Author's Note: Hi all! This is my first Star Wars fanfic in a while, so forgive the rough spots, which are bound to be many. I'd love contsructive critisism and tips to make the cannon characters believable, even though this is an AU.

Oh, and George Lucas owns all except my planet and origional characters!

"Are you sure you want to do this, milady?"

It took all of Ivra's will not to snarl back a retort. Of course she didn't. What mother would? Clutching the bundle of blankets to her chest, she shrugged her rain coat even more tightly around her. The mist was steady, but she didn't want to risk anything happening to her son.

"Milady?"

"Do I have a choice, Garel?" She growled, then released a heavy sigh. It wasn't her bodyguard's fault, though she longed for someone to blame besides herself. "If he stays here, he'll die for sure. This is the only way he'll survive long enough to make a difference."

Garel made no effort to disguise his doubt. A frown creased his pale brow. "Do you really think he'll come back? It'll take decades for him to be ready. With the teachings of the Temple, he might not want to."

Ivra peered up at the sky, searching for the ship that would take him away. Her heart twisted at the thought. There would always be a risk. The earth rumbled beneath her feet, tremors of the destruction a dozen miles away. She bit her lip hard enough to draw blood. No, the Jedi was right. If her son had any chance of surviving, it would be at the Temple on Coruscant. "Maybe not, but if the coup's plans go through, by the time he's grown, the Council will have to take notice. They'll send him because he's from here. The Jedi promised that much."

"You'll forgive me if I won't believe in his promises until he follows through," Garel muttered. His helmeted head jerked upwards. "Got a Jedi starfighter on my HUD, milady. At least he's on time."

It wasn't the cold that made Ivra quiver as the ship's lights turned the private landing pad as bright as day. What she was doing went against everything she'd been taught as well as a mother's instinct. Some part of her that was still a young girl and terrified tried to urge her to run away. Keep her son, her first, hard-won son, with her as long as possible. She'd wished for too long to have a child to send him away three days after bringing him into the world.

"The Force is strong in your son, Ivra. He needs to be trained as a Jedi. Do you think the Governor will ignore him simply because of who his father is? Right now, the Temple is the safest place for him."

Wincing as the Jedi's words came back to haunt her, Ivra forced her doubts and personal feelings aside. No, the planet would be the worst place for her son to grow up. Always hunted for who he wasn't not for who he was. He needed to leave Arbanyu. Now.

"Lady Ivra?" The silhouette of the Jedi appeared in the brightness of the lights, long robes billowing in the wind. It was impossible to make out any details in the contrast, but his silver head and beard were unmistakable.

Taking a deep breath, Ivra stepped out from beneath the temporary shelter of the tree. "I'm here Master Jedi. Just like you knew I would be." She crossed the distance in just a few strides, cradling her son to her chest. "You're right, as usual."

The Jedi turned and some of his ebony face became visible. A grim smile tightened his features. "Believe me, at times I wish I wasn't. At first I was sure you didn't make it out of the city. The Governor's soldiers had nearly every street burning."

"Then I guess I'll have to build a new one." Ivra tried to resurect some of her sense of humor, but faild miserably. A knot of tears choked off her words for a while. "You will watch after him, won't you? See that he becomes apprentice to a good Jedi?" Oh, how she sounded like a lost little girl! Would she never be able to control her voice?

"Of course," the Jedi murmured, his deep bass voice softening. A large hand rested on her shoulder and squeezed. "I intend on taking him as my own Padawan, as a matter of fact. It's the least I can do."

Her heart gave a little leap of joy. "Really? Doesn't the Council assign Padawans?"

"Sometimes, but it isn't uncommon for a Jedi to request a certain one. The pairing would still need the Council's approval, but it's rarely been denied. Don't worry, Ivra. I shall treat him like a son." Strong arms reached out to her.

Slowly, with each inch feeling like a hundred miles, Ivra surrendered her son into the Jedi's arms. The instant he left her touch, the baby wailed loud enough that Garel swore and glanced at the woods nervously. Ivra suppressed her own cry of agony and reached over, parting the blankets just a fraction. Two eyes of an intense silver-grey peered up at her, mirror immages of her own. The blankets prevented him from reaching for her, but Ivra could see the longing in his eyes. He wanted to touch her as much as she wanted to touch him. Before she could give into temptation, she planted a tender kiss on her son's head, slipping a river stone inside. It was all she could give him to remind him of home.

"Milady? I have several marks closing fast from the city," Garel warned, bringing his rifle out of its shoulder holster. "If we're headed for the caves we need to leave now."

Ivra nodded and backed away. "Go, Master Jedi, before I change my mind," she choked out, no longer sure if the streaks on her face were rain-drops or tears.

The Jedi nodded and began to ascend the ramp into the ship. He paused halfway up and turned. "When we spoke, you weren't sure if you wanted to name the boy. Have you decided?"

That, at least, brought a genuine smile to her face, though it was bittersweet. It was the last thing she could give her son to make him hers.

"His name is Qui-Gon, Master Jedi. Qui-Gon Jinn."