In the Jedi Temple
Author – A Horse Called Hwin
Archive – Master and Apprentice, and…Anywhere! (As long as you could tolerate it.)
Genres – Qui/Obi, Humor, Parody, Alternate-Universe, Romance
Pairing – Qui-Gon Jinn/Obi-Wan Kenobi
Rating – PG-13
Summary – Quoted from an article in the Jedi Temple FREE newspaper, The Midi-Chlorianer: "THREAT ALERT! Level: Red. Risk: High. Category: Evil public media people. Description: A dangerous reporter is now wandering in the Temple, and it was reported that she had sold her soul to the Devil…"
Warning – Perhaps none? By the way, this is a slash (Qui/Obi) fiction.
Spoilers – A little bit about Count Dooku's identity in Episode II.
Disclaimer – I hereby declare that I am only torturing the characters with my twisted mind and there is no profit made.
Feedback – They are treasures that I will always cherish! Please?
Author's Note – This story is half-centered on Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan; the other half is centered on their fellow Jedi and the Council members.
Important Note – Aayla Secura wasn't knighted until the Clone Wars, but I just shamelessly ignored that fact since I need her to be a Knight (instead of a little kid) here – how about we just consider this as an Alternate-Universe piece? The same Alternate-Universe situation is for Mace Windu's age in this story. Please do regard these parts of the story (such as Aayla's and Mace's ages) as Alternate-Universe bits, thank you!
To Boss Aayla Security, a generous mistress to serve;
And to the Piggy Jedi, ever a cheering company.
Chapter 1
Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn paced in the living room anxiously as his Padawan Obi-Wan Kenobi walked into the quarters.
"What's wrong, Master?" Obi-Wan asked, closing the door behind him, "You look nervous."
"I'm waiting for a certain person." Qui-Gon answered briefly and continued his pacing.
"And might I know who that person would be?" Obi-Wan's eyes automatically started to follow his Master's circling movement.
"Mu-Ron Herr." Qui-Gon was still pacing.
"Who is Mu-Ron Herr?" Obi-Wan's eyeballs began to feel sore for the effort to keep his eyes on Qui-Gon.
"A reporter from The Coruscant Times." Qui-Gon's pacing speed increased at the name of the newspaper.
"Is that reporter a lady or a man?" Obi-Wan felt his head start spinning with Qui-Gon's constant pacing.
"A human female." Still the brief answer, and more sped-up pacing.
"She's gonna interview you?" Obi-Wan was beginning to reach the limit of his endurance.
"Yes." Qui-Gon's pacing got even faster.
Finally, Obi-Wan decided he couldn't stand Qui-Gon's faster and faster and never-ending pacing anymore, so he exclaimed in annoyance, "Could you please STOP that?"
"Stop what?" Qui-Gon asked with a frown as he kept at his pacing.
"THAT!" Obi-Wan pointed at Qui-Gon indignantly, "That…that PACING!"
"Oh," Qui-Gon stopped his footsteps at the accusation.
"Much better," Obi-Wan let out a sigh of relief and cleared his throat, "So, why does she want to interview you, Master?"
Qui-Gon looked at him with an I-can't-believe-you're-even-asking expression and replied patiently (if not smugly): "Because I'm the famous Qui-Gon Jinn, young Padawan."
"And she'll write a story about you and put it on The Coruscant Times?"
"Precisely," Qui-Gon nodded with a smile filled with content.
"But…" Obi-Wan looked at his Master bewilderedly, "I don't see what's so exciting about it, Master. I mean, The Coruscant Times is only a garbage newspaper."
"Watch what you're saying, Obi-Wan." Qui-Gon held up a finger threateningly, "It's not any other newspaper, it's THE Coruscant Times. It has been #1 on The Republic Today Bestseller List, on the Top 5 list of The Republic News & Galaxy Report Public Media Ranking and among the Top 10 on The Coruscant Post Bestseller List ever since it existed."
"That's because it is highly entertaining, Master, and if you asked me, I'd say it's only the tongue of the government and the entertainer for the citizens."
"You keep missing the point, Obi-Wan. It is currently the most popular public media in the Republic – which is exactly what I need for my legendary tale."
Obi-Wan's mouth opened to protest, but, to his dismay, he realized he couldn't find anything to retort. So he finally said with a sigh: "Well, you did make yourself sound convincing, Master."
Qui-Gon was about to nod in approval when the doorbell chimed.
The Jedi Master visibly flinched and quickly strode to the door. But before he opened it, he gave Obi-Wan a look that said: "If anything goes wrong because of you, you'll be VERY sorry." Obi-Wan rolled his eyes at the message his Master's look delivered and nodded.
Then, taking a deep breath, Qui-Gon opened the door.
A lady in indigo who seemed to be in her thirties was standing outside the quarters with a polite and professional smile on her face. "Hi, I'm Mu-Ron Herr, the Special Correspondent from The Coruscant Times. And you are Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn, I presume?"
"Yes, Miss Herr." Qui-Gon bowed and stepped back a little to let her enter, "Please come in."
"Thank you, Master Jinn."
After Mu-Ron followed Qui-Gon into the living room, she saw Obi-Wan, who was standing there with a courteous yet emotionless expression on his face – and that was the Standard Padawan Facial Expression in Obi-Wan's definition, and he also called it FETOKMOOT (The Facial Expression That Often Keeps Me Out Of Troubles).
"So this is your apprentice?" Mu-Ron asked Qui-Gon excitedly.
"Yes, this is Obi-Wan Kenobi." Qui-Gon said the name with fondness, then he turned to his Padawan, "Obi-Wan, this is Miss Mu-Ron Herr."
"Pleased to meet you, Miss Herr." Obi-Wan said with perfect Jedi serenity, giving Mu-Ron the most formal bow he could manage.
-:-
"As a significant part of this interview, Master Jinn," Mu-Ron took a sip of her tea, "I'll need to ask the people around you some questions. I hope you're okay with that?"
"Of course, Miss Herr." Qui-Gon smiled calmly, "Do you need someone to arrange that for you?"
"No, thank you, Master Jinn." Mu-Ron put down her cup, "I'll just walk around your Temple and ask some people a few questions about you."
-:-
"You know what, Master," Obi-Wan commented after Mu-Ron had left their quarters to begin her story-material-hunting in the Temple, "I'm surprised she didn't even ask you, the subject of her story, any question before she left."
"Well, perhaps she thinks the answers from other people are more reliable than mine." Qui-Gon said, somehow having a bad feeling about this.
-:-
Mu-Ron strolled in the hallway and suddenly intercepted Master Mace Windu on her way. "Excuse me, I am Mu-Ron Herr from The Coruscant Times, and I believe you are Jedi Master Mace Windu?"
"Yes, I am." Mace answered uneasily. What the Sithspit is a reporter doing here in the Temple?
"I'm working on a story about Master Qui-Gon Jinn, and I'd like to ask you a few questions if you have time."
"About Qui-Gon?"
"Yep."
"All right, then." Mace said, relieved to know that he was not the target of the reporter, "What would you like to know, Miss Herr?"
Mu-Ron took out a datapad from her purse, "May I know what you think of Master Jinn?"
"Well…" Mace crossed his arms and looked up at the high ceiling to gather his thoughts, and he soon decided that since this article would be posted on The Coruscant Times, he ought to be nice to Qui-Gon on this. So he cleared his throat and answered: "He is a kind person with much compassion in his heart, even for his enemies."
"Hmm…" Mu-Ron ducked her head to type into the datapad, murmuring what she was writing, "As a Jedi Master, Master Jinn has sympathy as all of his fellow Jedi do. However, he has unfortunately crossed the line between good and evil, since he is even willing to lend his power to the enemies. Master Jinn's strong potential to fall into the dark leaves us with no choice but to inquire: How could the people of the Republic rely on a guardian of justice and peace who cannot even distinguish justice and protect peace himself?"
Mace's eyes widened in horror after he heard what Mu-Ron had taken down into her datapad and explained quickly with fluster, "That's not what I meant, Miss Herr! I – I mean, Qui-Gon is a very nice person to almost everyone, but he would only be compassionate with the enemies AFTER they are defeated!"
"Don't worry, Master Windu," Mu-Ron waved her hand with reassurance and smiled, "Just relax, I got your meaning." But she didn't change or write anything further in her datapad (in contrast to her comforting words), which didn't go unnoticed by Mace.
Oh Force…Qui-Gon's going to kill me for this… He thought in despair since he didn't dare to do anything to a reporter to make her change what she'd already written.
"So, Master Windu, does he have many friends?" Mu-Ron continued with her terrifying interview.
Mace took a deep breath and reminded himself to answer carefully:
"Yes, he is easy to get along with and he's always very generous to his friends."
"Master Jinn's astonishing ability to get acquainted with people around also helps him to befriend the naïve beings whom he can take advantage of. In other words, Master Jinn is shamelessly using other people's trust to meet his own personal need."
Oh dear… Mace sighed helplessly inside, but he knew no matter what he said, Mu-Ron wouldn't change what she had already typed. And he was shocked by Mu-Ron's ability to twist everything positive he said into negative reprimand. Admitting to himself that he couldn't say anything that would NOT be twisted by Mu-Ron Herr, he made his decision to stay away from the reporter as far as possible.
"I'm sorry, Miss Herr, but I've just remembered that I have an appointment in about two minutes. So I'm afraid I have to leave now…"
"Oh, of course! How forgetful of me – you're a member of the Jedi High Council. Thank you so much for taking the time to answer my questions, Master Windu, I really appreciate it." Mu-Ron held out her hand professionally.
Mace politely shook the reporter's hand and left, trying not to let himself look desperate.
-:-
"Thank you for agreeing to answer a few questions about Master Jinn, Master Ti, I'm truly grateful."
"You're welcome, Miss Herr, it'd be my honor to assist you." Master Shaak Ti smiled friendly at Mu-Ron – she had been stopped by the reporter when she stepped out of her office.
"So…has Master Jinn ever done anything touching, from your view?" Mu-Ron's datapad was ready again.
"Let's see…" Shaak Ti rubbed her chin while contemplating, then finally spoke, "Once a youngling had accidentally stumbled on her way to the Dining Hall, and Master Jinn helped her up when he walked by."
"Although being a so-called selfless Jedi, Master Jinn seeks every opportunity to leave elder Jedi Masters decent impressions of himself. What is going on in the secret dark chamber of his mind? Is this actually a conspiracy? Undoubtedly, the ambitious Master Jinn is not at all satisfied with the title of Jedi Master but placing his aspiration at becoming a member of the Jedi High Council. So we could undeniably say: to Master Jinn, image is everything." Mu-Ron murmured as she wrote these words down.
Shaak Ti was alarmed and bade Mu-Ron farewell without further ado.
-:-
"May we begin now, Knight Secura?" Mu-Ron smiled at Knight Aayla Secura warmly with encouragement.
"But as I've told you before, I'm not really close to Master Jinn. As a matter of fact, I barely know him." Aayla answered truthfully and drank some of her wine on the table – she was having her lunch in the Dining Hall contentedly when Mu-Ron chose her as a target.
"And THAT'S exactly why your voice is of priceless value." Mu-Ron said with a dramatic tone, "What all we reporters seek is the untainted truth concerning the person we're writing about. Most people's answers would be affected by the fact they are close to that particular person – but YOU," Mu-Ron saluted Aayla powerfully, "Are different. Your being not familiar with Master Jinn actually indicates that you are the most important bystander I have ever interviewed about Master Jinn. It is vital for you to kindheartedly grant me your answers to my questions."
Aayla must admit that Mu-Ron's persuasive words did make her feel good about herself, so she relented eventually, "All right, Miss Herr, I'll do whatever I can to support you on this."
"Oh, thank you so much, Knight Secura!" Mu-Ron said excitedly and started her interview, "Could you tell me what your impression on Master Jinn is?"
"Hmm…" Aayla pondered briefly before she answered, "Master Jinn is well-known for his concerns and kindness towards the pathetic life forms."
And so Mu-Ron started her murmuring as she typed into her datapad, "Even a young spectator like this anonymous Jedi Knight –"
Anonymous Jedi Knight? Aayla frowned slightly at the unusual title. Well, that's interesting…
"– Has heard of Master Jinn's benevolence, we could effortlessly see that how much endeavor Master Jinn has spent in building his reputation. But what is behind his exertion? We cannot know, unless Master Jinn himself would agree to respond to this inquiry, which is scarcely possible."
Aayla suddenly recalled a conversation she heard in the hallway between Mace and Shaak Ti about a crazy reporter from The Coruscant Times.
Holy Force… She gasped inwardly and glanced at the busy-typing Mu-Ron with terror. That's her!
-:-
"Okay, sweetheart," Mu-Ron crouched down in front of a little boy with a friendly smile, "Could you do me a favor?"
"Sure!" The little boy, whose name was Uras Vilas, a youngling from the mighty Bear Clan, was licking a colorful lollypop that he'd just acquired from Mu-Ron.
"Very well, then," Mu-Ron took out her datapad again, "Could you tell me what you think of Master Jinn?"
"You mean Master Qui-Gon?"
"Precisely."
"Uh…" Uras' brow furrowed as he started thinking, "He's always nice to me and even gives me some candies sometimes."
"Behold, even an innocent child has experienced Master Jinn's brazen mask of generosity. We can easily tell how thorough Master Jinn's scheme to spread his fame has been. Furthermore, Master Jinn is also ruthlessly poisoning the youthful hearts of younglings from the Bear Clan with his consummate skill of bribery. The future of the Jedi Order could not be bright if the Jedi still let depraved men as Qui-Gon Jinn remain in their Order and corrupt the minds of Jedi Hopefuls."
Uras frowned a bit: no, not at the difference between his answer and the reporter's statement, but at the many complex adjectives that he had heard for the first time in his entire life and he didn't have the slightest idea of what Mu-Ron was talking about; but then again, he didn't really care what the reporter was writing since he was more interested in the tasty lollypop Mu-Ron gave him. So he just shrugged and continued to enjoy the sweetness of the lollypop.
-:-
To be continued…
-:-