help him learn and further develop his Force powers.

He came to a stop, right below his flagship – the Triumphant. No doubt his commander was already aboard barking out orders and getting the crew ready at a strenuous pace to reinforce whatever battalion needed assistance. Perhaps Plo ought to board and keep his commander calm – Wolffe had a tendency to overwork himself if not kept an eye on…

---

“Men! In proper order, the general is boarding!” He easily recognized the voice of Sinker, his sergeant, crying out orders. Plo merely turned to the shouting man and gave him a short nod before approaching.

“Greetings, Sergeant Sinker.”

“General Koon, sir!” The clone saluted him, and the Kel Dor waved him off with a smile.

“Please, at ease Sinker – would you be so kind as to inform me where Commander Wolffe is?” Sinker’s helmet was on, but being a Jedi Master, Plo was rather adept at reading the intentions of others – he could feel the sergeant’s hesitation, and it was slightly concerning.

A slight pause followed. “Well sir he’s uh… at the bridge. He’s on comms with someone and he seemed pretty uh… pardon me but karked off. I’ve got the men running errands away from there for now, so they don’t set him off.”

The Jedi hummed in agreement. Wolffe would never actually hurt a brother, but the man didn’t gain his sour reputation from holding back his tongue when annoyed. Really, he should pay the commander a visit to make sure he was alright.

“Thank you Sinker, I will visit him now and keep you informed.”

“Appreciated Plo… uh, sir!” The clone gave another firm salute as the Kel Dor chuckled and nodded in return. It was little exchanges like this that reminded him of one of the many reasons why he fought – and reignited his burning conviction to do well by these clones, both during and after the war. In the meantime, he had a commander to catch.

---

“You have got to be karking— I’ve spent the last hour getting the ship and crew ready for emergency takeoff and you’re telling me…? Yes, I’m glad they’re alright but—”

The Jedi Master walked in quietly and watched the angry form of his commander pacing about the bridge. The man was obviously irritated and was shouting into his wrist comm – but calmed down by a fraction upon spotting his general.

“Fine. Whatever – general’s here so I’m going… yeah screw you too, Fox.” Plo was very glad for his learned composure stopping him from chuckling at that. As endearing as Wolffe’s anger and frustration could be at times, the commander likely wouldn’t appreciate Plo’s amusement at it.

“Is everything alright, Commander Wolffe?” He kept his tone neutral and passive.

“Yes, general – just Fox telling me that the 398th no longer need us, apparently General Secura was in the area.”

“Ah – a fortunate outcome! She is rather adept with her saber – more so than me!”

“Please sir, I’ve seen you wipe the floor with her in spars before.”

“Hm – but have you considered whether she let me win to shield me from the pride of my own commander seeing me fall?” Plo’s tone was gentle and teasing and his little misdirection worked as Wolffe gave him a raised eyebrow before slowly chuckling. Smiling back, Plo stepped forward and rested a hand on the clone’s shoulder. “Be at peace Wolffe, the 398th are much better for having immediate backup rather than our delayed support. There will no doubt be another engagement for us very soon – the separatist forces would be disappointed at the knowledge of us sitting around doing nothing after all!”

“Yeah, yeah… fine. I’ll get our men back down; they could use a little shore leave.” Wolffe let out a sharp exhale as Plo nodded, drawing his attention back. “Thank you, general, I’ll get everything sorted then. I’m sure you have plenty of your usual force business to get to – along with your little shadow.”

“Ah yes! Young Den. Do remind me to properly acquaint the two of you sometime.”

“Let him get properly settled in first before I end up scaring him off, sir.”

With a few more sentences exchanged, Plo nodded at his commander before turning to leave. A part of him was also a little disappointed, but mostly he felt relief. And Wolffe was right, he did indeed have his Padawan to teach.

---

“...A timely arrival from General Secura has rendered my support rather unneeded…” Plo chatted with General Fisto over his wrist comms as he entered into his room. He had briefly looked around for his Padawan but came up short. Perhaps Den had finally ventured out beyond the walls of the temple? “Oh quite the opposite! Commander Wolffe was rather looking forward to ah, ‘show the shinies how it’s done…’”

Finishing up his conversation, Plo chuckled and took a long stride into his room before going quiet as the gentle clacking of something metallic against the tiles drew his attention. His perceptive eyes picked up on the slightest bit of movement – a familiar metal orb rolling away from him and under his bed, no doubt disturbed by his walking. Plo remembered it clearly – the not yet named ‘shrinking’ relic – something able to reduce its user down to rather impressively miniaturized sizes. Indeed, he remembered it so well because it was only a few weeks ago that he had showed it to young Den – in fact his Padawan’s reaction had been rather…

---

”…even the smallest things can bring about your doom, if you let them, my Padawan. Take care to remember that.” Plo finished firmly, hoping the lesson would stick with his charge. Den seemed to indeed take the words to heart, though something was odd – the mention of ‘smallest things’ seemed to have his Padawan nervous if his increased heart-rate and shifting was any indication. Plo resolved to remember that and investigate later – probing it now wouldn’t help.

---

The orb came to a stop just before his spare pair of boots, kept upright and tidy underneath his bed. Assuming his Padawan had actually snuck into the reliquary and retrieved the shrinking orb, what purpose would he use it for? His boots sitting dutifully still did bring back another one of Plo’s memories…

---

”Excellent work, Den. Your reflexes and focus are steadily improving. Obviously, this will take much more time and many more training sessions, but I believe we are already seeing promising results.” Plo settled down onto the floor – today had been a rather long exercise, even someone as well-trained and resolved as him was feeling the after-effects of such an extensive work-out.

Den had happily grinned back, and Plo chuckled, using a hand to ruffle along his Padawan’s hair. He leaned up and brought his hands down to pull off and quickly discard one of his boots. With a sigh of relief, he reached for the spare pair he had the foresight to bring along, when the human’s vacant expression caught his attention.

His Padawan looked… engrossed. Almost like in some kind of hypnosis or trance. Plo blinked curiously and followed the young man’s gaze which seemed honed on him? No, more specifically, his feet. One lay cozy and secured in a new boot, while the other laid bare and hot on the floor as Plo held an open boot near it. Puzzled, the Kel Dor gave his foot a slight twitch, noticing Den’s eyes following along.

Ah…

The moment must have only lasted for a few seconds before Den blinked and seemingly came back to. His face looked flushed and he nervously muttered out an apology and asked for Plo to repeat himself. Nodding, the Jedi Master did exactly that. He stood up and, as if by chance, faced away from his pupil. There was no need to further embarrass the young man, after all.

---

Den’s interest in his feet and the sudden appearance of a shrinking relic in his room… Plo had informed him just half an hour ago that he’d be leaving for a few days… had his Padawan actually taken the opportunity to explore this curiosity of his? Plo’s main concern here wasn’t the act itself but just how reckless and dangerous it was – all manner of awful things could befall someone at such a tiny size. If the Kel Dor had been just a little less perceptive, he could have accidentally crushed the tiny Padawan himself. Really, Plo should reveal his awareness now and reprimand Den.

…however, a part of him seemed to reconsider. Den had been coming to a plateau recently in his training, frustrated and unable to conquer the usage of Force-empowered athletics. Perhaps employing the usage of his Padawan’s fantasy could be a solution to this deadlock? It was… worth a shot. If it didn’t prove useful, Plo could easily put a stop to it. He had told young Den that all Force users learnt differently after all – perhaps this was just a particularly extreme example of that.

Showing no visible reaction yet, Plo continued forward, raising his foot and keeping his steps heavy yet steady. He idly glanced at his boots underneath the bed, wondering where exactly small Den was on them. Was he already inside inhaling every leftover scent of his disappeared master he could?

Boots coming to a rest just beside his bed, the Kel Dor smiled before carefully kneeling down, lowering his head underneath the bed as his eyes focused on the small orb, quickly spotting a truly tiny speck between said orb and his discarded boots. Force – Den really had reduced himself utterly small. If Plo wasn’t actively looking for him, he would never have recognized the little form as his Padawan. Part of him wanted to reveal his knowledge now, raise a finger down and scoop up his little charge and take him to safety, but Plo wanted to give Den this chance to prove himself.

…even if he might have to tell a white lie or two to allow for it.

”Ah, what’s this? Hmm… The younglings really ought to be taking better care of their toys.” It was a rather bold-faced lie – Plo had just shown Den this relic a few weeks back, but the sudden waving and seeming panic from the speck confirmed said lie had been bought. Plo did feel ever-so-slightly bad for the deception, but considering Den had no doubt snuck a highly dangerous relic out of its guarded place and used it to indulge fantasies that put himself in real danger, perhaps a brief scare was exactly what he needed.

The Kel Dor made a brief show of humming in consideration and staring passively at the tiny relic and its panicking user. Raising a hand up, he idly flexed it in full view of tiny Den before slowly reaching out, directly for the orb. His clawed fingers curled up teasingly, and the Jedi Master allowed his hand to stretch out slightly further than was necessary so his palm could slowly lower onto the scrambling speck trying to flee. Settling his hand down with gentle force, Plo didn’t hide the amusement in his eyes now with the shrunken human firmly trapped beneath his hand. He was just planning to give Den a little scare when another example of Den’s peculiar inclinations came to mind.

---

It had been another day full of training, after a few sparring matched, Den and Plo Koon had decided to spend some time together in the temple garden.

“Hey, master?” Den called out, pouring a cup of tea for each of them. “Can I ask you something?”

“Of course.” Plo nodded, gingerly accepting the hot beverage form his student’s hands.

“Those… err, claw-thingies, you have on your hands. What are those?”

“Oh!” Plo’s eyes widened a bit, he had assumed his Padawan had a question about a technique. The question caught him off-guard a little, he set the cup down on the table between them and took a closer look, briefly inspecting the little ceremonial item while showing it off to Den. “This is a Force focus.” He explained, almost immediately noticing the rapt fascination in Den’s gaze. With a soft chuckle he laid his hand on the table, allowing the young man to have a closer look. “See for yourself, if you like.”

“Whoa…” Den gasped, eyes wide with excitement, yet his movements betrayed him. His eyes may have been focused on the accessory, but his hands were all too eager to explore his mentor’s fingers. “Is it a fashion thing?”

Plo could hardly suppress another chuckle as he gave a slight nod. “In a way, I suppose. But its true function is rather self-evident from its name – It allows for a greater degree of precision when using the Force.” He spoke, humming softly as he felt his Padawan’s touch continue to gently trace along his fingers, reaching down and pushing into his palm… “The exact quality and shape don’t matter as much as the significance its owner applies to it.”

“Is it… significant to you, master?” Den’s fingers continued dancing across his mentor’s palm, his cheeks growing slightly redder with each passing second.

“But of course,” Plo Koon nodded, all too happy to allow his Padawan to indulge his interest while they conversed. After all, despite his fixation, Den actually seemed to be listening. “Just like this antiox mask, it is decorated with patterns unique to my clan back on Dorin. In some ways, you could consider it an heirloom.”

Despite having run out of questions, Den seemed in no hurry to let his master’s hand go. So instead, the Jedi simply allowed himself to relax, enjoying the impromptu hand massage he was being. With a pleased sigh, he used his free hand to pick up his tea and take a sip – a small vacuum-sealed induction port extending into the drink.

---

Thinking back to that day, Plo took his time, feeling his tiny student squirming and twitching against his palm. It was a tickling sensation, one that the looming Kel Dor readily reciprocated with a slight wiggle. He wondered what it must be like for his Padawan down there, so helplessly pinned down by one of the objects of his fascination, fully believing his master to have failed to spot him. Was it fear that ruled the future Jedi’s mind at that moment, or lust?

In either case, allowing this to go on for too long, would likely reveal Plo’s ruse prematurely. And so, having given Den just a taste of the thing he desired, the young man’s mentor stood up with the tiny spherical relic in hand.

”A marble?” He asked, making a show of inspecting it from various angle. “No matter, I will return it later. I suppose I should keep it safe for now though…” He continued bending the truth, as he slowly slipped the little ball inside one of his pockets. Then, taking his time to pace around the room some more for Den’s benefit, he picked up his datapad and took a seat in his armchair, looking over the latest reports, forwarded to him by Commander Wolffe.

This part was genuine, he was certain his miniscule Padawan would need some time to begin his approach, and then, once he got closer it would be fairly easy to keep an eye on him, ensure that a surge of adrenaline – and, perhaps, a bit of passion – would help his struggling charge to pull off the moves that gave him trouble during regular training.

It took a moment, Plo had almost started suspecting little Den was too overwhelmed to continue, but eventually, the little speck did emerge from under the bed, immediately setting off towards the nifty little relic, hiding in the Jedi’s pocket.

Master Plo looked on, pleased with the sight of such a tiny thing exerting itself to leap over the gaps between floor tiles. It was strange to think how pitiful this accomplishment sounded, but Plo knew better than to dismiss it. Given little Den’s current scale, he must have been using Force to make the jump each and every time without fail. And that – Plo concluded – called for a small bit of positive reinforcement.

Putting the data pad off to the side he bent down, once again making a show of a simple act of taking off his boots. Slow, deliberately exaggerated motions saw the Kel Dor’s feet freed up and out in the open, wiggling and twitching in the air.

Plo only just managed to keep his amusement hidden as he watched little Den slowing down, likely nearly falling over the warmth and smell of his master’s feet propagated through the space around them.

Shifting, bending, and twisting his soles, the Jedi eventually took mercy, allowing his feet to settle and noting – with a great degree of pride in his student – that Den was immediately on the move again. And so, making sure to keep his feet steady, Plo returned to his datapad, feeling the minute tickling sensations of his tiny charge slowly beginning to scale his body. The tiny pinpricks of motion were hard to interpret but it was clear that Den was putting to use at least some of what he’d learned. By the time Plo had noted the little thing’s presence again, Den was already past his ankle and advancing at rather astonishing speeds.

But… that wasn’t the point of the exercise. And so, with no hesitation, Plo fished the tiny metal ball out of his pocket and casually allowed it to roll off his hand. It clacked heavily against the floor tiles, coming to a stop a short distance away from the Kel Dor’s foot – its rolling motion halted with the tiniest force push from the Jedi. And with absolutely no hesitation, Plo shifted his foot forward, sending tiny Den flying.

And… Another test passed, Master Plo noted, watching his Padawan, flip in mid-air and land firmly on his feet, sliding just a bit further and promptly disappearing in the gap between tiles. Oh dear… Covering his mouth, as he nearly spoke the words out loud, Plo took a deep breath and waited, not a doubt in his mind that his dear pupil would manage to make it out. But, just for the extra incentive…

Sliding his feet forward across the cool tiles, Plo took actual pleasure in allowing his soles to knead over the cool surface, sliding them back and forth just over little Den’s head. Ah, the little man was probably having so much fun down there!~

Still, when it was about time for Den to have made it out, Plo lifted one of his appendages and allowed one of his toes to settle over the tiny metallic relic instead, teasingly rolling it back and forth along the ground, baiting little Den to come in and take it from him. Would the young Padawan dare to make his move now? The effort would be doomed to failure, of course – there was no way a Force push from someone so small and so inexperienced would make a difference. Still, the Kel Dor would respect the attempt, perhaps this was the exact circumstance for young Den to surpass both their expectations? The Force manifested itself in truly powerful ways sometimes…

The Jedi caught sight of his shrunken Padawan out of the corner of his eye but kept his gaze focused on the datapad, scrolling through Wolffe’s reports – they were surprisingly thorough for something made on such short notice. As he made a mental note to compliment the clone commander later, he witnessed glimpses of the tiny speck seemingly staring right towards the very relic he was currently rolling around underfoot.

Indeed, it seemed as though Den was actually intending to give this a try.

Plo had the utmost belief in his Padawan but at his size moving something so big would be an arduous task. Moving past the mindset of an object’s weight and size was something even experienced Jedi struggled with at times – the chances of Den overcoming that at this stage were slim. Still, Plo paused his rolling for a second and lifted his foot off just enough to go unnoticed, he wanted to give Den the best chance he had at this.

It took a moment, but as a few seconds passed, the little relic actually shifted – entering a subtle, gentle roll, The sight filled the Kel Dor with pride which he could thankfully disguise with the datapad. Despite everything, despite the raging war and the late start, his Padawan never ceased to amaze him – he had come so far from his early days…

---

“I don’t understand it, master!” Den exclaimed, once again snapping both himself and his meditating master back to reality. “What is the point of sitting still and doing nothing for so long? Shouldn’t we be out there training? Practicing Force powers? Or combat stances at least?”

“Patience, my Padawan.” Plo nodded, taking a calm breath as he seamlessly transitioned back from his mindscape. “To use the Force, one must first reflect on its true nature. You must experience it, reflect on it and realize that so much you know to be true of the world around you relies on it.”

“But I’ve used the powers before just fine!” Den protested, eager to hop back up to his feet, but respecting his master’s instructions too much to move yet.

“Yes, but… think on the effort it took you to do so. You still struggle against the Force, attempt to bend it to your will. You push back when it pushes, and pull away and it pulls you in. Learning to read the world around you, to see these motions and use them to your advantage is the first step on mastering the use of Jedi techniques.”

“I… I suppose that makes sense. I’m just… not sure how I’m supposed to do this. Do I have to be thinking something in particular? Focus on an image of some kind maybe?”

“Patience, young Den, patience. For the time being, all you need to do is empty your mind. See and feel the things that will fill it in the absence of material thought.”

“O-okay…” Den gulped, closing his eyes again and taking a deep breath too. “I’ll try, master.”

---

It was somewhat uncharacteristic for Plo to get lost in thought like this; by the time he caught himself, the full weight of his toe had already been resting back atop of the relic for a few seconds. The sensation of it struggling against his hold – as young Den, no doubt, kept pushing it – registered a bit too late, and the ball quickly returned to a completely inert state.

Still, despite the unfavorable outcome, Den had managed a rather impressive feat! The Jedi Master’s heart swelled with pride as he exhaled as seamlessly as he could. It was about time to finish up this impromptu training session, but he wanted to conduct one last test. In Den’s current state, the human would no doubt be rather discouraged from the accumulating failures. The question was, could his Padawan keep trying despite it all? With all options failing what would he do next? For this last test, the Jedi Master lowered his foot firmly down on the relic again and began rolling it around in full view of the tiny speck-sized Den. After all, a Jedi must learn to keep their patience and wait for the right moment…

On the floor, the shrunken human immediately began racing towards his foot, or perhaps more accurately, the relic underneath it. This wasn’t the exact approach the Kel Dor expected to see but it was encouraging to see Den hasn’t given up. Still, he suspected his student had learned the lesson by now. So it was about time he brought this to a close but… he would allow his Padawan one more indulgence.

As Den rushed towards his feet, Plo hummed thoughtfully, watching the tiny man leap into the air - this unorthodox training had certainly producing promising results. But just before his Padawan could reach the relic he was so desperately pining for, Plo gently rolled his foot forward and smiled as the speck immediately disappeared into the gap between his toes, quickly vanishing from sight of as it tumbled around on the wrinkled flesh.

He could just about feel his Padawan though. Plo sighed with a smile as he started to shift his feet about, rolling the relic still and letting the full extent of his feet impact upon young Den. He could only imagine just how exciting and blissful this must be for his Padawan – while he disapproved of the human going behind his back to do this, there was nothing particularly wrong with Den’s interest in and of itself.

A chuckle almost escaped the Kel Dor as he felt scuttling upon his skin. The young man was actually trying to scale his foot! It was somewhat unexpected at this point, and Plo slowed his movements ever so slightly to give the little man a break. Once again, he lifted his sole of the ground, making the incline just a bit less steep for the young man. He watched as the little speck found purchase atop one of his toes and briefly stopped.

Satisfied, the Kel Dor lowered his foot back down to the ground and found it pressing flat against the floor. His eyes widened behind the goggles - he had allowed the relic to slip his attention for just a brief moment, but the second his toes lifted off, it moved! Had Den managed to…? It must have been him! An excellent display of judgment, timing and ability all in one go!

Pleased, Plo couldn’t resist the urge to squeeze his toes gently inwards, right where tiny Den seemed to be taking refuge. He was sure the little thing would appreciate being tightly compressed by the objects of his desire. More importantly though, it kept him shielded as the looming Jedi Master slowly reached down, picking up the little ball that had rolled a short distance away. No obvious damage, but it would clearly use a good shining and dusting to free it from the dirt and dullness coating it – a task for his Padawan to do later, given it was his fault a powerful relic had been rolling about on the floor like misplaced garbage.

Still, that could come later. For now, Plo chuckled and casually swung one leg over the other, allowing himself easier access to the foot containing the culprit. Slowly, he brought his head down towards it, hovering his face over the gap between his toes as he held the very orb that had left his Padawan in this sorry state – casually rolling it between two fingers in full view of little Den.

“Good afternoon to you, my little Padawan~”

He tilted his head and let out another chuckle, already able to anticipate his tiny Padawan’s next words.

“Yes, I’m afraid so. Your little, ah… indiscretions weren’t that difficult to notice. I thought it polite to play along however, I do hope you managed to enjoy yourself, Den.” Despite everything that had happened, Plo had maintained his usual, neutral tone. “And this experience seems to have made for splendid training session, wouldn’t you say?” He asked, cocking a brow at his Padawan as he promptly stuffed the little relic back inside his pocket.

“But I am getting ahead of myself – it’s only fair I allow my Padawan to speak his piece in turn. Please allow me one moment, little Den.” Plo hummed and moved a hand right over the wrist of his other as he fiddled with a device on his wrist. He had instructed his Padawan to keep his communicator on him at all times, and while at this current size it would likely be too small to reach and connect any other device… With such close proximity, a quick frequency adjustment, an increase in sensitivity and…

“Ah – there we go.” The Kel Dor tapped at the system interface which quickly informed him of a newly located signal. Connecting them took a few seconds as Plo leaned back and stared down with a fond expression. “Now then Den, please let me know if you can respond.”

“Master!” The Padawan’s panicked voice immediately sounded from the device on Plo’s wrist. He sat there, in the space right between the very toes he’d been certain would crush the life out of him. Not only that, he was casually speaking to godlike being they belonged to. “Master, why didn’t you say something earlier?”

Plo lifted his head a bit, looking away as a finger tapped the front of his mask. “There were several reasons, little Den.” He began to explain, leaning back but still maintaining his gaze on the little Padawan. “Firstly,” the Kel Dor held up a finger, “it was a proper punishment. You snuck a powerful relic out from the reliquary, formulated a reckless plan, which you enacted upon sneaking into my personal chambers without warning or permission.”

The young man shuddered, hiding his gaze in shame – he hadn’t expected his sins to be called out so directly. Plo’s tone was as neutral as ever, but every word hit Den like a slap in the face. It was all true after all, every last part of it; he was a sorry excuse for a Padawan, not to mention a liar and a thief. He hung his head in shame unable to muster so much as a single word.

“I thought it would be prudent to show you what the consequences of such actions could have been, little Den,” Plo continued, “to demonstrate just the kind of danger you were getting yourself into. Had I been just a little bit less attentive, we likely wouldn’t be having this conversation right now.”

“I… I understand, master.” The Padawan’s guilty voice finally sounded after a few seconds. “I’m so… I’m deeply ashamed of my actions, and I apologize for taking advantage of your trust.”

But much to the tiny human’s surprise Plo Koon merely chuckled. “Taking advantage of my trust?” His brows raised. “Hah hah! Oh, my little Padawan, it does you honor to reflect on your actions, but are you certain we were privy to the same situation just now?” He asked, setting the two massive digits around Den into motion with a simple wiggle.

Den gasped, only just managing to keep his balance as the continental shift of Plo’s toes calmed around him. “Wh-wha?”

“I assure you, Den. Given my own actions, feigning ignorance and perpetuating your fear and panic, you have more than made up for your own misconduct by now. And as amusing as it was to watch you skitter about, trying your best to return to normal…” Plo trailed off for a moment, leaning back, pressing his hands together as he pondered. “I imagine by now you’ve beat yourself up for it over a hundred times, have you not?”

This… This was true. Den had already thought himself an idiot, a disappointment, and so many other things. He thought he’d killed himself! He thought Plo would be devastated at the sudden disappearance of his pupil… And, given the fact that the Kel Dor, was in control of the situation the entire time, perhaps… Perhaps they were at the very least even.

“I really don’t see the point in chastising you further, Den. I imagine you have learned your lesson, yes?”

“Yes, master…” Den nodded, feeling just a little bit calmer, yet still somewhat terrified of his looming mentor. It was easy to forget, but he was still sitting right in-between his master’s toes. And Plo seemed in no particular hurry to get him out.

“There we are then.” The Jedi nodded. “And of course, as I was about to say, the entire situation made for quite a productive training session. I’d say your grasp on Force-empowered athletics is on par with your peers now, at the very least. And then of course…” The Jedi once again held the tiny metal ball that caused all this between his fingers. “Pushing away something so much larger than you is no easy feat. Even if it would look rather meager to an untrained eye.”

“Master… You’re… praising me?” Den was confused. Perhaps he hadn’t taken advantage of his master, but he still broke so many rules!

“Why yes, little Den. I believe your efforts deserve acknowledgement.”

“But… Aren’t you disappointed in me? In my actions? My lack of restraint? I… I gave in to my lust! To personal selfish desires, and I put myself and a powerful relic in danger! I barely deserve to be your Padawan!”

“Hmm… Reckless, yes. But the relic is safe, and so is my Padawan.” Plo hummed, hiding the little ball from sight again. “And there is nothing wrong with the act of lust itself.”

“Th-there isn’t?” Den was taken aback. “But Master Yoda said-“

“Many in the temple would disagree with me, of course. But the passion, desire, lust… elements of the Dark Side are not necessarily evil in and of themselves. They can be dangerous for a Jedi and must be regarded with care and precaution. But strange as it is, your particular desire is perhaps something to be respected, young Den.”

Den was confused, he knew about Master Plo’s leanings. Many had thrown the term ‘Gray Jedi’ around like an insult. But Plo Koon was no pushover. Mastering such techniques as Electric Judgement – Plo’s own take on the force lightning of the Sith… But lust? Respected? “H-how so?” he stammered.

“The Jedi Order’s main concern is young trainees falling to the darkness within them, chasing power for power’s sake but…” Plo’s eyes focused on the speck between his toes again. “Here we have a Jedi-to-be craving nothing more than to have power taken from him – to end up figuratively and literally underfoot. I don’t believe there is much cause for concern here… do you?”

“I…” Den gulped. It made sense, but he still couldn’t wrap his head around it.

“So then, let’s summarize, shall we, Den?”

“O-okay?”

“You’ve had a rather serious lapse in judgement, your actions put you and an important relic in peril, but ultimately resulted in no harm coming to anyone or anything. You have acknowledged your mistake and vowed to do better moving forward. Does that sound about right so far?”

“Yes, sir.”

“The situation you put yourself into resulted in the advancement of your abilities beyond the frustrating plateau you have been struggling with for quite some time now.”

“That’s… That’s actually true! I’ve done a lot more today than I thought myself capable of, Master Plo!”

“Splendid! Then perhaps I should requisition this little artifact for future training sessions?”

“W-wait… really?”

“Why, yes.” Plo Koon nodded. “You do respond rather well to praise and rewards after all. Perhaps some time beneath my tread from time to time is just the thing you need?”

“Master!” Den shouted back, embarrassed.

“Oh Den, given the chance, would you not stay down beneath my feet for the rest of your life?”

Den felt like a complete and utter fool. His cheeks burning red as he stared up at his mentor, knowing full well that Plo couldn’t possibly see him and yet still feeling like an open book to the looming Kel Dor. “M-master, I’m not-“

“Either way, I do believe the situation is quite resolved now. Leaving just one little thing to address.”

“Little thing, sir?”

“You snuck into my room without permission~” Plo pointed out with a surprisingly cheerful tone.

“But Master Plo, I thought um… I made up for my… misconduct?”

“Quite, little Padawan, but you did still break the rules, no? Proper discipline is vital in such situations to ensure you think twice before carrying out such recklessness in future.” The words were serious and stoic, but their teasing nature still subtly carried across in the Jedi’s tone.

It was enough to have Den turning red again. “Ah… of course, master. If you would like to send me off to meditate on this and consider my…” The shrunken man half-coughed, half-choked as the immense toes he was stuck between gave an almost taunting wiggle. “a-actions in full… detail.” He screwed his eyes shut to try and at least maintain some decency in all this. “Would that be to your… liking, master?”

Above the massive Kel Dor chuckled and Den shivered at the deep tones vibrating through his body. He… he truly loved every inch of his master. From his feet to his hands, to the rest of his body, those concealed eyes… and his voice. Perhaps… living on the titan’s body for the rest of his existence wouldn’t be so bad after all?

“Yes – meditation is my usual go-to disciplinary method, isn’t it? But this time I believe I have a much more fitting punishment in mind~” The Padawan clung to the flesh valley with a gulp – he wasn’t scared of his master, but what exactly did the Kel Dor have in mind? “I was, in fact, planning to visit Master Kenobi soon. There was a matter of importance for us to discuss and while I was planning on it being just the two of us, perhaps it could prove an… enlightening experience for you as well.”

Den paused. He didn’t… dislike Kenobi. The few times he had encountered the Jedi had been in passing, while walking through the temple corridors – he had been nice enough, good sense of humor too. But still – the young man found himself nervous around those he didn’t know that well – despite how supposedly charming they were. He supposed there would probably be some wisdom he might garner from it… and if it made Plo happy then…

“Of course, Master Plo, I’m not sure if I would have much to say, but I’m sure it will be insightful. Ah… when would you like to head out for that? The regrowth process might take a few minutes for me to uh… acclimatize.”

Den felt another surge of amusement from the titan all around him as he looked up. “I believe there has been some miscommunication here, my Padawan. I never mentioned growing you back.”

The little human had only a few moments to try and process the titan’s words, before the earth all around him came to life, leaving him to gasp as those meaty toes began wiggling once more. Clinging to a stray wrinkle he stared back up at the antiox-mask covering his master’s face. The stoic expression betrayed that familiar, gentle teasing from the titan. Moving forward, Den clung on tighter as he nervously glanced down to the awaiting floor. Suddenly he saw something pulled from behind this mentor’s armchair.

Oh. Was… his master really?

The murky depths of an open boot revealed itself below – the very boot that Master Koon had been wearing earlier. Den could clearly remember the faint yet heavy musk coming from the long-discarded pair underneath the bed; those hadn’t been worn for at least two days. This boot, on the other hand, was quite literally fresh from its earlier trek, and even from here a wave of heat reached the shrunken Padawan. Was… was he dreaming? A voice rumbled above…

“I think, young Den, a short spell in here should be more than sufficient as discipline – don’t you?” Den couldn’t even speak as he spluttered something incoherent, getting another hum of amusement above. “Excellent. If you would please brace yourself, my Padawan…” Quivering, the tiny human looked up to see his master’s lovely, long hand lowering down over him, casting its warm, inviting shadow. The smooth finger pads surged together, until he found himself promptly pinned – trapped in the gentle, soft warmth generated by a Kel Dor’s digits. He moaned, too blissed out to take notice of the fact he was being abducted from the foot and lowered down into the dank depths of the boot.

The air was quickly getting heavier – each inhale held the slightest bit of resistance to it; thicker air had his lungs working harder but Den treasured every second of it. He nuzzled his face into the fingertips – hoping with all his heart that Master Plo might feel some slight tingle of it – know just how grateful and appreciative the young Padawan was – as he kissed the soft flesh.

Finally, Den’s feet touched the ground and his eyes widened at the slight give to the material. The Kel Dor’s insoles were soft and bouncy, and Den couldn’t help but imagine how many long treks it must have taken for the titan’s heavy tread to sufficiently tame and, quite literally, bring the insoles to heel. A sudden thought crossed his mind as his legs wobbled and sent him sprawling down into the well-trodden material – how long would it take for him to be totally flattened in such an environment? Stomped and pressed deep into the lint-soaked insole, a bit of grime to become stuck fast to his master’s perfect feet?

Groaning and shaking, Den felt the pressure release him, as the giant digits either side loosened and rose up. He watched his only form of escape disappear, leaving him trapped within and looking up with a vacant smile. He wouldn’t be staring at nothing for long though, as the obscured yet visibly cheerful face of his master appeared overhead, blotting out what little light was coming from above as the Jedi Knight stared down into his boots.

“This is, of course, as much a punishment as it is a reward, little Den, do not waste it. You will have until the end of the day, when I remove my boots once more and release you – might I recommend you take this time to properly focus and think on some of the lessons you have learned today?”

Mesmerized, Den watched as the Kel Dor’s fingers returned, grabbing onto the rim of the boot and slowly lifting the puny Padawan’s entire world upward. He realized he didn’t have long here. “O-of course Master Plo!” He coughed a little at the sudden inhale of the overwhelming musk floating all around him. “A-and thank you! I really appreciate all this!”

“I know, my Padawan, I know. Your devotion and dedication towards me and your training is appreciated in turn.” Den could feel the beaming affection practically raining down from the face hovering above, as he gazed up in adoration. “Obviously we will be unable to communicate for some time – keeping my comms to that level of sensitivity outside of this room is not an option, so keep safe, young Den, and take no foolish risks. Know that I will not be holding back my steps – I have too much respect for you to do that.”

Den nodded with a smile. “Yes Master Plo… thank you!” A nod from the Kel Dor was his response, and the tiny Padawan could hear the electric hum following, as his comms with the titan cut off. A short pause followed, and he realized his master was giving him a chance to get into position – he didn’t have time to waste!

Beginning a sprint, the young man set out before immediately tripping and landing in a small dip. Groaning, he felt his face nestle neatly in the layer of fabric, where Master Plo’s heel no doubt ususally settled. Immediately he was assaulted with the smell and taste of sweat, it invaded his body getting a gasp of surprise. It seemed every inch of the Kel Dor’s footwear held some remnant of the liquid from its heavy use over the year, with the strong scent of foot stomped into every inch.

The world starting to shake broke Den out of his reverie as he looked up to see the light beginning to grow dim. Hovering at the opening of the boot was that familiar, gigantic foot. The Padawan watched those meaty, immense toes – the very ones he had spent seemingly ages trapped between earlier – curl up and wiggle in anticipation of settling in; he was running out of time!

Scrambling upwards, Den raced down, barely catching glimpses of the weathered interior to the titan’s boot as he threw quick glances back at the toes advancing even quicker, scraping along the comfy insoles which seemed to whine under the familiar weight of its owner’s foot. His pitiful sprint was easily outmatched, and before Den could do anything, he felt the tips of one toe brush forward against his back. He yelped in shock before becoming utterly overwhelmed, shoved into the ground before being quickly scooped up by the toe’s friction. It forced him underneath the advancing foot as the massive appendage moved to cover more and more of him.

The next few seconds stretched out forever as Den was genuinely worried this was it for him. The force of him being scraped underneath was slightly painful yet thrilling as he struggled uselessly, trying to curl up and protect himself. Plo’s toes curled up, seemingly in response, giving Den a brief respite as he quickly shifted into a more bearable stance before they lowered back down again, pressing that heavy weight onto him and forcing the air out of his lungs.

Finally, it came to a stop and Den could only shiver as, above, the foot finished its entry, getting itself nice and comfy. He hoped that in some small way he too might offer comfort to his master’s sole – a tiny cushion that barely covered an inch of it. Without a care, the foot tensed and Den gasped as it lifted up and up – seemingly never stopping before pausing and suddenly descending once more. The resulting slam pressed hard against his body and Den wondered if this was how being underneath a hydraulic press would feel. All this when he knew in reality the Kel Dor must have merely taken a single step. He was at least grateful for the short respite that followed while the other foot took its step. Den quickly settled himself into the constant rhythm of rise, fall and pause that would follow for the next few hours.

“Thank you… Master Plo.” Den rose his head the tiny amount he could and pressed a kiss against the foot above him, happily licking off the tiny bit of sweat that coated his lips as a result. Leaning back down, he shivered as the foot rose to the sky once more – he wanted to remember and treasure every single second of this…

---

Plo kept his normal stride up as he headed to the courtyard of the Jedi Temple. He caught sight of the well-groomed man easily, quickly approaching as Obi Wan turned around with a smile.

“Ah! Master Koon – how nice to see you.”

“Greetings to you as well Master Kenobi – your visits are always appreciated. I hope you and Commander Cody have been keeping well.”

“Yes, I believe so.” The other Jedi nodded, hand on his chin. “We are both getting some rest at the moment, I’m just paying the temple a short visit while he enjoys some time off with the rest of the 212th.”

“Ah, that’s good to hear. I always worry our commanders are a bit too focused on their duties. Tell me though, is something the matter? You seem deep in thought.”

“Well, I had been hoping to examine some of the old texts in the vault but it appears the area is under lockdown after something went missing – possibly stolen.” Kenobi’s brows creased into a frown and Plo had to hide the urge to sigh as he tapped down with his foot.

“Ah, that particular mystery has been solved – my Padawan has been utilizing a relic in his training exercises. It appears he was not aware that proper requisition forms are in place to keep such things organized.” He curled his toes, rolling his foot forward. “Would you follow me as I inform the temple guard of this?”

“Of course!” Kenobi nodded, both relieved and amused to hear it was an inexperienced Padawan’s meddling. “Though, do indulge me, which relic was this?”

“Indeed. The relic is a somewhat recent discovery of ours – it seems to possess the ability to shrink its target down to some rather small sizes and then reverse them back. Young Den has found the different perspective to be rather helpful in practicing new techniques… An entire obstacle course can be set up at a moment’s notice. And I must admit, it does also make him vastly easier to handle.”

“I can imagine! Is this relic being used by you for the foreseeable future then? Perhaps I could borrow it – sometimes I think new perspective is something Anakin could also use…”

“Hah hah, perhaps, old friend, perhaps.” Plo chuckled and beckoned for Kenobi to follow along, as he walked the paved path – giving a stray thought to the tiny soul currently being thoroughly tenderized underneath him.

Despite the devious trickery and the chaos that ensued, it had been a rather productive day indeed~