The Force's Last Gift

Summary: Qui-Gon Jinn is dying a slow, painful death as his life fades with every single breath. Yet as he does, the Force grants him one last gift – visions of the future that he has unknowingly been behind all along.

Rating: K (there really is nothing that severe in this, especially if you've seen all the movies)

Genre: general

Canon Character(s): Master Qui-Gon Jinn

OC Character(s): none

Set During: the Battle of Fates (TPM), but also addresses AotC, RotS, ANH, ESB, and RotJ

Note: SW wiki says that as Qui-Gon died in TPM, he received startling visions that first showed the downfall of the Jedi and then – when Obi-Wan started dueling Maul – showed how the Jedi would rise once more and how Anakin would fulfill the prophecy. This is my attempt to show that, and to show how he dabbled into the affairs of the Jedi later on, such as in AotC and RotS.

Also, the date underneath the chapter specifies the time in which the vision took place. For example, this time is 32 BBY in this chapter because Jinn has visions of stuff that happens in 32 BBY.


Chapter One: Finally the Curtain Falls

32 BBY

~ Qui-Gon Jinn ~
I backed away from the Sith momentarily, wishing for more space. The form of lightsaber combat that I specialized in – Form IV, also known as Ataru – was a powerful form that utilized twists and jumps so that users could attack at opponent's weak points and leap in from odd and unexpected angles that were hard to defend against . . . but the drawback was that I needed space to perform the said jumps and twists and so on.

And in this little power generator complex, with the melting pit behind me and the laser walls in front of me – not to mention the Sith warrior – well, I kind of didn't have the space that I needed.

He struck again, first with one side and then with the other, and I barely managed to move in time to get the second blow. Come on, you can do this! I told myself. Only a few more minutes, and then Obi-Wan will be through the walls.

I could feel my apprentice's anxiety even from over here. Obi-Wan, who had been my Padawan for almost twelve years now, was fidgeting so much that I was tempted to ask him whether he was twenty-five or merely five.

I blocked a cut aimed at my right and went to parry one to my left shoulder. But instead of attacking again, the Sith parried my parry with his lightsaber hilt, shoving my hand and blade up so high that I was forced to bring it back in the opening stance for Form V to avoid slicing my own head off. When I steeled myself to slash straight back down and cut through his blade, and hopefully his head, he continued his parry to slam his hilt into my chin. Dazed by his maneuver, I dropped my lightsaber and stumbled a step backwards.

And that was where everything went wrong.

The next thing I knew, the Sith had turned and suddenly my apprentice was screaming, "NO!" as if the world was ending. His cry was horrifically sad and full of anguish, and for a second I wondered why Obi-Wan was screaming. I was fine; I just had to duck and recover my lightsaber . . . right?

That was when I looked down and saw the Sith withdrawing his lightsaber . . . from my stomach.

Stunned, I sank to my knees. The pain . . . was horrible . . . overwhelming . . . all-consuming. I was drowning in it. Dimly, as if through some translucent glass, some part of me registered that the Force sang of agony and anguish and sadness and fear as Obi-Wan raged at the laser wall still keeping him from my side.

As I collapsed on the ground, no longer able to stay up, my vision flickered. Is death usually this fast? I wondered, praying that the knowledge I had learned from the Order of the Whills would be enough.

I blinked again, and my vision flickered once more and one of my eyes suddenly went dark. When the part of my brain that was still functioning realized what was happening, what I was seeing, I thought I was becoming feverish.

Because while one of my eyes saw the cold gray interior of the power generator, the other eye was "seeing" into some sort of darkened room where a lot of people were gathered around a flickering orange-yellow light.

Oh, great, I thought with a sigh that made pain flare through me again. I'm already going delirious and it's only been a few seconds since he stabbed me. Or has it been minutes? Hours?

I honestly couldn't tell anymore. But I had more pressing concerns on my mind.

That, or I've finally cracked. I'm seeing people and strange colors with only one eye . . . and that definitely can't be good.

I blinked again, and suddenly my other eye was consumed by that same darkness. And then I was falling, weightlessly and effortlessly. There was a rush of wind and the smell of burning, and I squeezed my eyes shut against it.

I gasped in surprise when the fall suddenly stopped. But I didn't get the feeling of coming into contact with anything, which felt weird after years of always feeling the ground or a ship or a building beneath me. What, did I just suddenly fall into a vacuum or something?

I opened my eyes . . . and this time my mouth did fall open.

I was standing behind some sort of Jedi funeral pyre. I could see my apprentice, his hood up and his expression impassive, as was expected of a Jedi – but I could see his eyes, and they were full of sorrow. By his side, Anakin sat on the wall, not even bothering to hide his grief – or his fear.

I saw his mouth move as Obi-Wan turned to him, and the words floated over to me. "What will happen to me now?" he asked, his voice soft and scared and confused.

"The Council has given me permission to train you in Master Qui-Gon's stead. You will be a Jedi. I promise," Obi-Wan said solemnly.

Wait, why is Obi-Wan training Anakin?

He was a great Jedi and all, but why would the Council give a freshly minted Knight an apprentice?

Why am I not the one to train him like I – Oh. Oh. Oh.

It finally hit me – the funeral pyre in front of me . . . it was my own.

The second I noticed that, the fire suddenly blazed ten times brighter and I winced, closing my eyes and throwing up my hands to attempt to protect my face. But I was just a spirit – I think – so the heat washed over me, surrounding me in a blaze of brilliant red and golden sparks. It didn't hurt – it was just was bewildering and awe-inspiring.

Then the heat suddenly was gone, as quickly as it had gone.

I lowered my hands just in time to start as loud music blared.

I groaned. I didn't particularly like celebrations – because that was what this sounded like – especially when dignitaries and politicians were involved. It was one of the few things that Obi-Wan and I agreed completely on.

I opened to my eyes and saw a parade of Gungans moving slowly across the street, led by drummers and trumpeters and a whole lot of marching soldiers. On the sidelines stood thousands of people dressed in bright colors and tossing out ribbons and confetti towards the soldiers.

As I watched, Boss Nass dismounted and strode up the steps towards the Naboo Palace. He was flanked by General Ceel and Jar Jar.

Queen Amidala was standing at the top of steps, flanked by Governor Bibble and . . . and Senator Palpatine. What is he doing here? It was even more confusing when one considered that the Blue Guard was arrayed around him – but that couldn't be. The Blue Guard was only meant for one person – the Chancellor. . .

Then I faintly remembered how Mace had mentioned that the Senate was voting on a new Chancellor, thanks to Queen Amidala's intervention. Oh. Palpatine has been elected Chancellor in Valorum's stead.

My eyes swept along the crowd of people. I noted with a start that the whole Jedi Council was present. Of course – the Sith. And Anakin. Funny how they only come so far for me when I'm gone. . .

Then – finally. My eyes finally beheld the two people I wanted to see the most.

Obi-Wan was standing not too far from the Queen, his Padawan braid gone and his hair no longer bound in the Padawan hairstyle. Anakin was by his side and – yes! I felt a thrill of triumph. The boy's hair was cut, and a thin Padawan braid hung down his shoulder. He was also clad in the Jedi uniform.

As soon as I saw that, the scene started going fuzzy and distant. I squinted, calling on the Force before I remembered that this was a vision and so the Force wouldn't help me. Colors started mixing and dimming, as though I was splashing water on a painting. Wind blew around me again, and suddenly I was flying backwards, away from Obi-Wan and Anakin and the parade.

And then I opened my eyes and saw that I was back in the power generator.

A bitter taste was in my mouth, and my ears were pounding, and my eyes hurt. I couldn't believe it. I, Qui-Gon Jinn, a follower of the Living Force all my life because I had never really been able to touch the Unifying Force, now was the recipient of visions? Visions that usually my apprentice got and that I ignored and never had gotten in my life?

So, this is how it ends, I thought dazedly. Finally the curtain falls.