Author's Note:
I've noticed that Tahl's perspective is not taken anywhere in the Jedi Apprentice books. Here's my spin on her perspective.
I have other memories written, too. Want them, then ask for them.
Disclaimer:
This stuff belongs to people besides myself. I "plagerize" Jude Watson in that the quotes are the same, but these are scenes taken directly from the books.
Age Eight
Next week, they'd climb the cliff face for the first time without cable launchers. A Master would be watching.
The smallest in her class, she never had been one for patience. She even taught herself from observing the older students.
She traveled as soundlessly as an eight-year-old Jedi student could through the park. She was supposed to be meditating. Nearing the cliff, she slowed. She was not alone.
The presence she'd always felt in class was here. She never had figured out who it was. She knew them, however… somehow. She wondered if it was what the Force felt like…
It was Qui-Gon Jinn.
No wonder she hadn't been able to tell. She hardly knew the boy. He turned towards her. His long hair made him look like a little girl—he thought vice versa, she could tell. That she could sometimes tell what he was thinking didn't worry her—she'd accepted the fact a while back. Now she had a face to the being.
She nodded towards the cliff face. "You thinking of climbing it?" she asked, knowing he was. Why else would he be here?
He said nothing.
She grinned, knowing he was thinking of Yoda's lectures on lying. "Come on." He hesitated. Automatically, she knew what would entice him. "Bet I can beat you to the top." She hurled herself at the cliff, grabbing her first handhold and forming her body to the cliff's shape, something she'd noticed the older students do. Without turning, she waited, and the instant he joined her, she continued.
Soon sweaty, grimy, and angry at the difficulty of the climb, she struggled, pushing herself to do better than the boy beside her. She wouldn't be beat! Despite her best efforts, they were neck to neck. He looked at her. She grinned, enjoying the rivalry.
Wrong thing to do. He accelerated, her grin somehow giving him more energy. She hesitated, frightened. Could he feel her, too? Was her ability not so special, after all? Suddenly, she realized what she was doing wrong.
She overtook Qui-Gon easily, beating him to the top. He wasn't too happy. He turned towards her.
She was too excited to read his anger and shame. "I did it, Qui-Gon! I felt the Force!" She slapped the ground, her eyes blazing with excitement from learning the Force was everything she'd been taught. "The rock—it was a part of me. I was a part of… everything. Even the air! It was just the way Yoda said it would be." She realized suddenly that if Qui-Gon didn't know what he'd done wrong, she'd lose her competition. And she did love rivalry; it kept her on her toes. Besides, something in her didn't want him to be jealous of her. She didn't want to hurt him. "I can tell you what you did wrong," She nudged him with her shoulder. "You hated the rock. You fought it. I did, too, in the beginning. You need to love the rock."
After giving him a few seconds to consider the thought, she stood. "Now for the reward. Come on!" She sprang off the rock, into the sparkling green water below. He followed her, as she knew he would. She stayed under water until he joined her. She grinned at him, while he merely smiled. It didn't bother her. Qui-Gon was a quiet boy.
Together, they burst through the surface. Her short dark hair slicked back, and she swam easily. Her people may not be natural swimmers, like the Mon Calamari, but they were more adaptable than most. She was already growing quite adept in gymnastics. She didn't show that in class, though. She wanted to surprise everybody, the Masters included, when she began lightsaber training. Her sharp gaze picked up movement. Speaking of Masters…
"Someone's coming," she murmured suddenly, frowning. "We're supposed to be in meditation right now."
"This way," whispered Qui-Gon, taking charge. He led her to a rocky outcropping on the edge of the lake. She shot him a sidelong glance without him noticing. Had he done this before? She giggled inwardly as she followed. What secrets might this quiet boy hide?
They both recognized the shuffling step of Yoda. Qui-Gon's eyes narrowed, concerned. She nearly laughed. Yoda's not that bad, she thought at him. You'd understand if you knew what I do.
Apparently, he didn't get the message. (Well, they had only just met, what had she expected?) He placed a hand over her mouth. Grinning, she did the same to him. Yoda paused above their heads. Neither breathed. She knew the Master sensed them, but she also knew his secret.
Yoda was still in contact with his Padawan.
It had been a complete accident, but she had overheard him speaking to the woman. Allie, he'd called her, and had offered to override the Council's ruling. 'Allie' had refused.
'You know my time is not yet come, Master. I will remain, I promise you; I will help you as long as I am able.' The Padawan had had a low voice, musical, mellow. She imagined Allie would be pretty.
She'd done her research without asking the Temple librarian. Yoda had meant that message to remain secret, she had wisely realized. One didn't use a private comlink in a closet for nothing. The truth of the matter had shocked her young mind.
His Padawan had been expelled for unlisted reasons, and forbidden to use her abilities, on penalty of death.
Why then was Yoda offering to bring her back?
Although she didn't fully understand, what she did know made her think that Yoda'd understand a few young students' impatience. Apparently, she was right.
Yoda moved away. The two eight-year-olds dropped their hand from the other's mouth. She had decided something concerning this quiet boy, who she somehow knew so well. "You know, you almost beat me to the top. We could be rivals. But I think it would be better if we were friends."
Qui-Gon nodded solemnly. "Let's be friends." She nearly laughed at the seriousness he displayed regarding friendship. It was a serious matter to her, too, but that was no reason to act as if it were business. From what she understood, business meant that there wasn't any fun involved.
Bubbling with eagerness to know this quiet competitor even better, she abruptly dove into the water. She came up several feet away, the water and her wet self sparkling in the sunlight. "Friends forever!" she called. "Deal?"
"Deal."
I've noticed that Tahl's perspective is not taken anywhere in the Jedi Apprentice books. Here's my spin on her perspective.
I have other memories written, too. Want them, then ask for them.
Disclaimer:
This stuff belongs to people besides myself. I "plagerize" Jude Watson in that the quotes are the same, but these are scenes taken directly from the books.
Age Eight
Next week, they'd climb the cliff face for the first time without cable launchers. A Master would be watching.
The smallest in her class, she never had been one for patience. She even taught herself from observing the older students.
She traveled as soundlessly as an eight-year-old Jedi student could through the park. She was supposed to be meditating. Nearing the cliff, she slowed. She was not alone.
The presence she'd always felt in class was here. She never had figured out who it was. She knew them, however… somehow. She wondered if it was what the Force felt like…
It was Qui-Gon Jinn.
No wonder she hadn't been able to tell. She hardly knew the boy. He turned towards her. His long hair made him look like a little girl—he thought vice versa, she could tell. That she could sometimes tell what he was thinking didn't worry her—she'd accepted the fact a while back. Now she had a face to the being.
She nodded towards the cliff face. "You thinking of climbing it?" she asked, knowing he was. Why else would he be here?
He said nothing.
She grinned, knowing he was thinking of Yoda's lectures on lying. "Come on." He hesitated. Automatically, she knew what would entice him. "Bet I can beat you to the top." She hurled herself at the cliff, grabbing her first handhold and forming her body to the cliff's shape, something she'd noticed the older students do. Without turning, she waited, and the instant he joined her, she continued.
Soon sweaty, grimy, and angry at the difficulty of the climb, she struggled, pushing herself to do better than the boy beside her. She wouldn't be beat! Despite her best efforts, they were neck to neck. He looked at her. She grinned, enjoying the rivalry.
Wrong thing to do. He accelerated, her grin somehow giving him more energy. She hesitated, frightened. Could he feel her, too? Was her ability not so special, after all? Suddenly, she realized what she was doing wrong.
She overtook Qui-Gon easily, beating him to the top. He wasn't too happy. He turned towards her.
She was too excited to read his anger and shame. "I did it, Qui-Gon! I felt the Force!" She slapped the ground, her eyes blazing with excitement from learning the Force was everything she'd been taught. "The rock—it was a part of me. I was a part of… everything. Even the air! It was just the way Yoda said it would be." She realized suddenly that if Qui-Gon didn't know what he'd done wrong, she'd lose her competition. And she did love rivalry; it kept her on her toes. Besides, something in her didn't want him to be jealous of her. She didn't want to hurt him. "I can tell you what you did wrong," She nudged him with her shoulder. "You hated the rock. You fought it. I did, too, in the beginning. You need to love the rock."
After giving him a few seconds to consider the thought, she stood. "Now for the reward. Come on!" She sprang off the rock, into the sparkling green water below. He followed her, as she knew he would. She stayed under water until he joined her. She grinned at him, while he merely smiled. It didn't bother her. Qui-Gon was a quiet boy.
Together, they burst through the surface. Her short dark hair slicked back, and she swam easily. Her people may not be natural swimmers, like the Mon Calamari, but they were more adaptable than most. She was already growing quite adept in gymnastics. She didn't show that in class, though. She wanted to surprise everybody, the Masters included, when she began lightsaber training. Her sharp gaze picked up movement. Speaking of Masters…
"Someone's coming," she murmured suddenly, frowning. "We're supposed to be in meditation right now."
"This way," whispered Qui-Gon, taking charge. He led her to a rocky outcropping on the edge of the lake. She shot him a sidelong glance without him noticing. Had he done this before? She giggled inwardly as she followed. What secrets might this quiet boy hide?
They both recognized the shuffling step of Yoda. Qui-Gon's eyes narrowed, concerned. She nearly laughed. Yoda's not that bad, she thought at him. You'd understand if you knew what I do.
Apparently, he didn't get the message. (Well, they had only just met, what had she expected?) He placed a hand over her mouth. Grinning, she did the same to him. Yoda paused above their heads. Neither breathed. She knew the Master sensed them, but she also knew his secret.
Yoda was still in contact with his Padawan.
It had been a complete accident, but she had overheard him speaking to the woman. Allie, he'd called her, and had offered to override the Council's ruling. 'Allie' had refused.
'You know my time is not yet come, Master. I will remain, I promise you; I will help you as long as I am able.' The Padawan had had a low voice, musical, mellow. She imagined Allie would be pretty.
She'd done her research without asking the Temple librarian. Yoda had meant that message to remain secret, she had wisely realized. One didn't use a private comlink in a closet for nothing. The truth of the matter had shocked her young mind.
His Padawan had been expelled for unlisted reasons, and forbidden to use her abilities, on penalty of death.
Why then was Yoda offering to bring her back?
Although she didn't fully understand, what she did know made her think that Yoda'd understand a few young students' impatience. Apparently, she was right.
Yoda moved away. The two eight-year-olds dropped their hand from the other's mouth. She had decided something concerning this quiet boy, who she somehow knew so well. "You know, you almost beat me to the top. We could be rivals. But I think it would be better if we were friends."
Qui-Gon nodded solemnly. "Let's be friends." She nearly laughed at the seriousness he displayed regarding friendship. It was a serious matter to her, too, but that was no reason to act as if it were business. From what she understood, business meant that there wasn't any fun involved.
Bubbling with eagerness to know this quiet competitor even better, she abruptly dove into the water. She came up several feet away, the water and her wet self sparkling in the sunlight. "Friends forever!" she called. "Deal?"
"Deal."