Marvels
Approx. 35 years beforeThe Phantom Menace.
Qui-Gon Jinn sat in his quarters at the Jedi Temple, doing his daily meditations. His master, Count Dooku, went on a routine field mission on Coatis Delta. He was in the middle of deep meditation when all of a sudden; a bright, white light blinded his vision. Qui-Gon thought it was his Master playing tricks on him but when he reached out to the Force, everything around him was warm. The young Padawan panicked, thinking that it was the last moment of his life and he was about to be one with the Force.
Aw, c'mon. My 16th birthday isn't for another two weeks. Why can't I die then? Or when I'm 21?
Relax, Qui-Gon. You're not going to die; not yet. Open your eyes.
Qui-Gon slowly opened his eyes and realized that the bright light was gone but he wasn't in his quarters. He was in the Room of a Thousand Fountains. And he wasn't alone. Sitting across from him was a young woman in her early-20s. But that's not what shocked the fifteen-year-old. What shocked him was the fact that this woman, sans the grey eyes and the reddish-blonde hair, bared an uncanny resemblance to him.
"A-a-am I dreaming?" Qui-Gon stammered.
The woman laughed. "Sort of. But you're not dead, I assure you."
"Are you a ghost?"
"No, I'm from your future." Qui-Gon portrayed a confused look on his face, so his new friend continued: "I'm your granddaughter, Persephone Kenobi."
Qui-Gon's pale blue eyes grew wide with shock and disbelief. He couldn't believe what he was hearing. "My what?"
"Your granddaughter?" Persephone repeated. "As in the daughter of one of your children?"
"I'm fifteen and a Jedi Padawan! How am I supposed to have a grandchild, let alone children?"
"Trust me, you do. It's the will of the Force."
"It's the will of the Force for me to have a family?"
"I know it sounds impossible," Persephone said. "This Jedi Order forbids you to have a family or any form of attachment; my parents told me."
"Your parents knew me?"
Persephone nodded.
"How old are you?"
"Twenty-two. My parents are Obi-Wan Kenobi and Sabrina Jinn-Kenobi."
"And I'll know them in the near future?"
"One's your daughter and the other's your future Padawan learner!"
Qui-Gon got up, rather abruptly, and started pacing back and forward. "Okay, this….this is a dream! Yes, I'm dreaming. You're not real, this is not real; it's just the Force playing tricks on me while I'm meditating."
Persephone gave Qui-Gon a deadpan look. "If you were dreaming, would I be able to do this?" She pinched Qui-Gon hard on his arm.
"OW! THAT HURT!"
"Exactly."
Qui-Gon rubbed his bruised arm and looked at his…well, granddaughter. "Okay, so I'm not dreaming," He conceded. "But that still doesn't answer my question as to why are you here?"
"I'm here to tell you to rely on the Living Force," Persephone replied.
Qui-Gon looked at the woman suspiciously. "Why?"
"Because it will lead you to some pretty bizarre paths."
"Define 'bizarre.'"
"Later on in your life, the Force will compel you to make some decisions, most which will go against the Code."
"I can't go against the Jedi Code!"
"Trust me, you do."
Qui-Gon couldn't believe what he was hearing! He was going to boldly disobey the Jedi Order, the Order he swore his whole life to.
"You're not going to disobey the Jedi Order, Qui-Gon." Persephone assured. "You just…march to the beat of your own heart. There's no crime in that."
Qui-Gon stopped pacing and looked at the young Jedi more thoroughly. She had a calm demeanor, much like his own and she had similar, strong facial features as he. But there were some differences as well. Clearing his mind of any doubt and anxiety, he reached into the Force for any guidance. What he found was something short of astonishing.
"You're telling the truth." He breathed.
"Of course I am," Persephone laughed. "Would I be telling any different?"
Qui-Gon merely shrugged. "So, this family….how am I supposed to know? How many kids do I have?"
"Can't tell you that."
"Will I at least live to see them grow up?"
A pained look came across Persephone's face. "You'll only live through their early adolescence; that's all."
Qui-Gon slumped back to the ground. This information was too much for him to handle. One minute, he's meditating then this woman comes in, claiming to be his future grandchild, telling him that he going to have a family in the near future.
"This is a lot to take in," He said, finally.
"Yeah, I know." Persephone agreed. "But it will be worth it in the long run, trust me. Your children will give you so much joy. They're the reason for you living; besides you being a Jedi Knight, of course."
Qui-Gon smiled. "Thank you, Persephone. I'll keep in mind what you said."
"Well, about that…" Persephone laughed nervously. "After I leave, you won't remember any of this conversation."
Another shocked look etched Qui-Gon's face. "WHAT?" He exclaimed. "So, I won't have any memory of you or our conversation?"
Persephone shook her head.
"How am I supposed to know, then? Without this information, what do I have to guide me?"
"The Living Force."
Qui-Gon fell silent. He was only fifteen; how was he supposed to know what the Living Force felt like?
"Trust in it, Qui-Gon." Persephone assured. "Let it guide your life. It'll never steer you wrong."
There was another bright light, blinding Qui-Gon's eyes. When he opened them, he found himself back in his quarters in his room. Persephone Kenobi was gone. He found Count Dooku, Yoda, Mace Windu and Tahl staring at him, all with concerned looks on their faces.
"Qui-Gon," Dooku pleaded. "Are you all right? Answer me!"
Qui-Gon sat up slowly and looked at the four concerned faces.
"Wh…What happened?"
"You didn't show up for Galactic Studies, so Mace and I went looking for you," Tahl explained. "When we found you in this…comatose state, we called Master Dooku and Master Yoda."
"How long was I out?"
"A good 30 minutes."
Qui-Gon's pale blue eyes grew wide. "Thirty minutes? That can't be possible."
"Unconscious for a while longer, you thought you were, hmm?" Yoda inquired.
"Yes, Master Yoda." Qui-Gon replied. "I had a dream. I think I saw my…granddaughter."
Mace and Tahl looked at each other, then at Qui-Gon. Then they laughed.
"A granddaughter?" Mace laughed. "You know Jedi can't have family."
"I know that, idiot!" Qui-Gon frowned. "I said it was a dream."
"You don't sound too sure about that." Tahl pointed out.
"It just….felt real." Qui-Gon said.
"What did you have to eat for breakfast, Padawan?" Dooku inquired.
Qui-Gon frowned again. "Nothing, really."
The old Count sighed in exasperation. "What did I tell you about meditating on an empty stomach?" He groaned.
"I'm sorry, Master. It won't happen again."
"Grateful we are that you are well, Padawan Jinn." Yoda assured.
"I agree." Dooku added. "Come now. Let's get you to the Healers. And get you something to eat."
Qui-Gon smiled as got up from his bed, with the help of his Jedi Master. They exited the room, Mace closely following them. Tahl was fixing to go when she saw Yoda lingering behind. Concerned, the fourteen-year-old Padawan came over to the ancient green Jedi.
"Master," She asked. "Are you all right?"
"Hmmm, in work the Force is, young Tahl." Yoda replied, in his own cryptic way. "In mysterious ways, we have yet to understand."
Tahl looked confused for a moment, then her green eyes went wide. "You mean that Qui-Gon's dream wasn't just a dream?"
"A message, a vision? Know these things I do not. But working through young Qui-Gon, the Force is. Of that, I am certain."
Ta'Kina Jinn-Madras continued: Your grandfather dismissed this as a mere dream. It wasn't until much later in his life, about 3 years prior to his death, that he remembered the dream again and saw it for what it truly was: A vision. He really believed that The Force was, not only operating through him, but through us as well.