Stowaway
Qui-Gon drummed his fingers on the dashboard impatiently.
"Hurry up, Mace," he muttered for what seemed like the hundredth time. The other Jedi had promised to only be a minute.
That was half an hour ago.
Qui-Gon was impatient to leave the crowded little planet and get away from the hundreds of eyes that stared at the ship parked in the space dock. Their mission, to recover a memory chip from a gangster and possibly end the miscreant's dealings had been accomplished hours ago without attracting much attention. The attention would come when the body was found but they were planning on being well away by then. That was, if Mace hurried up. Qui-Gon didn't agree that going back for the other data chips was worthwhile but his fellow Jedi hadn't listened.
Finally he heard Mace open the hatch and started up the engines.
"Did you get what you were looking for?" Qui-Gon asked over his shoulder. The tall Jedi nodded, sinking into a chair.
"All of them. We're ready to go."
Qui-Gon had the ship up in moments, relieved to be away from the crowds. Coruscant was crowded but at least people didn't stare at small spaceships in wonder. Maybe that was arrogance but something about the way people looked at them was grating on Qui-Gon's nerves.
"Qui-Gon," Mace said suddenly. "Do you feel that?" He hadn't been concentrating on anything except flying but at Mace's question he paused to feel the force around them.
It was a wonder how he could have missed it; there was another presence on the ship. Still, in his defence it was appeared to be tiny. Tiny but strong.
"Yes, back near the hatch," he said, turning away from the controls. Mace had already crossed the cabin, opening the door carefully. Qui-Gon stood up behind him, ready for any danger.
"Mace?" he asked as his friend disappeared from sight. A low chuckle was his only response until the Jedi's head popped back into the cabin.
"Come and take a look for yourself," Mace answered with a smile. Qui-Gon's hand left his lightsabre and he followed.
Curled up underneath a cooling pipe was a small bundle of green and brown fuzz. A small round head was visible, along with a long tail and vibrant green hair. Gently Mace poked the bundle. It flinched and the two Jedi were met with massive brown eyes peeping fearfully at them. They could practically see the Force reeling off of the creature. Carefully, Mace reached down to pick it up. The bundle had other ideas, jumping straight out of his hands. They soon saw that it was in fact a humanoid child, dressed in a brown tunic and leggings. Long green hair floated around her head as she pulled herself up onto a grate near the ceiling with her tail.
"Looks like we've got ourselves a stowaway," Qui-Gon muttered softly. "Shall we entice her down with some milk?" Mace shot him an unimpressed glare. They didn't need to discuss what they were going to do about the child. It was hard to say but she looked about three Standard years, maybe less. Whether someone had put her on their ship on purpose or not, she was going to the Temple.
"You drive, I'll try and work out what species she is," Mace told him. "Come on, little one." The child struggled from his grip when he reached up but after kicking the Knight in the face came quietly.
Qui-Gon settled down in the pilot's seat again, taking them back to Coruscant through the emptiness of open space. He turned around when Mace cleared his throat.
"Found her. She's not native to the planet we were on. Her home world is several systems away. Maramalian. Hmm, my guess is that she's about one or two Standard years old. There aren't any documented Jedi coming from her race."
Qui-Gon found a grin creeping onto his face as Mace unconsciously rocked the child up and down on his knee.
"So you're keeping her then?" he asked. The other Jedi looked down at the now sleeping alien and shrugged.
"We're taking her to be trained," Mace answered. "Babies are easier to deal with when they're asleep anyway."
"Anything we should know, she can breathe oxygen and won't die of something she caught off of us, right?" In a galaxy full of different creatures, foundlings had to be handled carefully.
"Similar to humans, with a few exceptions. Nothing here that looks like an immediate problem. We can get her vaccinated back on Coruscant."
"Not to mention the midi-chlorian count," Qui-Gon added. "You can do that now though." He handed his friend a sampler but Mace shook his head.
"She's asleep. I'd rather not have a grumpy toddler monkey around."
"Only because she kicked you. I'll be sure to tell her often enough that as a baby she defeated the great Mace Windu," Qui-Gon laughed. Mace raised an eyebrow and chose to ignore him.
… …
Mace finally took her blood count just before they landed. As expected their stowaway didn't appreciate having a needle stuck in her and began to cry. Qui-Gon reached out to take the sample but instead got handed a wriggling toddler. Nearly dropping her in the process he pinned her arms down but found there wasn't much he could do about the rather annoying tail that kept hitting him in the face.
"You could try and get her to face the other way so that her tail won't reach you, you know," Mace said unhelpfully as the computer read the sample.
"I tried that, it doesn't work. Is that done yet?" Qui-Gon moved to see what the girl's count was but Mace pulled it out before he could read it.
"Six thousand. High enough to be of interest," he said quickly and took the toddler back. "Are we landing at all today?"
Qui-Gon dropped them onto the landing pad and opened the hatch, following Mace. Master Yoda was already waiting for them. The two Jedi bowed, Mace albeit awkwardly due to the baby he was carrying. She had stopped crying now, instead reaching curiously at Mace's cloak.
"Successful, you were I see," Yoda said slowly. "A young one you bring here."
"A stowaway, Master Yoda. Her midi-chlorian count is high enough and we can feel the Force within her. With your permission, I will take her to be trained," answered Mace. The tiny Jedi beckoned for the girl to be brought closer to him.
"Hmm, yes, the Force is strong with her I sense. To training she shall go." The wizened master smiled up at the younger Jedi. "Lucky, she is that on your ship she chose to hide."