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Reflection

by Tammy

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A bit of angst. Mace and Yoda discuss the events on Naboo.

Rating G

Disclaimer: The characters contained herein are the property of George Lucas and no money is being made from their use.

There was no method to the slowness with which he dressed for the celebration. It was a time of joy for the people of Naboo but it was a time of danger and reflection for the Jedi Order. No amount of celebration could take away the loss of a Master from their ranks.

He fastened the belt around his waist and secured it tightly before donning the robe that concealed more than just his well-muscled form. It concealed hands shaking with anger and pain, shoulders that shook ever so slightly with sobs.

"Something troubles you?" A voice asked from behind.

Mace Windu turned and regarded the diminutive Jedi Master with an impassive gaze. He knew better than to hide anything from Master Yoda and sighed deeply, sinking into a nearby chair.

"This whole thing troubles me."

"In the past, it is. Dwell on it we cannot." Yoda walked toward his fellow Master, his blue eyes gazing compassionately at the younger man's trouble features.

"No. But we can learn from it," Windu snapped, his voice a bit harsher than he had intended.

"Upset you are, and with good reason." The diminutive Master took a seat across from Mace, his small legs dangling from the height of the seat. "Lost, we did, a great man. Recover from these events, the Jedi will not for years to come."

Windu closed his eyes, the sadness from the events of the past few days flooding his mind. He had tried to push thoughts of an anguished Padawan's tears cascading down smooth cheeks, away from his mind. The cries of a boy who had lost something more substantial to him than he had ever been granted. The fears and grief surrounding his fellow Council members as they learned together of the death of one of their own.

"I lost a good friend yesterday." Mace leaned on his elbows and stared hard at his fellow Master. "Regardless of whether or not I agreed with his decisions regarding the Council, he was a good friend. His death was…..a needless one."

"What mean you, Master Windu?" Yoda's ears perked at this revelation. Yoda was not alone in his fears and he had spoken to many Council members since Qui-Gon's death to discover just how many of them felt the same way. To his shock, or maybe not, many of the Council members had refused Qui-Gon's requests out of fear. Fear for what it would mean to the Jedi should a very powerful boy be trained under a reckless, renegade Jedi's wing. Fear for what new information on the mysterious man would mean to the Order.

"We did nothing to discover the identity of the being who attacked him on Tatooine. We sent him back to Naboo hoping the creature would follow."

"Feelers we sent, discovered no information, they did."

"And we still let him go."

"Distracted him it did."

Windu nodded. This was another point of discontent with the Council. The Force had instructed him to agree, that the decisions of the Council were correct regarding Qui-Gon's request to train the boy. But his heart had wanted Qui-Gon to be given the chance to train young Anakin.

"Yes, from his persistent pursuit to gain permission to train Anakin Skywalker." Mace sighed.

Yoda nodded and a silence settled between the two before Yoda broke it with a simple phrase.

"His time, it was."

Windu's eyes narrowed wondering why Yoda would say that, how Yoda would know. He bit back a comment, realizing that Yoda had been granted glimpses of the future on many occasions and perhaps this had been one of them.

"If you saw his death, could we not have done something to prevent it? The future is always in motion." Mace leaned forward and rested covered elbows on bent knees. " He was a thorn in our side more than once….on any given mission," Mace added with a small chuckle, "but he was a great Jedi. The likes of whom I fear we will never again see."

"Never again, is correct," Yoda's eyes glazed, as if he was looking into the future, confirming that which he already knew.

"In motion, the future always is. "Yoda continued after a few moments of silence. "His Padawan's maturity, his death has caused. Learned a valuable lesson, Kenobi has. Forget it, he will not."

Windu stared at the diminutive Master.

"Knighted he was because of this lesson he learned."

"I think we have all learned a valuable lesson from Qui-Gon's death." Windu lowered his head, fighting back the cracking in his voice.

"Learned what, have you, Master Windu?"

Mace centered himself before speaking again, causing several minutes of silence to lapse between the two.

Yoda waited patiently for his question to be answered, silently chewing on his gimer stick.

"To live in the moment. To live it as if it might be your last."

Yoda nodded, understanding his friends pain but disagreeing.

"Against the Code, this is."

"Yes. But despite the odds that Qui-Gon was at with the Council, he instilled more loyalty in the individual than anyone I know. He lived his life as he saw fit, and still managed to accomplish his missions with the grace and nobility the life of a Jedi did not permit.

Yoda could not disagree.

"Contact Valorum, you did?"

"Yes. He was quite shaken by the news."

"Good friend he was to Master Qui-Gon."

"Yes he is a good friend, but I fear this news will dishearten him even further. The loss of his Chancellorship was a blow no one expected."

"Yes, in store for many changes, the Republic is." Yoda's gaze shifted inward, as if seeing the future from another perspective.

"I only hope we can survive it."

"Survive it , the Jedi will, Master Windu," Yoda's voice dropped and Mace could sense uncertainty in the comment.

"But at what cost?" Mace leaned back in the chair, trying unsuccessfully to rid himself of his nervousness.

"A great price will there be, I fear."

"Qui-Gon was right, wasn't he?"

Yoda's ears rose with the question. "Served Qui-Gon well, his insight did. The Chosen One, the boy will be."

Mace sighed. "Why do I feel like that is an ominous omen for the Jedi."

"It is, I fear."

"Is it wise, then, to have Kenobi train Anakin?"

"Newly Knighted the boy may be, but better insight and training the boys Master could not have."

"Qui-Gon did right by that boy," Mace leaned back, suddenly regretting all of the hard times he had given Qui-Gon in regards to Obi-Wan's training. Too stern with Obi-Wan, not lenient enough, too harsh and judgmental. Mace realized that it was the exact opposite with the way that his friend had reared his last apprentice Xanatos.

"Kept in line, he was. Strayed off the path of the Jedi, he would have, had Qui-Gon walked alone."

Mace nodded, "He was hurt deeply when Xanatos turned. If he hadn't been convinced to take another apprentice, I fear where he would be today."

"A shining light in the darkness, was Obi-Wan."

"I can feel darkness approaching his soul because of Qui-Gon's death," Mace admitted but was silenced by a raise of Yoda's three fingered hand.

"A light for Obi-Wan will Anakin be."

Yoda arched his head toward the door and sighed. "Coming they are to escort us to the celebration. Discuss this later, we will."

"Yes, Master. I cannot be the only one who feels this conflict within. A meeting of the Council is warranted because of these events. The feelings of the Council members need to be addressed."

Yoda nodded as the door chime rang.

The Jedi Masters stood, straightened their robes and walked to the door. Straightening their shoulders and hardening their gazes into the to the normal impassive stare the Jedi were known for, the doors slid aside.

The celebration had begun.

And so had the changes.