Summary: After Xanatos, the Council orders Qui-Gon to take another apprentice. Wrote this assuming 10 or 12 years between Obi-Wan and Xanatos because the idea of that big man raising a little girl was just irresistible. Anareal is based on 2 gifted children I know.
Rating: G - safe for everyone. Bring your grandmother, your kids, the dog. Family fun for everyone.
Disclaimer: George Lucas owns all the recognizable characters. Anareal is mine. ( pronounced Ah - NAR -ee- al, an African name meaning strength and peace) Making no money off this and if I was I'd spend it all on Star Wars stuff and George and would get it anyway.
Feedback: Yes, please. [email protected]
Chapter 1
Qui-Gon Jinn stood with his hands tucked into the sleeves of his Jedi robe and surveyed the roomful of children. Of various ages, the youngest 4, they were scattered in groups, playing. It was a Jedi training room. When Jedi children played, things tended to float and roll and spin seemingly on their own.
It was a pleasant room, filled with happy chatter and laughter and Qui-Gon was filled with a sense of peace, something he had not felt in a long time and, unreasonably, found himself resisting.
" Choose one, you will, hmmm?" a soft, gravelly voice beside him asked.
Qui-Gon glanced down at Master Yoda but his face remained unreadable. " That is what you and the Council have instructed me to do." His voice was coolly neutral, but the order clearly annoyed him.
" Hmmph," Yoda muttered, tapping his gimmer stick on the floor. " Too long you have been alone, Qui-Gon. Not good, that is, not even for a Jedi Master."
Qui-Gon remained as still as stone." Is that what the Council believes?" He paused, " I have learned much in my time alone, my Master."
" But healed your heart, it has not," Yoda observed.
A shadow crossed Qui-Gon's expression, clouded his eyes. The look on his face had made would-be attackers back away in haste. Yoda merely flattened his ears briefly.
" Young this group is," Yoda said, changing the subject, " Perhaps an older student �."
" No," Qui-Gon cut him off, and got away with it, " No more adolescents. No more teenagers. If I do this at all, I want to start with a child."
They watched the group in silence for a while and then Qui-Gon moved away. In spite of his own resistance to the idea of another apprentice, a little girl sitting by herself had caught his attention. The flow of the Force through him was as familiar to him as his own heartbeat and now he felt it swirl slightly, stirring just enough to get his attention.
Come, it seemed to whisper and Qui-Gon had no choice but to follow it with calm obedience.
She was gazing intently at a pile of sand, from which she was constructing an intricate castle, without moving a single muscle. Though he knew that she was aware of his presence, she finished what she was doing before slowly looking up at him. When she did, Qui-Gon felt his breath leave him a soft sigh. She had the most incredible face, too exotic not to seem awkward on a four year old, but Sweet Light, when she finally grew into it.�.
And her eyes. If the Living Force could be represented by a color, it would be the sparkling green of this child's eyes. She continued gazing up at him, both taking each other's measure, until he realized that he was towering over her and knelt down beside her.
The Force rippled, nudged him. Watch, the Force insisted. Show me then, he responded easily.
" My name is Qui-Gon Jinn. May I join you?" he asked.
" Qui-Gon," she repeated, half to herself, as if it were the answer to a question she'd had. She didn't smile at him, but her green eyes glistened.
She nodded, again almost to herself, and looked back at her castle. It was then that Qui-Gon realized the castle was still perfectly intact. Even though he had distracted her, she had maintained enough concentration to hold together a castle made of sand, right down to an intricate balcony railing surrounding the tallest tower.
" Your castle is beautiful," he said," Have you been to this place?"
She shook her head, " No, but someday, I will marry a Prince and live there," she said. She paused as if considering him, " Can I show you another one?"
" I would be pleased," he said, making himself more comfortable on the floor," But it would be a shame to destroy this one."
She shrugged," I can make it again. I've made it before. Would you like to see a Krayt Dragon? They live on Tatooine. I saw one in a holograph book."
Before he could answer, she had dissolved her castle and begun to spin the long, sinuous form of a dragon.
" Do you know where Tatooine is?" he asked.
" On the Outer Rim," she replied quickly. She glanced up at him and still the sand moved effortlessly into place. " It has two suns," and some of the sand spiraled upwards to form the shape of twin suns high in the sky above the dragon. " Do you like it?"
" It is amazing," Qui-Gon said, genuinely. " What is your name?"
She looked up at him through long black lashes and answered," Anareal."
Qui-Gon felt as if his entire world had been torn down and rebuilt in the space of several heartbeats. The Force stirred heavily, like a still water suddenly disturbed by a breath of wind. He had learned through the struggles of his life, that if he was patient and mindful, the Force would show him a path. Since losing Xanatos, he had wandered aimlessly, gone through the motions of living without really being alive.
She is your path, Qui-Gon Jinn. Qui-Gon surrendered with easy faith. He would fight the will of the Council if he felt he must, but never the will of the Force.
He touched the top of her head, surprised by the silkiness of her ebony hair. His fingers lingered there for a moment, feeling the connection that already seemed to be forming. Anareal continued watching him, absolutely calm, with those amazing, life-lit eyes.
" I'm going to speak to Master Yoda for a moment, Anareal. But I will be right back. Will you make me something else?" he asked.
" Sure," she said.
Qui-Gon made his way back to where Yoda was waiting for him. The tiny Jedi Master had the barest hint of a frown on his face.
I will take her. Anareal," Qui-Gon said, firmly.
Master Yoda was silent, tapping his stick on the floor lightly.
" Huumm," he said finally," Better it would be, if take one the boys you did."
Qui-Gon braced himself for a fight. He opened himself to the Force, knowing Master Yoda was aware of everything that he was feeling and that it was useless to fight it. " No Master. No more boys either. I.... Not again...... I want Anareal."
Silence again and Qui-Gon felt the disapproval coming from Yoda. It was true that there were many boys in the room, human and alien, but he had his reasons and Yoda knew them well enough. " Master Yoda, I do not wish to fight with you about this. The Council has decided that I should have an apprentice. I want her. I am ...drawn to her. I believe it is the will of the Force."
Yoda sighed heavily. He knew his former apprentice too well. If Qui-Gon believed it was the will of the Force, he wouldn't step so much as a centimeter off the path placed before him. He had taught this Knight. He knew the strength of his faith.
Yoda shook his head wearily. " This will not make the Council happy. " He was deadly serious. He always lost his unusual syntax when he was serious.
" That is not my concern. They have instructed me to take another Padawan learner and gave me no other order but that. For the first time in a long time, I see one that attracts me," he paused and canted his head her direction, " That one."
" Too defiant are you, Qui-Gon Jinn," Master Yoda rasped out," Your greatest flaw, it is."
Qui-Gon shook his head, " No, Master, my greatest flaw is that I am selfish."
" Special, she is," Yoda whispered softly." Special attention she will need."
" And I can give her that," Qui-Gon answered. Pointedly he looked down at his former Master, " And you can make it right with the Council."
" Be careful what advantage you take, Qui-Gon," Yoda said, softly. But knowing well Qui-Gon's single-minded determination, Yoda twisted his head to look up at the tall Jedi. " If Anareal you must have, take her and go."
Qui-Gon gave Yoda a low, respectful bow. He had certainly expected more of a struggle. He crossed the room in long strides, dark robe billowing around him, until he had reached the sandbox again.
This time she smiled when she saw him.
" Hello, again," he said, crouching down," What did you make for me?"
She gestured and he looked in wonder. In perfect 3-D, she had created a sand image of the two of them. He could see the folds of his robe, the hint of his lightsabre hidden within; she had captured the smoothness of his backswept hair and the detail of the short braid at the back of his head. Every detail of his leonine features was there, etched in sand; and standing next to his sand statue, she had recreated her own tiny form, her hand in his.
" I'm going with you, aren't I?" she asked," Master Yoda told me that a Jedi Master would come today and chose an apprentice. You're going to teach me about the Force."
Qui-Gon sat back on his heels, caught off guard. "Master Yoda said that?"
" Yes," she nodded, eyes wide and innocent.
Qui-Gon looked back over his shoulder, but Master Yoda was gone. He turned back to the child in front of him.
" Yes, I would like to take you as my apprentice," he said, " To do that, I will first make you two promises. I promise to teach you everything I know; and I will never lie to you. I give you my word as Jedi Master. Now I want two promises from you."
Anareal nodded solemnly. Her face, her expression seemed wiser, older, than it should, and somehow not out of place.
" You must always do your best, and you must never lie to me."
" I promise," she said," My word as your apprentice."
" Do you wish to go with me?" Qui-Gon asked," You have a choice, you know."
" Yes, I'll go with you," she said," I saw you in a dream. I knew you would come for me."
Slightly off-balance again, he said, "Were you awake when you had this dream, Anareal?"
She nodded, " Sometimes I have dreams when I'm awake," she said." Like marrying the Prince and going to live in a castle by a sea; and last week when I saw you."
Blessed Light. He hadn't even been on Coruscant last week, She has visions and an unusual amount of talent moving objects, at least small ones.
" Then let's go and get your things. You'll be moving to my quarters."
They stood and Anareal's hand comfortably disappeared in his. As they left the room, Anareal's sculpture slowly dissolved back into a pile of sand.
Chapter 2
They found Yoda already in Anareal's room, collecting her things and ordering droids to take them to Qui-Gon's quarters. Qui-Gon had glared at his former Master, but Yoda had only ignored him, refused to looked up as he bustled around the small bed and rummaged through Anareal's trunk to make sure they hadn't forgotten anything important.
Sighing theatrically, Qui-Gon had asked her to say good bye. She had first bowed respectfully to Master Yoda, thanking him for finding her a new Master but then leaned forward to kiss him on the cheek. Qui-Gon had quickly turned his laugh into a cough. When Yoda looked up at him, Qui-Gon was carefully studying the pattern in the window curtains.
Qui-Gon knew the Jedi children were encouraged to ask questions, but he was still surprised by Anareal's curiosity. She asked him about everything they saw between the Jedi Tower and the building where he resided, absorbing his answer completely before launching into her next question. Then she asked,
" Are you going to keep cutting my hair? I don't like having it short. They cut it all the time at the Temple. I want it long, but they said that all apprentices had to have short hair for training. Your hair is long."
Off-balance once again, Qui-Gon looked down to find her gazing at him seriously. He turned to face her and knelt," It would be a shame to cut such beautiful hair. But it is important for you to be able to see, so we'll have to keep it off your face. Here, I know."
He reached into a pocket inside his robe and pulled out two extra hair band and a comb. He turned her all the way around and began smoothing the sides of her hair back into a ponytail like his, securing it with one of the bands. He turned her back and separated out a small section that he twisted into a Padawan braid. He placed his hands on her shoulders and smiled at her, " Will that do?"
She nodded.
" It isn't too tight?" he asked.
" No, it's fine," She said.
"Anareal," he said, mildly, "From now on, I want you to address me as Master. If I ask you a question, you will say yes or no Master. Is that clear?"
" Yes, Master," she replied.
Then came the quintessential childhood question,
" Are we there yet?" A pause, " Master?"
They entered his quarters and Qui-Gon casually tossed his robe onto the arm of the couch. Anareal crept in slowly, looking around tentatively. She glanced up at him and he gave her an encouraging smile and nod. Behind them came the one of the building's protocols droids, followed by a service droid with all of Anareal's things.
" Will you be needing anything else, Master Qui-Gon," TC-31 asked.
Qui-Gon turned to the protocol droid, " Just that list of things I've already given you," he said, "and put those things in the spare bedroom. Thank you, TC-31."
" Of course, sir," TC-31 answered in her clipped tones.
The droids moved off down a short hallway and Qui-Gon went to join Anareal at a window. She was looking out at the vast expanse of city, both below her and above her. For a moment, she resembled a small princess, observing her kingdom.
" Do you like the view?" he asked.
She twisted to look up at him, taking a step back to see his face. Light, he thought, I must seem gigantic. Spontaneously, he picked her up and she gasped and clutched at his shirt.
" It's alright," he soothed," Did I frighten you?"
" No," she shook her head," You just startled me. I didn't get picked up much."
" Well, that will have to change," he said, "You can expect to be picked up now and often."
" You're so tall," she said, looking down at the floor.
"That will not change," he said," But as you grow up, I won't seem so tall. Come, I want to show you something."
The front door clicked shut behind the departing droids and Qui-Gon briefly held out a hand, using the Force to engage the lock.
" Can I....May I do that, Master?" Anareal asked.
" Do you know what I did?" She nodded quickly and he said, " Then try to unlock it."
She imitated his hand gesture, a deep frown of concentration creased her lovely face and several heartbeats passed before Qui-Gon felt a ripple in the Force and heard the distinctive sound of his front door unlocking.
" Good," he said, "Well done. Do you wish to lock it again?"
" Uh-huh, can I...oh, may I?" a pause, "Master?" At his nod, her little frown of concentration reappeared and the click of the door locking came almost immediately.
She smiled in delight and Qui-Gon felt as if he had been given a gift. The weight of her in his arms was a pleasure he hadn't expected. Her leaf-green eyes were lit with happiness.
" Is that what you wanted to show me?" she asked.
"No, that's through here," he said, moving towards a tall glass door and opening it with a wave of his hand. He stepped through....
And into a garden.
Anareal gasped again, in pure delight. '"Oh," she whispered," Oh,oho,oh,..."
She squirmed and he put her down and watched her skip away from him down a slate path. She stopped in front of a little waterfall, surrounded by plants and looked back at him in wonder.
" Did you make this?"
He spread his hands in a gesture of humility and shook his head, " No, I'm not so talented. I have a gardener, a Ho'Din. He did this for me. Living on Coruscant can be hard when you are attuned to the Living Force." he went to join her and sat down on the edge of the pool. "There are many beings here, of course. But the Force is created by all living things What you see here are all the things that used to grow freely on Corscant, or as many of them as we could get to thrive in this environment. You may come out here whenever you like - to play, to read, to sleep...."
He was interrupted by a fish splashing in the pond and Anareal clapped her hands in glee, " But mostly when you are in this garden, I want you to listen to the Force. Try to feel its presence and hear what it is saying. The Living Force is strong here and I sense that you hear it. Anareal, are you listening to me?"
She was gazing intently at the water and he turned to see what she was doing. In the middle of the pond, Anareal had created another sculpture, this one of a little fish, entirely of water. Qui-Gon was astonished at first and then shook his head ruefully.
" I'm going to have to get you something to sculpt with, aren't I?" he asked, softly.
The little fish dissolved with a ripple and she looked back at him. " I'm hungry," she said.
" Then let's eat," he said, rising smoothly and sweeping her into his arms again. She shrieked, this time with laughter, and he carried her back inside to their small kitchen.
Qui-Gon quickly got used to the phrase, " Can I do that?" Anareal asked him that repeatedly throughout the preparation of their evening meal. She floated bowls to him, opened and closed doors and drawers, - all using the Force. Qui-Gon was amazed by her energy. He distracted her from the flames under the cooking pots, half afraid that she would sculpt something out of them. He had watched her work with earth and water. He wouldn't be the least surprised if she could make fire and air dance to her will.
He lifted her up to sit on the kitchen counter and handed her a stalk of seleri. " Will you chop that for me?" he asked.
" Yes, Master," she said. Anareal held out her hand in the direction of a sharp paring knife and Qui-Gon had just enough time to turn his head as it went sailing past. He actually felt the wind of its passing as it sped by his ear. He countered Force with Force and stopped the knife just before it imbedded itself in the wall. It came to him slowly then, its handle landing safely in his open palm.
Anareal was gazing up at him through her lashes, biting her lower lip with her teeth.
" Master?" her voice quivered," I'm sorry."
There was fear in her eyes, and it chilled him. Was she afraid of him? A lightsabre in his heart would have hurt less than that thought. What could have happened to her to make her fear adults? She had lived her whole life in the Temple. No one there would harm a child.
" It's alright, Anareal," he said, " You didn't do it on purpose."
" I almost sliced your ear off," she said, but she lifted her head a little.
Qui-Gon made an amused, dismissive noise, " You're going to have to work harder than that if you want to take the ear off a Jedi Master. But, you could have hurt yourself. Until I teach you some control, if you want something sharp, just go get it."
" Yes, Master," she said, hope sparked in her eyes, "You're really not mad at me?"
" No," he said, soft, firm, wrapping his voice around her like a blanket," I'm not mad at you. "
Anareal launched herself at him, throwing her slim arms around his neck in a choke-hold hug. Qui-Gon was stunned by the gesture. He hesitated, and then hugged her back, his arms loose but reassuring. "Chop that for me now, okay?" he asked.
" Yes, Master."
They finished preparing dinner without any further disruptions and her fear seemed to dissolve as if it had never been. She ate everything he offered her and didn't leave a scrap on her plate. He wasn't sure where someone so small put so much food. Anareal ate almost as much as he did. She finished her last bite, wiped her mouth with the back of her hand and asked,
" How long will I live here, Master?"
That surprised him. He thought she had understood the Master -Padawan arrangement. He leaned towards her and placed his hand over hers.
" Always," he said, with conviction," This is your home now. You are my Padawan learner and I am your Jedi Master until that time when you become a Jedi yourself. Even after that, you can live here. We belong to each other now, Anareal, until you decide that it is time to leave."
She absorbed all he said, looking at him now with such solemn eyes.
" Is there any desert?" she asked, and Qui-Gon clenched his teeth to keep from laughing.Qui-Gon was pleased that she helped him clean up without being told. He felt nothing of anger or defiance in her. Except for fear, Anareal seemed to live in the Light. Her basic nature was composed of seriousness and curiosity. But Qui-Gon sensed that the Darkside had already tested her somehow.
"Master, will you read to me?" she asked, when they had swept up the last crumb and put the last dish away.
"Do you like to be read to?" He asked.
" Yes, Master," she nodded eagerly.
" Then just try to stop me," he told her. "There are books in the other room. Go get ready for bed, wash your face and hands and you may chose a book from there."
He helped her unpack a nightshirt and showed her the 'fresher room. Then he went back out to the living room and sank down on the couch. Not until he sat down did he realize how tired he was. Quieting his mind, he closed his eyes and let the Force fill him, reconnecting himself to the galaxy. He slitted his eyes open again to the sound of her bare feet skipping into the room. Her floor length sleep shirt was made up of swirls of pale green and pale blue and white, like she was wearing a forest mist. Her hair was loose again, except for her braid, the edges wet from washing her face. She looked like a fairy sprite.
Anareal went to the book shelf and spent a few moments scanning titles. Qui-Gon wondered how well she could read and determined to find out. He also wondered what he could possibly have on that shelf that would interest her. It was mostly Jedi History. But she did pick a book and came to join him. Qui-Gon moved over to make room for her beside him, but she surprised him by climbing straight into his lap. She handed him the book and reached out to take hold of his discarded robe. Wrapping herself in its heavy folds, she snuggled down against him and rested her head against his chest.
And Qui-Gon's heart was lost.
He could feel it beating still, clearly still where it belonged. But he knew that he had just lost it to this little girl. The soft scent of her filled his head, soap and innocence. He gently kissed the top of her silky hair.
Qui-Gon started to speak and found that he had to clear his throat first.
" What did you bring to read, hmm?"
" It's about Ki-Adi-Mundi. I think," she said.
Qui-Gon looked at the title and nodded. It was about that Jedi Master.
" This is the tale of his adventures on Tattooine..."
"Where the Krayt Dragons live," she interrupted, looking up at him.
" Mmm-hmm" he answered, opening the first page. It was a holobook and when the pages were opened, miniature holograms sprang up to help tell the story.
Anareal sat unmoving as Qui-Gon spun the story of Ki-Adi-Mundi's journey to Tattooine to bring back a wayward Jedi. It wasn't really a story book, but he did what he could to make it interesting. She shrank into him, her breathing coming in long slow breaths when Jabba the Hutt appeared, eyes shining during the lightsabre battle, lost in the story and the sound of his deep, smooth voice. But by the time Ki-Adi-Mundi had defeated Jabba and reclaimed the lost Jedi Knight, Anareal was sound asleep.
He closed the book and set it aside. Then he held her for a little while, watching her face. Her long black lashes lay against her porcelain cheeks, hiding those vivid eyes. One of her tiny feet had slipped out from under his robe. Qui-Gon found himself wondering what he had gotten into.
Then he picked her up, using the Force to gather the extra folds of his robe, and carried her to her room. Arms full, he used the Force to turn down her covers and then gently placed her on the sheets. It wasn't like him to use his power for so many trivial things, but he didn't usually have his arms full with a sleeping 4 year old. He stood and tried to take back his robe, but she clutched it tightly and rolled over to wrap more of it around her, murmuring something incoherent.
" Alright," he whispered, smoothing back her hair," Just for tonight."
But it was only the first of many times that Anareal would sleep wrapped safely in her Master's Jedi robe.
