Disclaimer: It's not mine. This is George Lucas's toybox and I'm just playing in it for a while. The only characters that belong to me are Rhiannon Kai, Dewey Solo, Cami Antilles, Dallen and Sharee Naberrie. Enjoy!

Chapter 1

It was a long, arduous mission and sixteen-year-old Obi-Wan Kenobi was glad to be back at the Jedi Temple where he could continue his studies. Ansion was always a time bomb waiting to go off in his opinion, and he was glad they were able to quell this latest border dispute.

"You did well, my young apprentice," Qui-Gon was saying softly. "You have a natural gift for negotiation."

"Thank you, Master," Obi-Wan replied, smiling with pleasure under the praise. "I just went with my instincts."

"Exactly what you are to do, Obi-Wan."

At that moment, Obi-Wan felt an indefinable urgency, but he knew that urgency was propelling him to the Crèche. "Master, I need to go to the Crèche; we both do."

Qui-Gon nodded, letting his apprentice lead him.

When they got there, they could feel a ripple in the Force. It was obvious it centered around two new arrivals. Two bassinets, one with blue trim and the other pink, were on the other side of the room, resting against the wall and soft baby's cries were coming from the both of them.

Liana, the Crèche master, flashed a harried smiled. "Forgive me, Master Jinn. Two new babies were born here today and everything's been chaotic since."

Qui-Gon smiled as he walked toward the blue trimmed bassinet. "No need for apologies, Master Liana," he said as he saw Obi-Wan walking toward the pink trimmed bassinet. "What's known about these two new arrivals?"

"Little Rhiannon Kai was born early this morning," Liana replied then her eyes flashed sadness. "Her mother died giving birth to her. Had her mother lived, she would've been allowed to raise the baby here in the Temple."

Qui-Gon knew exactly what she meant. The Jedi Council had finally lifted the ban on attachments, and were beginning to implement it in stages. It was obvious they'd planned to have little Rhiannon and the baby boy in the blue bassinet be raised by their mothers here in the Temple.

"And the boy?" he asked, prompting Liana.

"His mother, Shmi Skywalker, came to us for sanctuary," she told him. "Her father threatened to sell her into slavery if she didn't reveal who'd fathered her child. She couldn't explain how she came to be pregnant. She gave birth to him this morning as well."

"Is she all right?"

"She's going to be fine." Liana smiled. "She wants to name the boy Anakin."

Qui-Gon smiled. "Good name; Anakin is Coruscanti for warrior."

Oblivious to the conversation going on about the infant boy, Obi-Wan gently reached down and picked the little girl up out of her bassinet. At first she whimpered and acted frightened, but settled into his arms. Her eyelids fluttered and opened, revealing blue eyes, but Obi-Wan sensed they'd turn brown before long.

The baby yawned and Obi-Wan chuckled, cuddling her against his shoulder, swaddling and all. /Sorry if I woke you, little one/, his mind whispered to hers.

Force, how did I do that?

He was firmly directed to a rocking chair by another Padawan, who bade him sit with the baby. "Her name's Rhiannon, Padawan Kenobi," the Padawan, who was a young Twi'lek, told him softly.

He nodded. "That's a pretty name, little one," he whispered softly to the baby. She sighed softly, feeling safe in his arms.

Qui-Gon watched the interaction between his Padawan and the baby in his arms and felt a shift in the Force. A bond is forming between them, he thought. When he realized what kind of bond it was, he almost gasped.

It can't be!

Soul bonds between two individuals was a rare thing indeed; when it happened, it usually did so between two mature adults, not a teenage Padawan and a newborn infant. There must be a reason that the Force decided to let this bond be formed between them, Qui-Gon decided. I will meditate on it further and discuss it with my apprentice later.

Leaving the baby girl in the Crèche was the hardest thing Obi-Wan Kenobi had to do, but he reluctantly left Rhiannon in her bassinet and went back to the quarters he shared with his mentor.

Seeing the stern look on Qui-Gon's face did not surprise him one bit. "Master," he began, but the older man cut him off.

"Sit down, my apprentice." Qui-Gon's tone left no room for argument and Obi-Wan sat down.

"I noticed your attachment to the baby girl today." Qui-Gon sighed. "What happened today was the will of the Force."

"I don't understand, Master. I was just spending time with her."

"Search your feelings, my apprentice; search your thoughts."

Obi-Wan obeyed, and was surprised to find…cooing? "What is that?" he asked.

"Your bondmate," Qui-Gon replied. "The baby girl, Rhiannon. What you formed with her is a rare thing indeed; it is a soul bond and usually happens between two adults, not between a teenage Padawan and an infant.

"However, it has happened, and that means there are decisions that will have to be made. The Council will have to be told."

"Will I not be allowed to spend time with her again?" the teenager asked. "I don't want her to think…"

"No; Master Yoda is more forward thinking than you give him credit for. After all, he's the one who proposed lifting the ban on attachments." Qui-Gon smiled. "If anything, you might be confined here at the Temple for a time to strengthen your bond with her."

Obi-Wan smiled with relief. He loved her already, but that love wasn't the kind that was in a soul bond, at least not yet.

Qui-Gon could feel his Padawan's thoughts churning. Obi-Wan loved the baby already; the bond would allow them to have a protective big brother-baby sister relationship and from there it would grow and mature as they did. They were only sixteen years apart, and when the time was right, their love would blossom into what it was meant to be.

I just won't be there to see it, he thought to himself.