HI!
Ok, I've had this idea for a while... and have been hesitant on actually trying it on here, since I like Star Wars, but I'm not the biggest fan.... but I do like this idea.
BTW: I haven't read Jedi Apprentice, so that whole realm does not exist to me. Sorry, but if I don't know about it, why act like I do? This is based off of my own imagination and the movie series. (And this is sorta AU, so....)
If I seriously mess something up, just let me know and I'll fix it. Please don't be rude about it.
This is just the intro.
Qui Gon Jinn sat on a chair in the dark room, reaching out to his padawan, who was in the Jedi Temple. He took in a deep breath and relished in the warmth and comfort that the Force around him gave off.
'Master, why are you up this late?'
'I felt your uneasiness.'
'Yeah right, you just couldn't sleep, am I right?'
'That's part of it.' The older man smiled. 'What is wrong padawan?'
'...I have a bad feeling about something... I feel like something's going to happen.'
'Relax Obi Wan, calm your mind. Make sure your focus is here and now.'
'Yes Master. But why do I feel this uneasiness?'
'It could be anything. Perhaps you are feeling anxiety over your mathematics test tomorrow.' He could feel Obi Wan smirking.
'At least I understand it! You don't'
'I haven't seen that kind of torture since I was your age. I always hated mathematics...'
'I think everyone does Master.'
The two meditated in silence for a while longer, until Qui Gon opened his eyes and realized that the moon was at it's highest point in the sky.
'Obi Wan, you must go to sleep now.'
'Yes Master.' He could feel Obi Wan yawn over their Empathy link.
'Goodnight Master. I love you.'
'Goodnight young one. I love you too.' Qui Gon smiled again and stood up, his knees popping. He turned to go back to bed when he saw his wife sitting on a chair behind him.
"What are you doing up?" He smiled as she stood up.
"Karine woke me up a little while ago... I noticed you were gone, but still felt your presence, so I went looking for you." She smiled and wrapped her arms around his waist. He held her close.
"I feel a disturbance in the Force." She murmured quietly into his chest.
"As do I. Obi Wan feels it too." He said. He found himself gazing into a pair of ocean blue eyes.
"What's going on?" She whispered. He shook his head.
"I don't know." He hugged her close. The Force was telling him that something bad was about to happen. "I just wish I knew what was going to happen..."
"Maybe it's nothing." She smiled. "I'm going back to bed. If you're going to stay up longer, can you check on Karine before you come to bed?" He nodded and watched her go back into their bedroom. He sat down again and crossed his legs. He continued meditating, trying to figure out what was going to happen.
He reached out to the Force and cleared his mind. Almost immediately, the warm comfort of the Force filled his body. He sighed and focused on the discomfort that seemed to be plaguing everyone around him. He searched for any sign of trouble for almost an hour, but found nothing. Frustrated, he stood up and walked to his daughter's room. He silently opened the door and glanced in on the youngling. He crept over to her crib.
His young daughter, who was only a year old, slept soundly in her crib. Her brown hair was spread out behind her head in a fan. Around her neck was a thin silver chain. Dangling on her right shoulder was a small silver star with a small blue crystal in the middle. The necklace reflected moonlight onto her face as she slept contentedly. He smiled and gently brushed a stray lock of hair with the others. He quietly left her room and returned to his own.
Both felt the Force warning them before it happened, but not soon enough. Qui Gon and Emalia shot out of bed, fully alert when the explosions started. Qui Gon ignited his lightsaber.
"What happened?" Emalia called him. She had just come out of Karine's room. She held the silently crying infant in her arms.
"I don't know." He said and went into the main room, looking out the large window. In the skyline, he could see the Temple. Smoke was coming out of the side of the building, and he saw the top was engulfed in flames. His heart lept into his throat.
"Emaila..." He choked out, fearing for Obi Wan's sake. She came up behind him and gasped.
"The Temple..."
"I have to go." He said, turning to her. She looked frightened, but she nodded.
"I know. Just be careful." He nodded and kissed her forehead. He ran into their bedroom and threw on his tunic, boots, and his cloak.
"Will you be alright here?" He asked her as he laced his boots. She smiled.
"I'm not totally defenseless." She opened the door for him. "Go, make sure Obi Wan's alright, and do whatever you can to help." He kissed her again and left.
Qui Gon sped through the congested airways of Coruscant
'Obi Wan...Can you hear me?'
He heard him groan. 'M-Master? What's wrong?'
'Do you know where Master Yoda is?'
'Probably asleep, as you should be! What's wrong?'
'Are you hurt?'
'No... why would I be?'
Qui Gon landed at the Temple and looked around. The fire was gone and there was nothing out of the ordinary. He Forced open a door and ran through the maze-like hallways of the Temple. At once he knew nothing was wrong. The building was silent, and there was a calm feeling in the air.
'What happened?'
'Master? Is something wrong?'
'Didn't you hear the explosions?'
'What explosions? There were no explosions Master.' Qui Gon was just outside of Yoda's door. Just as he was about to knock, it opened.
"Qui Gon, late of you to come calling, it is." The old Jedi said with a smile.
"Master Yoda," Qui Gon bowed quickly, confused. "I was awakened by the sound of explosions. I looked out my window and saw the Temple burning. When I arrived here however, everything is fine."
"Hmm... a nightmare, this was not, I take it."
"No Master."
"An Illusion, it may have been."
"An Illusion?"
"Yes. Using the Force to trick you, someone may be."
"That would require immense power."
"Yes... most curious this is."
"But Master, I don't get it. Why-"
For the second time that night, Qui Gon felt the Force warning him. He could feel Yoda tense seconds before him. A large explosion nearby pulled him out of his thoughts. Yoda made his way over to a window. Qui Gon followed him to see what had happened.
"No Illusion, this is." Yoda said grimly. Not that far away, a building was burning. It took him a moment, but Qui Gon realized that it was his home.
"Emalia! Karine!" He hissed and ran out, sprinting for the speeder. As he ran through the halls, faster than he had ever run before, he passed a small child. The child turned to look at the man who had passed him in wonder.
"Master?" Obi Wan wondered as he made his way to Yoda's room. The old Jedi was outside the room, sending a droid to Master Windu.
"Master Yoda." He bowed quickly and explained his Empathetic conversation with Qui Gon, and how he had heard explosions.
"Hmm... no accident this is. Deliberate and planned, this attack was." He went back to the window, Obi Wan following shyly.
"But why?"
"Discovered Karine and Emalia, someone did. Angry, they are." Both turned as Mace Windu entered the room, looking a little sleepy still.
"What's wrong?" He followed Yoda's gaze and his eyes widened.
"What happened?" He asked, his voice steady. Obi Wan sunk in a chair and held his head. The older men continued to talk in hushed tones while he tried to reach out to his master. Qui Gon was blocking him out, though. Obi Wan suddenly was afraid. If his master was blocking him out, then this must be worse than he thought.
Qui Gon stopped the speeder and looked in the large window of the building. He could see smoke pouring in from under the door. Hopefully, the fire was far away from Emalia and Karine. He hesitated a moment and kicked the window. It shattered and smoke burst out. He coughed and carefully entered the apartment. Everything was destroyed. He crouched low to the ground and ignited his lightsaber. He checked in Karine's bedroom. Her crib was overturned, and there was a small pool of blood. He moved her blanket, hoping that he wouldn't find her there, dead. He lifted it and found only her necklace. He scooped it into his large hand and check his bedroom next. Laying against the wall, burned and bloody was his wife.
"Emalia... can you hear me?" He wiped dirt and blood off of her face and her eyes fluttered. She coughed a little blood up and gave him a small smile. Her teeth were stained with blood. He cringed involuntarily.
"Are you alright?" She asked him, pressing her hand to his cheek. He covered her hand with his own and chuckled.
"Now why are you worried about me?" She gave him a small smile and coughed more blood up. He could feel her fading away.
"I'm going to get you to a Healer, then you'll be fine, alright? Just let me find Karine and-"
"No... it's too late for me." She said with a weak smile. He brushed her hair out of her face and tried to pick her up.
"No.... it's too late. Go... help some of the others. It's my time now..."
"No..."
"Karine...gone..." She tried to say more, but she had a coughing fit. Blood spilled out from in between her fingers. He wiped more off of her face. Blood now stained his hands. He grabbed her hand.
"What do you mean, Karine's gone?" He was desperate. If he was going to lose her, then he was going to do anything to at least save Karine.
"She's gone... I no longer feel her..." Tears leaked out of her eyes. He could hear her breath rattling now.
"Please, don't die." He whispered.
"You promised the Council that you would let me die if the time came." She grip on his hand was getting weaker and weaker.
"I know." He wiped a trickle of blood from her mouth. Her eyes began to dim. He locked eyes with her and felt the Force die within her. She gasped quietly and died.
Obi Wan felt it first. he felt the pain and grief that his master did. He looked up to Master Yoda and Master Windu.
"She's dead." He gasped, as Qui Gon's anguish became his own. He had cared for her as well; Emalia was like a mother to him.
"What of the child?" Master Windu asked Yoda. He closed his eyes once more.
"As for the child, I cannot see." Yoda said. The group all looked towards the burning building. Obi Wan suddenly felt himself leaving.
He walked down the long hallways of the temple, trying to once again reach out to his master. Even though he was still young, he needed to make sure his master was alright. 7 year old Kenobi finally opened a door that led him outside. He leaned on the balcony and closed his eyes, his head pounding. The tears came, and he let them stream down his face. He turned as a speeder landed on the landing pad. He leaned over the balcony facing the pad, watching to see who it was. Qui Gon climbed out and made eye contact with the boy. Obi Wan held it for a moment, then tore away and ran into the Temple. He turned right and ran down the hallway. Halfway to the landing pad, he met his master. They both stopped and looked at each other.
"Master?" He looked up at the older man, his eyes tearing up again. Qui Gon walked forward to the boy. He knelt down and hugged the shaking boy. Obi Wan buried his face in his master's tunic, and Qui Gon held him close.
Qui Gon released the boy and wiped a tear off of his cheek. "Obi Wan... everything's going to be alright. I promise." He held the boys gaze and ruffled his hair with a small smile. The child looked up at his master and wiped one of the older man's tears away. Qui Gon laughed quietly and stood up, his hand on the boys shoulder as they walked down the hall.
"What is going to happen now?" He heard his young apprentice ask quietly, hardly above a whisper.
"I wish I knew Obi Wan." He sighed heavily, feeling very old all of a sudden. The pair stopped and looked at each other. Obi Wan gave his master a hug, letting more tears fall.
'You know, I won't think bad of you if you need to cry.' He said mentally to his master. The older man hugged him.
'I know. Thank you my Obi Wan.'
Qui Gon knelt in front of the Jedi Council, or at least part of it. There were only four Masters in attendance: Yoda, Windu, Mundi, and Fisto. They were the only ones who knew about Karine, and the only ones who would know. He sighed heavily and saw his vision blurring as Yoda spoke about his wife and daughter.
"Qui Gon." He lifted his head and turned to the speaker. "We will bury Emalia in the Memorial Garden, and we will put a stone in for Karine."
"Yes Master Mundi."
"We shall mark it however." Qui Gon looked at him, bewildered.
"It's no longer necessary to keep Karine a secret." Master Windu said with a sympathetic look. Qui Gon nodded numbly.
"Yes Master."
"Qui Gon, take time to grieve, you must. But, linger on this grief, you cannot."
"Yes Master." He felt like a robot. He just wanted to leave.
"May the Force be with you." Yoda said, dismissing the somber man. He bowed and slowly left the room. Obi Wan was outside.
"What was that about Master?" He asked, falling in step with his Master.
"The Memorial Garden." He said quickly, a small tear running down his cheek. He discreetly wiped it away as they reached the apartment where they would now be living.
"Master? I know you probably don't want to hear this, but I know how you're feeling, sorta." He looked at the boy in wonder.
"My parents were killed when I was younger. I miss them still, but it gets better. I promise." He gave his master a half-hearted smile. Qui Gon returned it and ruffled the boy's hair as he walked into his room. He then sat on the edge of his bed and pulled something out from underneath his tunic. Around his neck was a small silver chain with a silver star pendant on it. In the middle of the star was a small blue crystal. He turned it over in his fingers before tucking it out of sight again. He sighed and dropped his head forward into his hands.
Obi Wan woke up late that morning. He looked at his chrono and let out a yelp. He scrambled out of bed and got dressed, only to discover that he was the only person in the apartment. There was a note, however, taped to his Master's door.
Obi Wan,
Don't panic, I let you sleep in today. I figured with all that's been happening lately, you should get some extra sleep. I only wish I could sleep.
If you find this, then I'm at the Memorial Garden, and will probably be back in a while. Eat something, then meditate until I return. I'll be back soon.
Obi Wan ignored the note and exited the apartment. As he walked through the maze-like halls, he realized that people were whispering, about him and his master.
"... and apparently he was married..."
"...didn't make it, neither of them did..."
"...I heard it was deliberate..."
"...leaving the Order?"
He tried to ignore the comments, but there were so many, it was near impossible. He started walking faster and faster until he reached his destination. The Jedi Memorial Garden.
The grassy area was on a balcony. All Jedi, padawans, and even younglings were buried there, unles they had other wishes. There were trees with hanging branches, bushes, and flowers everywhere. He wove his path past hundreds of marble tombstones until he was at the back. He saw his master kneeling on the ground. There was a medium sized, modest tombstone in front of him, and next to it was a smaller one. He stood a ways back and watched his master mourn quietly.
"Obi Wan... would you like to join me?" He asked quietly. The boy hesitated, but then kneeled next to his master.
'Are you meditating?'
'Yes. Did you this morning?'
'No,' He admitted sheepishly, 'I found the note and wanted to make sure you were alright.'
He heard his master sigh next to him. 'Obi Wan, when it comes to death, nobody is alright. But eventually, we heal.'
'Yes Master. I remember hearing that somewhere.'
'As for us Jedi, we must not let it get to us. We can mourn, but we must recover quickly and return to our duty.'
'That's a little unfair.'
'Yes, but Jedi also aren't suppossed to be married, or have children.' Qui Gon gave a small smile, thinking of all they had to go through to get married.
'Master?' Obi Wan asked after a moment.
'Yes?'
'I miss them.' He looked over at his apprentice, who was meditating, tears silently streaming down his face.
'I do too.' He thought, his heart aching. 'I do too.'
'Why did this happen?'
'Master Yoda seems to think that it was an intentional attack.'
'Are you going to find them?'
'No. Master Yoda said that revenge is not the Jedi way, so I'm not going on the mission. Master Mundi is.'
'He'll find them.'
'I know. I just wish I could find them...'
'Master, watch your thoughts.'
He smiled. 'Yes Obi Wan.'
'Master?' Obi Wan asked after a moment of silence between them.
'You're just full of questions today, aren't you?'
'As always.'
'What is it?'
'..never mind.'
'Alright. If you want to talk about it, just let me know. I'll be here.' Qui Gon smiled and stood up. Obi Wan followed his example.
"Come on, let's go get something to eat." He put his hand on Obi Wan's back and the pair left the Garden. Both looked back at Emalia and Karine's graves at least once on their way out.
Ok, nice long starting chapter for you!
reviews and constructive criticism are very welcome, and no flames. I laugh at flames and often reply with a nasty comment back, so let's just not flame, huh?
i'll post more soon. :) *huggs*
