Disclaimer: Don't own Star Wars the Clone Wars. Those rights go to Disney, Lucasfilms, and formerly George Lucas. Kaori Galium belongs to AngelBlue1852.
A/N: I came up with this idea sometime while I was developing chapter 9 of Fates Rewritten. It concerned how far back Kaori's history with Anakin and Barriss goes. May contain hints at future content for Fates Rewritten, so read with care.
She didn't know about Naboo. She didn't know that a Jedi had died there. She didn't know what had happened to Qui-Gon Jinn until after the Jedi council returned.
"Masters." She eagerly greeted. "Welcome back."
"Youngling Galium, good to see you, it is." Yoda smiled, nodding to the young girl.
As the young girl took note of the Jedi as they entered the Temple, she noticed that one Jedi in particular was missing.
"Padawan Kenobi." She said, as the young Jedi-in-training walked past her.
He turned to her and smiled. "Hello there, young one. How are your studies coming along?"
"Wonderfully," She replied. "Say, where's Master Qui-Gon?"
Obi-wan's face fell, as he lowered his head. "He's...sigh..." He knelt down to her level, placing his hands on her shoulders. "There was...a Sith...on Naboo. He fought me and Qui-Gon. My master...is dead."
To say Kaori was stunned by this news was an understatement. Even though she was aiming to be a Jedi, she'd always believed that venting emotions was more important than bottling them up. The tears quickly came to her face.
Obi-Wan cupped her chin with one hand. "I understand your pain, young one." He sighed. "I too, found it hard to grasp that he died. But the Sith assassin is gone now." Seeing that she was still sobbing, he asked, "Weren't you hoping to be his Padawan once I was knighted?"
She sniffled, wiping the tears from her eyes with one sleeve, nodding. "Well, at least, now he's with the Force." She murmured.
"If it's any help," came a voice from Obi-Wan's side. "I was hoping to be his Padawan, too." A young boy with sandy blond hair stepped out from behind the young man.
In response to the confused look on her face, the boy smiled and extended a hand. "I'm Anakin Skywalker. Obi-Wan Kenobi is going to train me to be a Jedi."
She sniffled again, before slowly reaching out to shake his hand. "Nice to meet'cha, Anakin. My name is Kaori. Kaori Galium." As they shook hands, Kaori sighed. "Sorry, luvs. Guess I jus' need some time to take this all in." She looked up at Obi-Wan. "So, you're a full Jedi now? An' you got a Padawan already?"
He smiled sadly at her. "It was...Master Qui-Gon's final request...that I train Anakin. He believed that Anakin will help bring balance to the Force."
The young girl looked back to Anakin. "That mean you're the one who's goin' to save the Galaxy?" He shrugged. "Well, you're goin' to 'ave to train real hard." She chuckled. Anakin raised an eyebrow as if challenging her. "I'm sorry," She said. "Guess I need to take a moment to come to terms with th' news that Qui-Gon's dead. I'll...I'll see ya later, then." She bowed her head to Obi-Wan as she turned to leave.
So he's the Chosen One, eh? She thought. Heh, Qui-Gon has good judgement. She paused in her thoughts as she sighed. I hope he at least had a peaceful death.
Later, she and the others were practicing their drills. Suddenly, one of the younglings lowered her training remote. The others followed.
"Kaori," asked the youngling. "What's wrong?"
Kaori sighed. "Guess I'm just in a bit of a fix, Barriss. I'm still tryin' to come to terms with Qui-Gon's death."
Barriss, a young Mirialan, frowned at her friend. "I suppose Master Qui-Gon's death is something worth mourning." She said.
"Not that many of the Jedi seem to care." Added another youngling. This one was Mon Cala in species.
"Nadhar!" Kaori snapped. "How can you say that? Qui-Gon was one of the wisest Jedi of this age."
"Keep in mind," Nadhar replied. "That many within the Order found his methods...unorthodox...to put it mildly. Maybe the Council doesn't seem fazed because they were bothered by how much of a maverick he was."
"Granted," Kaori argued. "He never was a very 'by-the-book' Jedi. But that didn't make him dangerous." Nadhar just shrugged. "Maybe we need more Jedi like him, not less." Kaori suggested. Then she turned to the other human youngling present. "Wha' do you think, Nazo?"
The boy in question merely folded his arms. He puffed air out of his mouth, blowing away a lose bit of dark green hair blocking his eye. "Nadhar never said anything about Qui-Gon Jinn being dangerous." He answered, in a bored voice that suggested that he didn't actually give a kriff. "However, he makes a fair point that Qui-Gon's actions were rather extreme. Not to mention, the majority of the Jedi seem to have moved on." He glanced over his shoulder, one eye glancing at Kaori. "Perhaps it would be wise for you to do the same."
Kaori sighed. Barriss walked over to her. "Hey, don't worry." She said, patting Kaori's shoulder. "True, he's no longer among us. But he lives on through the legacy he has left behind."
Kaori smiled. "Thanks, Barriss. An' you're right. It's like the Jedi way: 'There's no death, there is the Force'."
"Hmph," Nazo grunted. "The code also says that there is no Ignorance; there is only knowledge. That is a prime example of how short sighted the Jedi are."
"What are you talking about?" Barriss asked.
"No matter how much we know, there will always be so much more that we won't know. Not to mention everything we hope not to know."
Kaori blinked at the boy's bluntness. "Well..." She replied. "When you put it like that, it sounds like something Qui-Gon would say, or at least believe."
"Perhaps," Nazo replied. "Then there's the matter of Chaos. To survive, one must be able not only to survive the chaos, but thrive in it. Conquer it. Master it..." He shook himself from his thoughts. "Well, you get the picture. Stonewalling against the chaos and darkness of the galaxy will only delay its triumph."
Before the others could come up with something else to say, they sensed the approach of two new force signatures. It was Obi-Wan and Anakin.
"Hello, there, younglings." Obi-Wan greeted.
"Knight Kenobi. It's good to see you." Kaori replied, nodding respectfully. The others followed suit.
Then, she noticed the boy standing next to him. "Anakin." She said. "Good to see you 'ere."
"Hey, Kaori." The young boy said.
"Knight Kenobi, who is this?" Nadhar asked curiously.
"Ah, this is my Padawan, Anakin Skywalker." Obi-Wan replied. Barriss stepped forward.
"Greetings, Anakin. My name is Barriss Offee." She said, introducing herself.
"My name is Nadhar Vebb." Nadhar added, stepping forward and shaking hands with the newcomer.
"We've already met, o' course." Kaori said, chuckling. Then, as Anakin's gaze fell on the last one, Kaori added, "And that's Nazo Malfoy."
The aforementioned boy glanced at Anakin, who had walked over to shake his hand. Nazo rolled his eyes, clearly bored out of his ten-year-old mind. Sighing, Nazo decided to humor the boy and shake his hand. He took Anakin's hand-
-and immediately reeled back as if he had just accidentally run his hand under boiling water. He gripped his wrist, clearly confused by what happened. The others raised their eyebrows, or did the equivalent in Nadhar's case, as he remembered they were still there.
Nazo cleared his throat. "Ahem. Forgive me, Padawan Skywalker. I do not know why that happened. I suppose it was a...pleasure, meeting you."
Shrugging off the strange incident, Obi-Wan turned to the group. "The council has requested that Anakin be assigned to a youngling group, for the sake of having others to interact with, as well as to provide data for the Archives."
"An' he's joinin' our clan, then?" Kaori asked.
"That's right, young one." Obi-Wan answered, smiling.
"Welcome to our group, Anakin." Kaori said, shaking Anakin's hand again. "I can tell you an' I are gonna get along jus' fine." Anakin smiled back. He shook hands with Barriss and Nadhar again, and sent a friendly wave to Nazo, who nodded back.
That evening, the group was having dinner. The others were busy talking with their newest member. Even though Anakin was the only one who had a Master, he was still welcomed by the others.
Except possibly him. Nazo was lost in thought. What was with that strange feeling concerning Anakin? Why did I react like his hands were fire? He wondered.
"Wha' do you think, Nazo?" Kaori's voice broke through his train of thought.
"Hmm? Sorry. Lost in thought." He replied.
"'At's alright, luv." Kaori assured. "We were jus' talkin' 'bout who we were hopin' would take each of us in as their Padawan, like 'ow Anakin is Padawan to Obi-Wan Kenobi."
"Yeah," Nadhar added. "I said that I see myself being trained by someone like Master Kit Fisto."
"Why?" Nazo grunted, at an attempt to untangle his stress. "Because you're both waterlogged? Or because he's used to the scent of dried fish?" Nadhar's eyes widened, assuming that such a feat is possible for the Mon Cala people, and he playfully punched Nazo in the arm as the others started chuckling. "Shut up." He said, earning a smug glare from Nazo.
"And what about you, Barriss?" Nazo asked.
"Well, in accordance with my people's tradition," Barriss explained. "I am to be trained by another member of the Mirialan race. Therefore, it is only fitting that I will train under Master Luminara Unduli."
Nazo nodded, before turning to Kaori. "And who are you going to be trained under, Kaori?"
The young girl frowned. "Not sure. Our little chat from earlier got me thinkin'. I hope I get paired up with someone who would support my beliefs."
"So essentially, someone similar to Qui-Gon Jinn?" Nadhar asked. She nodded. "Well, at least you'll be up to the challenge of finding an available Jedi for the task. It's like I said, Jedi like him are rather rare. I wish you the best of luck, Kaori."
"I thought the Jedi didn't believe in luck." Anakin spoke up.
Kaori and Nadhar glanced at each other. "Some of us do." Kaori replied with a shrug.
"I agree," Nazo added. "Now, onto more...present news. The Gathering begins in a few days."
"The Gathering?" Anakin asked. "What's that?"
Nazo, suddenly seeming tired of conversation, shot Anakin a glare that said 'You ask too many questions for your own good, huh?'
"The Gathering," Kaori explained, "Is a monthly event in which younglings like us travel to the icy planet of Ilum. It's a right of passage for us to take part in so we can each obtain our own Kyber crystal."
"Kyber Crystal..." Anakin repeated, with wonder in his voice. "You mean I'll be able to build my own lightsaber?"
"Assuming you pass the trial." Nazo said, concentrating on his food. He took a sip of his Ikkari juice.
"What trial?" Anakin asked.
Nazo set the cup down, a bit more forcefully than he'd wanted, and sighed. He was clearly irritated by the constant questions. "Well, we obviously don't just get our crystals for free. We must earn them. It's part of the test to see if we have the potential to continue our teachings and work towards Knighthood."
"What kind of trial is it?"
"We don't know, exactly." Barriss admitted. "I've heard though, that it's a personal test of one's mind. Only those who overcome their test can earn their crystal."
"And what happens to those who fail?" Anakin asked, nervously.
"The caves freeze shut." Nazo replied. "Sunlight only comes once a month on Ilum, Skywalker. And if you fail to emerge from the caves before the sun sets? Well, if the cold doesn't get you, then starvation will. I've yet to hear of a Jedi who could go a month without any nourishment, and withstand that sort of cold."
"Well, I'm gonna pass my test, earn my crystal, and return." Anakin said, confidently. "Besides, I'd take Ice over sand anyway."
"Is that so, luv?" Kaori asked curiously. "Why's that?"
"I've never held sand that highly." Anakin said. "It's coarse, it's rough, it's irritating, and it gets everywhere."
"Interesting." Nazo mumbled. Then he spoke up. "Where did you say you were from?"
"Tatooine. Like I was telling the others a minute ago, I was a slave boy until not that long ago. Qui-Gon helped free me."
"I'm from Mirial," Barriss responded. "Though, I don't believe I was born there."
"Mon Calamari," Nadhar added.
"Corellia." Kaori interjected.
"What about you, Nazo?" Anakin asked. All eyes were on Nazo as he took another sip of his Ikkari juice. "Don't know," He said nonchalantly. "And honestly, don't care. Could be a Coruscant native, for all I know. Apparently, maintenance crews that work here found me on the steps of the Temple as a baby, with a note attached. No trace of who left me there. Pity that whoever that was thought that the Temple was an orphanage."
"Wha' makes ya say that, luv?" Kaori asked.
"My guess is that my mother, whoever she was, didn't want me for some reason." Nazo replied. "Maybe I was an...accident baby, and my mother didn't want to be punished for what it would've meant she had done, and tried to hide me. Guess that says a lot about my worth to the galaxy, doesn't it?"
"Master Qui-Gon would have said that there are no accidents." Kaori said. "Like Anakin being discovered. Maybe it was intended to happen, like he believed. Maybe the same is true for you being left in the care of the Jedi. Maybe..."
"Maybe you should try harder at paying attention." Nazo growled. "In case you've forgotten, Qui-Gon is dead. And even now, the Council remains in denial of whether or not the creature responsible for his death was even a Sith. What are they trying to hide, anyway? Why are they acting as if this matter can just be ignored? Yes, Qui-Gon is one of the few exceptions, but apart from him, Obi-Wan, and hopefully, us, there are barely any active Jedi that would follow his example. Everyone else would just sweep everything under the rug as if it never existed. And on top of that, Master Dooku has left the Order because of this. Well, I congratulate him on having the sense to acknowledge that the Jedi aren't infallible."
"We...we aren't meant to think that way." Barriss said, nervously.
"Well, in case you haven't noticed," Nazo snapped. "That clearly hasn't stopped many Jedi from doing that anyway. Consider this: Qui-Gon Jinn isn't just dead. He was murdered. By a Sith. And in response to this, the Council ignores the matter completely, and attempts to cover that up. On top of that, Dooku, Qui-Gon's former master, leaves the Order out of loss of faith. And what does the Council do? They sweep that under the rug too. For beings that claim that they believe in humility, they certainly fear for their reputation quite a bit, don't they? And with so few Jedi like Qui-Gon left in the Order who could take in a Padawan, I'm starting to think you're chances of even being Knighted are pretty slim, Kaori."
He must not have been thinking very well about what he was saying; the shocked, and slightly hurt, look on Kaori's face caught him off guard. Nazo groaned, standing up. "I'm sorry, I don't know what's happening to me right now. Maybe I just need some rest."
He picked up his tray, as he nodded to them and turned to leave.
"Wait." Kaori said. Nazo turned to face her.
"Don't worry about what you said." She replied. "You made a decent argument. But I 'ave faith that I'll find a Master who will support me an' train me. An' besides, I can sense 'at you feel alone. Know that that's not true, luv. You 'ave us to help ya."
"Hmph." Nazo grunted quietly, before giving her a small smile. "You may be onto something, Kaori. Your support is...duly noted. But I stand by my sentiment that I need sleep. Good night to you all, and I will see you at breakfast tomorrow." Then, under his breath, he added, "Hopefully."
A/N: That's it for now. I may or may not add more chapters to this in the future. Scratch that, I will write more chapters. Eventually. Of course, some information present in said chapters will probably require me to advance further with Fates Rewritten, so as to not trigger this canon's developing Fanbase to make too many assumptions. This may or may not mean that I will have to actually wait until AFTER Fates Rewritten is complete before returning to this story.
For now, know that Nazo will remain significant to this story. That's all you readers need to know for now. Otherwise it would be like watching the Prequel movies for the first time, BEFORE watching the original trilogy for the first time. Which would mean that the iconic line from Empire Strikes Back isn't so much of a surprise anymore.
Funny story about Nazo, btw. I used the Star Wars Name Generator site to find a cool last name for him, and one of the names that came up was "Danison Malfoy." From the start, I envisioned Nazo as the Star Wars equivalent of Draco Malfoy from Harry Potter, especially since I've set him up as the Draco to Anakin's Harry Potter. So expect them to interact in a rather similar way, though with Anakin at least putting effort towards making peace with Nazo, hoping not to have gotten off on the wrong foot with him. Of course, you'll have to wait and see whether this works or not.
As for the Ikkari juice that Nazo drinks, it's like the Star Wars equivalent of Orange-Peach-Mango juice. The sweet flavor is somewhat of a comfort for the edgy young Jedi-to-be.
Also, for those that aren't aware, his first name was inspired by the character of Nazo, who supposedly was meant to appear in Sonic X, but never did. He was later fleshed out in a fan made animated movie called "Nazo Unleashed" by a guy named Chara-X (give it a view if you haven't already. It's flipping amazing.)
As for the way Kaori speaks, I was going off of AngelBlue1852's belief that she spoke with a British accent. As a fan of Overwatch, I immediately turned to Tracer as the base for Kaori's voice. It's what I envision her sounding like throughout this story, and she sounds the same in Fates rewritten, just with an older sounding voice. To AngelBlue1852, if you don't feel okay with this, please tell me who would be more accurate.
Anyway, stay tuned for the next chapter of Fates Rewritten. And once I get around to it, the next chapter of this story. The synopsis of which can be found here:
The group makes their way to Ilum, though much of it will focus on Nazo specifically.
Until then, Please RRF&F, and I'll see you all next time. Peace out, and may the Force be with you. Always.