Wrote this last year for a little idea on tumblr going around, Time Travel Tuesday. The story was pretty well received on AO3 which was lovely so I figured I'd upload it here too since my AO3 and FF accounts tend to share the same stories so why not right? Doesn't mean there won't be any spelling or grammar mistakes though XD
I don't own Star Wars.
Shall We Try This Again?
At the week's beginning, Qui-Gon Jinn was like a dark cave.
By the week's end, an earthquake tore the cave open and light rushed in. Cool stones dissolved into white sand and the eerie silence was washed away by the sound of rolling ocean waves. Misery and contempt for the world that had settled like dust after the fall of his Padawan, was ushered away and peace enriched the man once again.
No one among the Jedi Temple understood the change. An invisible catalyst struck and its impact changed the renowned maverick. Yet it never felt as though the past had moved on. It lingered and invigorated. When before the past was like a heavy ball and chain, it now went hand in hand with the future and spurred Qui-Gon Jinn on.
Which was why he was standing before the creche quarters. A return of the Sith would not inspire a look of shock on par with the one he received now. He should know.
"Say that again?" the creche master requested.
"Obi-Wan Kenobi," Qui-Gon repeated calmly. "Master Yoda approves. You can ask him yourself if you like," he reached into his cloak's pocket for a commlink.
"No, no," the creche master assured. "It's just …I never thought –"
"–Yes, well, neither did I but here we are," Qui-Gon said, shrugging. "Now, Obi-Wan Kenobi…?"
The creche master nodded. "Ah yes. Hang on, wait out here. I'll go get him."
Qui-Gon eased into the soft cough as the door closed. The wide windows before him offered a glimpse of Coruscant's vast city. Like ants, the civilians marched through their everyday life with little to no awareness of how the clockwork that runs their world even works. After Qui-Gon's recent experiences he wondered if the Jedi should also be counted among their numbers. Reaching into his pockets again, the commlink was ignored in favour of a small smooth stone. Comforting heat radiated off the stone as his fingers played with it.
"Come now, don't be shy. Stand up straight."
Qui-Gon braced himself. Yet still his heart clenched. All at once, memories dug into his flesh like the harsh sands of Tatooine did to an old hermit's hands, and burned like Mustafar's boiling blood on the body of a ruined man. However, the storm of sensory overload blew over and all that was left was a small nine-year-old boy.
"Eyes forward, young one," the creche master said, propping up the boy's chin. Steel-blue eyes dropped to the floor like stones in a water. Something behind the door smashed. The creche master shook her head. "My apologies. Younglings can be quite a handful. I trust you can take it from here, Master Jinn?"
"Yes, thank you."
Before the creche master left she gave the boy's shoulder a comforting squeeze. Then all that remained was the Jedi Master and Initiate. After a few uneventful seconds, Qui-Gon began to suspect that a nearby exploding star and its great light show over Coruscant's sky wouldn't detract the boy's eyes from the ground. In that case, Qui-Gon would simply have to outshine a supernova. A task not so unimaginable for him, his old Master Dooku would grumble.
Qui-Gon rose and sidled towards the boy.
Instinctively the boy stumbled back. Rolling the bottom of his tunic, young Obi-Wan bucked up the courage to look at the Jedi before him. Nerves wrapped around him and tightened like rope. Choking slightly, Obi-Wan's voice cracked as he muttered, "I sincerely apologise for my actions at the dojo the other day. Initiate Chun's face is as alright as it can be."
Frowning, Qui-Gon answered, "I'm pleased to hear however the event in which you are referring to escapes me."
The boy's frown rivalled Qui-Gon's. "Isn't… isn't that why you're here, Master Jinn? For my uncivilised behaviour, yesterday? Am I to scrub the dojo's floor this time?"
Qui-Gon huffed in amusement. "No, to your fortune, I am not here to punish you for, what was it, 'uncivilised' behaviour'?"
"Oh…" Obi-Wan's voice was barely a whisper as he fiddled with his tunic again. Much to the boy's surprise, the Jedi Master did not whack his hands away or order good straight posture. Instead, he stood with his hands hidden in his cloak's sleeves waiting for Obi-Wan to speak.
Guilt coloured Obi-Wan's cheeks pink. "Pardon my rudeness. What did you wish to speak to me about?"
Qui-Gon bent down to the child's eye level. His Force presence reminded Obi-Wan of hugging a hot water bottle on a cold night. He listened closely as the Jedi Master asked, "You're a smart lad, Obi-Wan. Why else would a Master such as myself wish to meet an Initiate?"
Unfortunately for Obi-Wan, praise for his intelligence was taken as a challenge by his brain which would immediately faultier due to unsustainable levels of anxiety. Obi-Wan swallowed heavily. "Um …do you need me to climb a ladder in the Archives to get a holobook?"
"No," Qui-Gon replied, drawing the word out with a growing grin. "I'm sure I can climb ladders myself, thank you."
Obi-Wan's eyes scanned the Jedi in front of him. "I assumed that your old knees wouldn't –I mean! – in the event the ladder is old and it crumbles, it would be better if I fall and break my legs rather than have one of the Order's best Jedi out of commission!" He buried his head in his hands.
Obi-Wan heard Qui-Gon chuckle softly and say, "Yes, I can already see you delighting everyone you meet in the future." Obi-Wan's hands were suddenly held by Qui-Gon's and removed from his face.
"Is there anything else you can think of?"
Obi-Wan felt sick with shame. "No, not really. I'm sorry."
Releasing the boy's hands, Qui-Gon pulled something from his pocket. Sitting at the centre of his palm was a smooth oval rock. It was as black as space and the streak red running along its right side was like a cluster of stardust. Obi-Wan had to stop himself from reaching out and touching it. Qui-Gon placed the small rock in the boy's hand. "Obi-Wan Kenobi. It would be the greatest honour if you would accept me as your Master."
The galaxy might as well as stopped in its tracks.
Confusion and amazement escaped in small bouts flashing across the boy's face. Qui-Gon couldn't be sure if the Order's lessons on managing one's emotions was truly the culprit behind such a schooled and contained response. His suspicions were confirmed when at last the boy managed to mumble, "But Bruck said… he said…"
Qui-Gon's lips curled. "I didn't realise the creche was home to a Jedi with a talent for the Unifying Force that could outclass Master Yoda."
The child cringed as though Qui-Gon's logic only shamed him further. The stone felt wrong in his small soft hand, like the Jedi Master was trying to position the wrong piece in a puzzle. "I am…" Obi-Wan's breathing shuddered. "…honoured that you would consider me but I humbly suggest you give a decision such as this some more thought. I would hate –wait, no, Jedi don't hate –It would be unfortunate if my apprenticeship is nothing but a burden to you."
"Obi-Wan, do you want to know a secret?"
Obi-Wan's eyebrows furrowed. "Secret? Um… if you wish to speak Master Jinn, I will listen."
Qui-Gon moved the boy's fingers to curl around the rock and then covered it with his own hand. And he gave Initiate Kenobi, Padawan, Knight, General, Negotiator, Wizard and Councillor Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi, a smile that promised every one of those titles would mean something different this time. "I've been thinking about this decision for many decades. I'm sorry it's taken me so long. I know exactly who I want as my Padawan, but only if you accept it. Let this be your decision to make, no one else's."
It only took Obi-Wan five seconds to make his decision. But to Qui-Gon, those five seconds meant so much more.
Thanks for reading. Comment if you feel like it :)