A Jedi Spirit, A Jedi Knight, A Jedi Apprentice and a Time Traveler
(A.k.a. Star Wars: The Non-Existing Episode)
A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away….
"You must concentrate, Ani. Concentrate!" Obi-Wan Kenobi directs his young student to lift a box on
the table, but the young man soon gives up. Exhausted he slumps to the floor.
" I can't, master. I am too tired. "
" Okay, Ani. That's enough for today. Go get a good night's sleep for you will need it for tomorrow."
" Yes master. Good night, master." He vanishes through the door to his room.
" Sleep well, my young friend."
Obi-Wan moves to the window from where he has a good view of two of the six moons of Clutopius. It is
here that all young-to-be-Jedi-knights are trained. The planet is protected by a mysterious cloud that
prevents the Dark Side from detecting the Force. It is here that Obi-Wan was taught the Jedi Code by
his master. He sighs.
" You seem to be troubled, Obi-Wan."
Obi-Wan spins around to see where the familiar voice comes from. In the corner he sees the imposing
figure of his mentor, Qui-Gon Jinn.
" Master! But…but…" Obi-Wan rubs his eyes to make sure that his eyes are not deceiving him.
" It is me you see for I am in spirit here. I sense a troubling disturbance in your mind. This is the last
Code that you must learn and you can only learn it when the master dies. My spirit will always be with
you to guide to when you need it. Now, tell me your troubles. "
As always, his masters' calm voice soothes away Obi-Wan's confusion.
" It's Ani, master. I sense some shift in his Force and I can't quite explain that. It worries me for he is
almost ready for the Trials. I am afraid that the Council may sense it too."
FLASH!
Sam looks around to see where he landed this time. He looks down at his clothes: A pair of knee-high,
dark brown, leather boots, dark brown pants, a cream colored shirt-thing, a dark brown leather belt
with all sorts of strange things on and to complete the outfit, a dark brown cloak with hood.
" What is this all about? " he mumbles to himself. He looks around and spots a bucket of water under the
window. He looks into it to see his reflection. A relatively young man with auburn brush cut hair and a
peculiar,plaited ponytail stares back at him. Frowning and confused, he turns his face skywards to look
through the window. Frightened, he stumbles backwards, trip over a chair and crashes to the floor.
" Two moons? Two Moons! Where am I?"
" Sam, I don't know what happened just now but somehow you leaped from Earth to this planet
Clu-Clu-Clu-to-pi-us. It's million of light years away from Earth. And actually…it has six moons! And it
is…." Sam interrupts Al's astronomy lesson:
" I'm not on Earth! I'm not even in the same galaxy!? Al? Al! "
" Wait! There's more! According to this, you are and you're not gonna believe this Sam....but you are
Obi-Wan Kenobi! He's a …."
" …Jedi Knight! Uhmmm….Al….when was the last time you had a CAT scan? Because you are out of your
mind! " Angry and still confused, Sam paces the floor.
" Uhmmm....Sam…I am not sure yet of what you are supposed to do here…I…"
" Al, did you ever saw the Star Wars series? Did you know that I had the whole collection? And did you
know that they are CLASSIC MOVIES! MOVIES, AL! MOVIES!"
At this point Sam is really worried and jumps around Al to see what his thingamagig is saying.
" Uhmm, Sam…err…"
" Oh, just get to it Al! "
" Star Wars weren't movies, Sam! They really happened! The producer, writer and director of the
movies were the great great grandson of Luke Skywalker. He and his mother were sent to Earth to hide
from the Emperor of the Dark Side .So you see, Sam, he was a threat to the Emperor and since Earth is
so primitive, nobody ever bothered to look there. To them, Earth was in the Outland…a very bad place to
be. And the rest is history…future....oh, whatever!" Al is so excited that he gasps for breath, while Sam
becomes aware of a figure standing in the doorway.
" Are you all right, master? " the figure asks sleepily.
" Master? Master? " Sam's confusement is growing when he realizes that he has a young Padawan.
" Is there something wrong? "
" Err…no. Go back to bed. Nothing for you to worry about. " Sam gives him a quick look while trying to
sound as sure of himself as he possibly could.
" That was Anakin Skywalker. He's 18 years old and his your assignment. You must prevent him from
defecting to the Dark Side and becoming Darth Vader. " At that moment Al's thingamagig went crazy and
the expression on his face was not a good one for Sam because it usually meant trouble.
" Uhmmm....Ziggy tells me that Skywalker is not your only assignment, Sam….but it is unclear who
is…..Damn this thing! I've gotta go Sam....this thing needs a service! "
Sam doesn't even bother to try and stop Al. He is too busy to try and figure out what seems to be too
incredulous to figure out. While trying to pull himself together, he became aware of an eerie presence.
He scans the room and discovers the transparent figure standing in the corner.
" Who are you? " Sam walks over to the figure.
" You can see me? " the figure replies, ignoring the question.
" Of course I can see you? Do you think I talk to myself or something? " Sam tries to touch him but his
hand goes right through. Frightened, he jerks his hand back.
" What are you? "
" I will tell you but first you must answer my question: Who are you? "
" Obi-Wan Kenobi." Sam doesn't know why he said that.
" Please do not try to deceive me. You are not my young Padawan. Who are you really?"
Sam swallows hard.
" Dr. Sam Beckett."
" Where is Obi-Wan Kenobi…the real one?"
"Uhmmmm…maybe I should explain this."
" Yes, I think you should. "
In brief detail Sam explains his time travelling and leaping into other people's lives and bodies in order
to help someone in trouble.
" I sense that you are much confused but you are intelligent. "
" I do have a Ph.D. you know! " This was really annoying Sam.
" What is a Ph.D.? "
" Oh, nevermind! " Comes the sarcastic reply.
" You are angry. That is not good."
" What do you mean 'not good'? "
" Anger is dangerous because it leads to hate and hate leads to suffering and suffering leads to revenge.
But the Force has selected you for some reason. I know that your heart is pure. You have much goodness
in you and you are honorable. I must trust you because the Force trusts you. I am Qui-Gon Jinn. Please
to meet you."
The figure extends its hand only to be reminded that it isn't opaque.
"Why are you transparent?"
" Because I am dead and I…"
" Wait a minute! Did you say 'dead'?"
" Yes. What you see is my spirit. You can see me which means the Force is with you. "
" I don't understand."
" In the Code of the Jedi, only the student of a Jedi can see his master but you can see me but you are
not Obi-Wan Kenobi, Dr. Sam Beckett. You have his body but you don't have his soul. It's not the body
that sees but the soul. Even now that I'm dead, I still learn the power of the Force. " A little smile curls
around the corner of his mouth.
" I've got a bad feeling about this…" Sam cannot help feeling a little bit unsure.
" Don't be afraid, Dr. Sam Beckett. You will be fine. Remember, your focus determines your reality and
you have the power to shape your reality. May the Force be with you. "
When Sam looks up, the Jedi is gone. Bewildered, he seats himself on the nearest chair and scratches his
head. Suddenly he realizes the meaning of his current situation.
"If I am Obi-Wan Kenobi then it means that I am a Jedi Knight. I am a Jedi Knight! Yippeeee! I am…"
" Sam! What are you so excited about? Last time I was here you wanted to kill me and now you are
grinning like a cat that has caught two mice! " It was Al again.
" Oh Al, ever since I was a kid I wanted to be a Jedi Knight. I've watched the Star Wars movies over
and over and over and now…."
"…and now you are a Jedi! " Al shakes his head in amazement.
Sam is smiling a broad smile, very pleased with himself.
" Master, will it be alright if I practice my attack technique in the forest? "
It is the morning after and Anakin is putting on his coat while looking at Sam.
" Sure, but don't be too long. " Sam was still getting used to the idea of being a Jedi Knight and a
teacher. The moment Anakin was out of the door, Qui-Gon appeared.
" You are doing well, Dr. Sam Beckett. "
" Just call me Sam."
" If you wish. Tell me, how much do you know about the Code? "
" Not much I'm afraid. "
" I think it will be wise if we talk about it. You are bound to have some use for it later on. It is
important…."
While Qui-Gon gives Sam a little lecture on the ways of the Jedi, Anakin has a visitor.
" You are getting to be very good, Anakin Skywalker."
" Anakin lowers his sword while turning to look at the speaker. His eyes widen.
" How did you get here? There are no transporters on this planet. Who are you? What do you want? "
Anakin realizes that he sounds afraid but he tries to hide it but his visitor senses it:
" Why are you afraid, young Skywalker? Didn't your master teach you not to show your fear? "
The visitor moves closer to Anakin and the latter instinctively lifts his sword in a defense position.
" Aggressive you are. That's good. You will be ready soon enough, I think."
" What are you talking about? And who are you? "
" There is no need for you to know who I am. Not yet, that is. I have been following your career with
keen interest. I am pleased with the work Obi-Wan Kenobi is doing. It takes so much of my shoulders! "
" You still haven't told me what you are doing here! " Anakin doesn't drop his guard because he sense some
evil he just cannot place but he also feels that he knows perfectly well the voice of his visitor.
" Oh, but you will soon enough know the motive for my visit. You have a bright future in front of you.
Goodbye, young Anakin Skywalker. "
" Wait! " Anakin tries to stop the visitor from leaving but he vanishes into thin air. He makes himself
comfortable against a tree, pondering over the visitor he just had. His thoughts dwell on the past
because he knows he heard that voice somewhere before. His thoughts take him to the day that Jedi
Qui-Gon Jinn was killed. He looks up at the sky but it all becomes a blur. He close his eyes, ashamed of
letting himself cry. Images of Qui-Gon bursts onto the blackness of his closed eyes but he doesn't try to
stop them. He sees the giant man lifting him up on his shoulders just after he, Anakin, had won the pod
race. Then the image fades and he sees the Jedi pleading his case to the Council. The faces of the Council
Members start to change as the background changes. They are all at the Departing Ceremony and
through the flames on the bed, he sees Qui-Gon. He feels so small and alone, like the day he has left his
mother. Then the image starts to twirl and spin around and around and around…faster and faster and
faster… The flames change to lightswords and he watches as Qui-Gon fights his visitor. It feels like he is
not there yet he sees himself standing at the rim of the dark arena, shouting for Qui-Gon to be careful.
However, it is clear that they do not sense him because they fight on. The swords flash and the figures
dance in the air in circles. Suddenly, Qui-Gon loses his grip on his sword. The visitor springs forward
and cut of the left hand of Qui-Gon. With a groan, the Jedi slumps to his knees, holding his arm with his
other hand. Qui-Gon looks up at his opponent, trying to use his mind trick to retrieve his sword. The
visitor senses the move and before Qui-Gon could reach for his sword which was flying towards him, the
visitor moves forward and with one swift move he decapitates the Jedi. The latter still wears the look of
pain and disbelief. Anakin hears himself screaming…
" Wake up, Ani! Wake up! You're only dreaming! Wake up! "
Anakin open his eyes to see his mentor kneeling beside him, shaking at his shoulders. Sam gives Anakin a
hand and feels the boy is shivering.
" Are you okay? Why are you shivering so? Are you cold? " Sam looks caringly at Anakin.
" Uh…no master, not really. " He avoids Obi-Wan's eyes, fearing that he will detect the anxiety and
shock within himself but it is no use because Obi-Wan Kenobi already knows something is not right. He
helps the young man to his feet and then hands him his coat from a nearby branch.
" That must have been a vicious nightmare you had. Want to talk about it? " Sam tries to sound as
relaxing as possible in an effort to make Anakin feel comfortable. He gives Anakin his lightsword.
" It was about Qui-Gon Jinn. He was fighting this man in a black cloak and this man decapitates him.
I…I…" He hesitates.
" What happened? Come on, you know you can tell me. "
" Nothing master. Let's forget about it. Anyway, it's only a dream. " He puts his coat on and turns his
back on Sam.
Sam feels that something is terrible wrong but he lets it go, thinking that the right time will come to talk
about it. He decides to change the subject.
" The Trials will be held two weeks from today in the Geguran Galaxy on Aranoff. We'd better get
started in the morning because it's a long way to go. "
" I thought the Trials will only be next month. Why the change in schedule? " Anakin is relieved that the
subject changed.
" You are not the only Jedi to be examined and the Council is needed at the Annual Weapons Conference
to introduce an experimental lightsword. Don't worry, Ani. You will do fine. " Sam was glad Qui-Gon told
him all about the Federation and its conferences because he didn't had a clue of what he had just said,
only that it made some sense. He gives Anakin a little squeeze at the shoulder before heading to the
house. Anakin mumbles to himself:
" I hope you are right, master. "
" We will have to refuel, master. " Anakin checks the instruments on the panel before him while Sam calls
up a map of the territory.
" Here. We can refuel on Tatooine. Put her down on the outskirts. We don't want to be detected
unnecessarily although I don't think the Huts will bother us. "
Anakin turns to Sam with a question in his eyes. For a moment Sam didn't recognize it but he
remembered something about Anakin's mother still living here on Tatooine. He looks softly at the boy and
smiles.
" Sure you can go but don't stay too long and make sure you bring back some fuel and provisions. Now go!
"
" Thank you, master. Come on R2D2. " Delighted, he dashes off to go find his mother whom he last saw
the day he left her eight years ago. Sam follow Anakin with his eyes as the latter runs towards the
spaceport.
" Sam, where did you learn all this stuff? Earth doesn't even has this technology! We only established
Mars City the other day, you know. " It was Al again.
" Calm down Al. I'm not flying this thing, Anakin is. He and that strange droid thing. He built this thing.
Can you believe that? This boy is a genius! "
" A very dangerous genius. " Al says between his teeth.
" What…what do you mean? "
" Didn't he tell you about the visit he had the day before you left? "
Now Sam was really puzzled. Being a Jedi is not that easy.
" What visit? "
" The Emperor of the Dark Side, Sam. He wants Anakin and he will do anything in trying to succeed. He
is already plaguing him….."
"…with nightmares! I know. " Sam's face was drawn in a serious frown. He was getting to be restless
because he didn't know what is going to happen next or what he is supposed to do when it does happen.
" Yeah. You'd better do something quick! "
" Tell me what am I supposed to do and I'll do it! I cannot save everybody everytime! "
" But you have to Sam. That is your purpose in life. " Al cannot understand this sudden rebellion in Sam.
" Why me?"
" Because you are a hero, Sam. "
" Heroes are human too, Al. "
Luckily for the both of them, the conversation is cut short by Al's thingamagig which is going crazier
than ever. Al pushes a few buttons and his face goes whiter than pale.
" Sam, you gotta get out there! A guy named Darth Orme is chasing Anakin. Sam…Sam…"
But Sam was already out of the ship and running after Anakin. He sees the black thing coming out of
nowhere and going after Anakin. The latter is still unaware of the thing following him. Sam realizes that
the pursuer is on a hoverbike, which makes him very fast.
" Drop, Ani! Drop! " All Sam can do is shouting after Anakin in the hope that the boy hears him but it's
too late. The moment Anakin turned, Darth Orme's foot came out and all Anakin feels is a sharp pain at
the side of his head before sinking into darkness. With one movement, Darth Orme seizes Anakin and
takes off for his ship. Sam realizes that it will be no use in going after them on foot and he runs for his
own ship. Once inside, it strikes him that he has no knowledge of how to fly the ship. Worried, he sinks
into a chair.
" Ask the droid to fly the ship. He can do it. " The advice is from Qui-Gon.
" You want me to talk to a machine? "
" Just do it! There is not much time and Anakin is in great danger. You must trust me. " Qui-Gon tries to
sound calm and serious but the anxiety is clearly there. Sam sighs but instructs R2D2 to fly low in the
direction of Darth Orme.
To Sam's astonishment, the little droid immediately plugs himself into what seems to be the mainframe of
the ship and they take off. Some miles later, a cloud of dust suddenly appears and a few moments later a
small transporter takes off. Sam looks at the panel in front of him and knowing by now where the basic
indicators are, he realizes that they hadn't refueled yet. He asks R2D2 to land somewhere so that they
can land and get some fuel. Impatiently and full of worry, Sam runs the errands and was just about to
pump the fuel when Qui-Gon appears.
" Do not worry about the boy. He is not hurt yet. "
" How do you know that for sure? " Sam looks at him and it is clear that he is angry.
" The Force is still strong with him and so it is with you. Let it guide you, Sam. Do not think, feel. Follow
your instincts and clear your thoughts. Be patient. "
" Damn you! I don't know where they went! I don't even know if I will be in time to help him! And you
tell me not to worry! But of course, you are dead so what do you care anyway! What do you care? "
Although hurt by Sam's words, Qui-Gon waits till Sam has calmed down before speaking again.
" You must go now otherwise you may be too late. " When Sam looks up, Qui-Gon wasn't there anymore.
He feels sorry about his outburst and knows he has hurt the Jedi spirit's feelings. It seems that the
dead also has feelings and the thought makes Sam feel terrible.
Anakin slowly becomes aware of the cold that envelopes him. He tries to open his eyes but a splitting
headache immediately shuts them again. He lies still for a few minutes to let it subsides. When he opens
them again, a figure is standing over him. He has to force himself to focus and then he recognizes his
visitor. Slowly, Anakin comes to his feet.
" My apprentice did well. He brought you to me without, well, almost without a scratch. I apologize for
the bump on the head, my young friend…."
" I am not your friend! I will never be your friend! Never! " hisses Anakin.
" I am so pleased to see that your aggressiveness has not faded. On the contrary, it seems to have
strengthened. That's good. It will make you more vulnerable. " The mysterious man turns to leaves but
Anakin stops him dead:
" Why, is that you Supreme Chancellor? My, I wonder what will the Senate says when they realizes that
you are the wicked brain behind all this little outbreaks of war! " Anakin suddenly remembered where
he had heard that voice before. It belonged to Senator Palpatine who is also the Chairman of the Senate
of the Republic. The man sharply turns back to Anakin.
" Your friends will never find you, Anakin Skywalker. Don't try to hope for it because it will never
happen! Never! "
Anakin wants to dash forward but to his surprise he doesn't do it. Something is holding him back, some
hidden power that he cannot place. He watches as the Emperor leaves. He sighs and then takes a seat on
the bed. There is not much in his cell but the bed, a table and a few chairs but he doesn't see them
because he was thinking about the Emperor which is also the Supreme Chancellor, the one who is
supposed to protect the Republic from all evil but he is the evil himself. This thought didn't bother
Anakin as much as the mysterious power that stopped him from striking at the Emperor. He doesn't want
to admit it, but he liked that power. It seemed to be stronger than the Force. But can that be? Can there
be something stronger than the Force, than good?
" What am I thinking? I don't want to be anything else than a Jedi. It is what I always have been
dreaming about. Wait. It must be this place. It is interfering with my focus. Qui-Gon always said that
my focus determines my reality and that the life of a Jedi will be hard. The choice is mine and I choose
to be a Jedi. That is my reality. " Anakin thinks that by practicing his mindtricks that it will take his
mind off things for a while. However, the mysterious power has already captured his unconscious mind.
Somewhere out in the galaxy, Sam tries to figure out where, who and how. He is so deep in thought that
he doesn't hear R2D2's signals. The little droid moves for another tactic for getting Sam's attention.
" Ouch! What did you do that for? " Sam rubs his thigh where R2D2 has pinched him while looking down
at him. Evidently, the little thing wants Sam to follow him to the cockpit. Once there, Sam understands
what the droid was trying to say to him because in front of them is a huge ship.
" It is a Menatak III, a battleship of the Dark Side. I sense that Anakin is there but I also sense a
disturbance in the Force. Be careful, Sam. The Dark Side is very is very powerful. May the Force be
with you. "
Before Sam could reply, the Jedi spirit vanished. Sam shrugs his shoulders.
" That guy gives me the creeps! " He looks over to R2D2.
" Oh great! Now I'm talking to a machine! I think I'm going crazy…"
" Ah, don't feel bad Sam, I'm still here! "
" Thank you for reminding me! " But Sam is actually really glad to see Al. He looks over to Al and was
just about to say something but they were suddenly surrounded by hundreds of Tion-fighters. Al starts
to look a bit scared:
" I think this is my cue to leave. Catch you later…and Sam, be careful, okay? "
" What a friend you are! " But Sam wasn't really thinking about loyalty and that because the battleship
was reeling them in. He watches in awe as the ship enters one of the landing ports and is put down very
softly. Although Sam knows that he must keep his head together, his heart differs from him because it
was beating a thousand times faster. Sam tries to recollect what Qui-Gon has told him of the Dark Side
and their fighters, the Sith Lords. He orders R2D2 to stay in the cockpit and be ready in case they have
to take off in a hurry. A guard of about 50 soldier droids greets him and they escort him to a room that
looks like the control room of the ship. He murmurs to himself:
" This reminds me of a Klingon Bird-of-Prey. I wonder who copied who here…." Sam takes a quick survey
of his surroundings and thinks it best not try and assault them. They might not like it and he was no
match against a ship full of heavy-armed droids.
" Welcome, Obi-Wan Kenobi . A long time no see. "
Sam spins around to see who has talked to him. A few feet away, a man in a black cloak, his eyes and
most of the upper half of his face covered with the hood of the cloak, was standing, smiling an evil smile.
" Let me guess: You must be the Emperor of the Dark Side and that faithful servant of your must be
Darth Orme. He looks more like the devil's toy-dog if you ask me! " Sam nods to Darth Orme, his attitude
packed with sarcasm.
" I do not remember you to be the sarcastic type, Obi-Wan Kenobi. You certainly do have some of your
master's rebellious energy in you. What a pity! If you were much younger then I would have recruited
you but….tsk….tsk…tsk…You are so hardheaded! " The Emperor flashes his evil smile at Sam and of
course, Sam doesn't like it a bit that his game is played right back at him. He takes a step in the
direction of the Emperor only to be stopped by the double laser lightsword of Darth Orme. The
Emperor intervenes:
" You can have your fight later, my young apprentice. For now, however, let us reunite him with his
friend. Bring them…"
" Why don't we fight now! Let your little boy here fights if he wants to fight! " Sam interrupts the
Emperor's instructions, knowing that aggressiveness is one of the Dark Side's flaws. He ignores the growl
coming from Darth Orme and continues:
" I bet my ship on your lizard here. I think Anakin will defeat him by far. If Anakin loses then you can
have us both plus the ship. If we win, we go."
" What makes you think that I want that piece of junk? " The Emperor's dismay is clearly in his voice as
he walks over to Sam.
" Then I guess my young student is not his own genius worth! I guess the Federal Army will soon arrive.
Oh well…"
" What do you mean by that? "
" Oh well, you know that the army is…."
" Not that! What do you mean about ' his own genius'?"
" Oh that! He built that ship and he placed in it a transmitter that is connected to the army. They can
trace us so that they can contact us if they need our help. And it is very, very fast. Not even you will be
able to catch it! "
Sam looks triumphantly at the Emperor but he cannot detect what he is thinking because his face is so
well covered. When the Emperor speaks, it sends shivers down Sam's spine:
" You will have your fight but not now, Obi-Wan Kenobi. " He orders the captain of the droids to put
Sam in a secure room apart from Anakin. Sam knows that resistance is futile and therefore doesn't
attempt a fight. All he can do now is to wait.
Later….
In the control room, the Emperor confers with the Sith Lord which is very agitated.
" Let me fight them, master. I know I will be the victor and you will have Skywalker and the ship! "
Darth Orme looks pleadingly at his master. It is strange to see the always controlled Sith Lord in such a
state. Disappointed, the Emperor whispers:
" No. We will destroy Kenobi and then we will have the ship anyway. Young Skywalker will I train and he
will become to be the best Sith of all time! He will be mine! "
" Why Skywalker, master? Why? " Darth Orme's eyes flash the insecurity he has been carrying with him
since his masters' mission became evident. Although he has followed his master obediently, he still cannot
help to question his masters' motives. He feels threatened.
" He has over 20 000 medi-chloriants which means he is the one who must bring balance to the Force. He
has not been tested and put before the Council yet which means he is not yet a Jedi. If I have
Skywalker under my control then the balance of the Force will be broken which makes it vulnerable. If
it is vulnerable then it can be destroyed and then I will rule all in the universe! " He starts to laugh,
louder and louder until it echoes through the room. Silently, Darth Orme retreats to attend to other
matters. Anything to get his mind of things, especially the insult from Obi-Wan Kenobi.
Sam was walking in circles when he suddenly stops dead in his tracks. Something was tapping somewhere
and Sam was trying to determine where the source is when a boy of about eight suddenly appears in
front of him.
" Who are you? "
" You're a Jedi, aren't you? That's why they have captured you! " The boy moves to the bed and he makes
himself comfortable.
" Yes, I am and they didn't capture me! I came willingly! "
" Yeah right! "
" Listen, who are you and where did you come from? "
" I'm Tesb and I'm a Changeling. I…."
Tesb is cut short by a loud, screeching sound that only grows louder and louder. Sam covers his ears in
an attempt to cut the sound from his hearing but it doesn't help much. Through the blinding which has
send him down to his knees, he sees Tesb quickly crossing over to the ventilator. In a moment the sound
stopped and uncovers his ears. He glares at Tesb who looks innocently backs at him.
" What was that all about? And you'd better start explaining mister! " Sam tries very hard to sound
angry but he knows he is only bluffing.
" I'm sorry. I sort of forgot to get Krotan and he really gets upset when one forgets him! " Tesb opens
his hand to reveal Krotan. Astonished, Sam stares at it:
" Are you telling me that a rock made that sound? "
" He's not a rock! He's a Roqulan and my best friend. Actually, he's my only friend. We've been friends
for a long, long….long…..long,long….long, long time. "
" He looks more like a rock to me! Maybe you should tell me what is going on here, Tesb. "
Again Tesb makes himself comfortable on the bed and starts to tell his story:
" My father was the king of Hakun which was attacked by the Dark Side. The Eskoons, our lifelong
enemy, helped them. My father told me to run and hide in the forest. There was this deserted ship and I
hid on it. Before I knew it, I was in outer space and I saw my whole planet being blown up. Boom! Just
like that. Everything was destroyed and since then I have been hiding on this ship. That was three months
ago. " Saddened by the memories, he lowers his head. Sam draws him nearer.
" How come they didn't discover you? "
" I'm a Changeling. I can take on any shape and person. " He demonstrates his power to Sam who was
looking at himself . The boy changes back to his old self.
" I can even go transparent in certain situations but I don't do that a lot because it takes up a lot of
energy and I didn't learn to control that yet. Krotan can teleport anywhere as long as it's not too far.
That's why we stayed together. "
" Your planet was destroyed because you were a threat to the Dark Side? Right? " Sam looks
compassionately to Tesb who only nods his head in acknowledgement. A few awkward moments fall on the
room and everyone is busy with his own thoughts.
" I know where your friend is! " Tesb's says suddenly and his eyes were shining bright again.
" Where is he? " Sam has almost forgotten Anakin.
" Down the hall. He is also only protected by a force field, like here. "
" Can you get a message to him? "
" Sure! But…but…who will I say has sent it? "
" Obi-Wan Kenobi. "
" Please to meet you, sir! Are your friend a Jedi too? "
" Almost."
Sam gives him a playful knock on the head. Quickly, he explains to Tesb what to do and what to say to
Anakin. Tesb was lust gone when the Emperor enters:
" I have good news, Obi-Wan Kenobi. You will fight my apprentice later today. It will be good practice
for him and….,"
The Emperor looks into Sam's eyes before continuing, " … you killed my best Sith Lord. Remember? I
would love to see you die! " The sharpness in the Emperor's voice makes Sam very uneasy.
" What! Am I to fight? " He tries to control the anxiety in his voice.
" Oh yes, Obi-Wan Kenobi! Today, you will die in front of your student's eyes! "
" Do you really have to punish the boy? "
" You will never win. I have full confidence in Darth Orme. He will succeed. "
With that the Emperor exits the room, leaving behind a very worried Sam Beckett. He is so caught up in
his own thought that Al has to shout at him to get his attention.
" What dog took your bone? "
" Al, I'm in deep, very deep trouble. I have never touched a sword never mind a lightsword and I am to
fight this afternoon an overgrown lizard which has a really nasty temper and which is almost twice my
size. I'm not even a real Jedi, Al! What am I going to do? I'm no fighter! " Sam looks at Al who looks at
his thingamagig.
" You must Sam. If you don't then Anakin is going to be Darth Vader. "
" I don't know how to fight! "
" But I thought you are Jedi! You lied to me! Liar! " It was Tesb. No one saw him returning and now he
was standing staring at Sam, his eyes full of tears. It stabs right in Sam's heart to see the boy so upset.
This boy was believing in Sam. He thought Sam was his savior, the one who would free him and take him
with him.
" You think I can get you right out of this ship, don't you? "
"I thought so."
Sam swallows hard. He looks at Al whose face is full of questions. Sam looks back at Tesb. It dawns on
him that he has no choice. This boy was his real assignment. He must fight.
Sam stands in the center of a big unfurnished room. There are only four people in the room: Sam,
Anakin, the Emperor and Darth Orme. The door was heavily guarded with droids. Before drawing his
lightsword from its sheath, he sits for a few moments on his heels, closing his eyes and visualizing the
instructions given to him by Qui-Gon.
He slowly comes upright and pulls his sword from its sheath. He faces Darth Orme. The latter bows to
his master before he also pulls his sword from its sheath. He grins at Sam before striking the first blow
which almost knocks Sam off his feet. Sam and Darth Orme circles each other before the Sith Lord
strikes again. This time Sam holds his ground and block it effectively. The Sith Lord strikes again and
again and again. Sam springs back and swings his swords in all directions to block his opponent. They
have dance around each other for about ten minutes, striking and blocking each other when Sam slips and
fell. Out of the corner of his eye, he catch a glimpse of the Sith aiming for his head. He rolls on his
back and effectively he diverts the blow to the side. Sam is aware of a voice inside him, guiding him,
helping him to focus, telling him how to fight and showing him what is going to happen. He follows it
instinctively. On the side, Anakin is watching his master. He watches the swords flashing and the figures
moving around with silent speed. He listens to his own rapid breathing. In despair, he bites his lip. He
cannot help his master because the Sith will divert the extra energy to his own and that can kill
Obi-Wan Kenobi. Sam tries to strike the legs of the Sith but he loses his balance. Darth Orme uses this
turn in events to dash forward, ready to pierce Sam's heart. Sam sees him coming, roll out of the way and
in a nanosecond, slashes open the head of Sith Lord Darth Orme. A terrible howl escapes the defeated
Sith Lord's mouth before falling to his knees and slowly to the ground never to rise again.
Anakin was waiting for this moment. Without hesitation, he jumps up and pulling his lightsword out, he
discharge the droids coming in. Together, Sam and Anakin fights there way to the door and once inside
the hall, runs for their ship.
The Emperor shouts after them:
" You will never get away with this, Obi-Wan Kenobi! I will have my revenge! "
Sam doesn't bother to listen. He and Anakin has just entered the landing port and uses all their strength
to get to the ship. At last the two Jedi Knights are in the ship and it takes to flight. Still out of breath,
Sam calls:
" Tesb! Tesb, are you here? " He has to make sure the boy is on the ship. Relieved, he smiles when Tesb
comes running to him. The little boy throw his arms around Sam's neck, almost choking him. Sam orders
Anakin to take over the flying.
" We must get to The Trials. It is only a few days away. "
" Am I going to stay with you? " Tesb looks inquiring at Sam.
" Well, when we get to Aranoff, we will find you a place to stay until you have come of age. By the way,
when will that be?"
" When I'm in my second life. But…but I want to stay with you. "
" Oh Tesb. The life of a Jedi is hard and it will be no life for you. You will be submitted to too many
dangers and you have been through enough for one lifetime. But I promise, I will stay in touch. " He
places his hands on the boys' shoulders, an affectionate smile curling around his mouth.
" You promise? "
" I promise. Now, get some sleep. I will wake you when we get to Aranoff. "
Tesb gives Sam another big hug. Sam makes sure he is comfortable and almost asleep then joins Anakin in
the cockpit.
" What's going to happen to him, master?"
" I guess he will be adopted or something. Poor boy. Did you know he was hiding on that ship for three
months? "
" He did mention it but I don't understand how he did it."
" He's a Changeling and probably the only one left. His whole planet was destroyed. " Sam turns his head
away so that Anakin won't see the tears in his eyes. He succeeds in controlling the quiver in his voice:
" Are we hit? "
" No. Our escape took them by surprise. It is very unusual for them. "
" It's because the Emperor has too much faith in evil. "
Anakin was still feeling a bit excited by the power he encountered but thought better of it not to say
anything.
" Listen, there are a few things I must take care of. I'm Tesb and the droid with him. I'll be back in a
while. " Sam was putting on his cloak while talking to Anakin.
" Tell me, master, does this have something to do with the boy? " There was no fooling Anakin.
" Yes. " Sam is in no mood for explaining. He pushes Tesb through the door, follows and then the droid.
After walking for a while, Sam leads Tesb into a hanger. A man was working on a ship with a strange and
hairy creature assisting him.
" Are you looking for an extra crew member? " Sam isn't sure to whom he was talking. The man speaks
over his shoulder:
" It depends on who's asking and what the skills are. I don't want a useless thing. In my line of business
that won't work. Ouch! " A few bad words escape from the man as he sucks at his finger. He turns.
" What do you have for me, mr…..?"
" Obi-Wan Kenobi. And this is Tesb here. "
" Who wants the job? "
" Tesb. He's really good. "
" Good at what? Can he fix things?" The man looks suspiciously at Tesb.
" Everything. " Sam feels that he must lie to make sure that Tesb get this job.
" That ain't much of an answer, you know. " The man was getting agitated.
" He's a good spy. "
" What makes him a good spy? He's too big to crawl through holes, too young to hang around the bars. "
The starts to work on his ship again.
" He's a Changeling."
Slowly, the man turns back at him.
" You're joking, right? The Changelings were destroyed some months ago. "
" He escaped. "
" Prove it. "
Sam beckons to Tesb to obey and in an instant the man was looking at two Sams. The man looks over to
his companion.
" What do you think?"
Apparently the creature's reply must have been positive because the man is smiling. He looks at the boy
again.
" Welcome aboard, buddy. I'm Han Solo and this is Chewbacca but you can call him Chewie. We're
traders. "
" Thank you, mr. Solo. Thank you very much. " Sam was shaking Han's hand almost furiously.
" Uhmm, I would like my hand back now. " Han smiles his charming smile. He leaves Sam and Tesb to be
alone for a few minutes.
" I'm going to miss you. " Tesb looks at Sam who was sitting on his heels in front of the boy.
" I'm gonna miss you too. And Krotan. What did you mean when you said your 'second life'?
" Well, that will be when I am mature enough to you know…." He blushes. Sam smiles.
" I think I know what you mean. Promise me that you will be a good boy. "
" Yes sir. " He gives Sam a huge hug, knowing that he will never see him again. Ever.
It's the morning before the Trials. Anakin is still sleeping but Sam was already up, sitting at the window,
thinking of Tesb.
" You have done a wise thing. The boy will be fine. " Sam looks at Qui-Gon.
" You were guiding me in the fight, weren't you? "
" That was not me. The Force guided you. You did well, Sam. You would have been a great Jedi. "
" Thank you, but I'm too human."
" Aren't we all? "
" I don't think so. Anyway, I must return to my world. It has been an honor knowing you. "
" No Sam, I am the one who is honored. "
" Listen, back there on Tatooine…..I'm…I'm…."
" Do not worry about it. We all make mistakes and we all are angry sometimes. Take care. "
Sam watches as the Jedi fades, sadness in his eyes.
© Clor 1999
Disclaimer:
This story was not written with the intention to gain profit. It was written to the fans from a fan.
Mr. George Lucas owns the following creations:
Star Wars, Qui-Gon Jinn, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Anakin Skywalker, Han Solo, Chewbacca, The Emperor
alias Supreme Chancellor alias Senator Palpatine, Tatooine, R2D2, Padawan, Jedi, The Council, The
Trials, The Code of the Jedi, The Dark Side, Sith Lord and The Force.
Mr. Donald P. Bellisario owns the following creations:
Dr. Sam Beckett, Al and Ziggy.
The late Mr. Gene Roddenberry owns the following creations:
Klingon Bird of Prey
The author owns the following creations:
Clutopius, Tesb, Krotan, Roqulan, Eskoons, Geguran Galaxy, Aranoff, Darth Orme, Federal Army,
Tion-fighters, Menatak III and Hakun.
I wish to express my gratitude to the following people:
Mr. George Lucas:
Thank you for sharing your dream with the world. Without it this story would never have been born
and our lives would have been miserable.
Mr. Liam Neeson:
Thank you for sharing your talent with me. You were the actual inspiration for this story because of
your excellent portrayal of the Jedi Knight Qui-Gon Jinn. Thank you for the dying scene, it will always
live in my soul.
Mr. Scott Bakula:
Thank you for giving to us Dr. Sam Beckett. You have really done a great job in making this character a
part of my existence.
My friend, Slef:
Thank you for being a movie fanatic like me. Together we have shared a lot of them and I hope we will
do so for a very long time. Thank you for being such a great friend.
May the Force be with you all!