Here's another chapter! Thanks for the review Little Obi Wan Kenobi! And to you I say, your favorite Jedi will be making an appearance. :) Not sure how this chapter turned out, hopefully OK. Hopefully, you all enjoy. Please, please, please read and review!
"The child was born a little more than three months ago." Madame Thelcar crossed the room to a makeshift cradle, where the infant slept. The woman brushed the child's cheek lightly with one gnarled finger. "I found out only a few months before the birth and convinced Kayda to tell her father. She was not married, was not promised to anyone. He would have had all the reason in the world to be upset with his daughter. But, as it turned out, the King was more pleased than disappointed."
She tucked the blankets tighter around the baby and sat down in a chair next to the crib. "It would no longer matter if the Prince produced an heir. The crown has always passed to the first heir born in the following generation, no matter the circumstance. We did not know then that the Prince's wife was with child. No one knew until two weeks prior to Kayda's delivery."
"After Kayda delivered this little bundle," the old woman smiled down at the baby, "she had been fine. The King had fallen ill days before the birth. He would never meet either of his grandchildren. Besides myself, only Advisor Qorbin and the medical droid went in and out of Kayda's room. When I retired for the evening, Kayda was still healthy. She was tired, but happy. But, by the next morning, she was gone," she sighed before continuing, "The King had decided to make an announcement after Kayda's baby was born. I suppose he wanted the emphasis to be the baby, not the fact that she was still unmarried." Madame Thelcar trailed off, miserably.
Qui-Gon stood in the doorway, unable to enter further. He could not tear his eyes away from the infant. "Did Kayda tell you who the father was?" he asked quietly.
Madame Thelcar shook her head, "No. She never would say, so I stopped asking." It was silent for awhile, both lost in their own thoughts.
All Jedi initiates were given a full medical examination when they arrived at the Temple on Coruscant. It was the start of a data file that would follow them throughout their careers. These files also included holo pictures that were updated frequently, in the event that the initiate went missing or needed to be identified quickly by authorities outside the Temple.
Qui-Gon had glimpsed his file during one of his numerous stints in the Healer's. He had seen images of himself at almost every age. One picture showed a young padawan missing both his front teeth, which he had found rather humorous. There was even a holo picture of him has a baby. The tiny version of Qui-Gon Jinn had chubby cheeks and a full head of dark brown hair. Something must have tickled baby Qui-Gon, because he was laughing in the image.
He had not thought about those holo pictures until this moment. But, as he stared at the sleeping baby nestled in a bundle of blankets, he realized that this child looked just like him as an infant. "What," he paused, "What is her name?"
Madame Thelcar sighed and looked at the Jedi Knight, "She doesn't have one. Kayda never got the chance to name her."
Qui-Gon forced himself to continue. He had to focus. "Why did you hide her?" he asked, meeting the old woman's gaze for the first time.
The old woman was wringing her hands nervously, "I checked on them through the night and everything seemed fine. But, sometime in the early morning hours, Kayda passed. The baby was crying, almost as if she knew something was wrong. I knew that the child was not safe. I had to hide her. I couldn't bear to see her harmed like her mother."
"Do you know what happened to Kayda?"
Madame Thelcar's voice was shaky, "I passed Advisor Qorbin on my way to bed that evening. He said he had a message for Kayda from her father and would not be long. I should have known then. Advisor Qorbin always wanted control over all of them. And he had it over the King and Broca, but never Kayda. I have no proof Master Jedi, but I know he did something to my Kayda."
Qui-Gon thought he already knew the answer, but he asked anyway, "Why would he want to hurt either of them?"
"Because he had the most to lose. If Kayda was queen, she would never allow his underhanded dealings. He would loose all the power he held under the King and the power he will hold under our new King. The news of Prince Doorna's child gave Advisor Qorbin a potential foothold. Only Kayda and the baby stood in his way. Both easily dealt with since only two others beside the King knew of her pregnancy."
It made sense. He had felt shades of darkness emanating from the Advisor through the Force. He knew Qorbin to be very controlling. Qorbin had attempted to micromanage all aspects of Qui-Gon's last mission to Abrole. Qui-Gon regarded the old woman more closely, "You sent the transmission to the Jedi Council requesting my presence here."
She nodded, "Yes, I've hid her for months and have avoided Advisor Qorbin as much as I possibly could. But, I know that I cannot protect her much longer." Madame Thelcar looked back at the baby, "Kayda always spoke so highly of you. I did not know what else I could do. The Prince's crowning was the perfect opportunity to request a Jedi without raising too much suspicion," she paused, looking back at Qui-Gon,"You must take the child away from here, off planet. If she stays, Qorbin will find her and her fate will be the same as her mother's."
"And how am I to do that?" Qui-Gon asked, still trying to absorb all this new information. Madame Thelcar only offered him a small smile.
Qui-Gon soon found himself flying around his quarters, throwing his things in his bag. The baby lay on the bed. She almost seemed intrigued by the big Jedi as she watched him traverse the room. Madame Thelcar had deposited Qui-Gon and the child back in his room. She was signaling a transport that she had previously procured and was leaving a message of apology for the newly-crowned King of Abrole alerting him to an emergency that had called the Jedi away suddenly. It was still very early and the King would receive the message long after Qui-Gon had left. Madame Thelcar would be back in ten minutes to collect them.
It was a sound plan. The early hour would cover his exit and it was not unheard of for a Jedi to be called away early from a mission to attend to a more pressing matter. Qui-Gon was just closing his pack when he heard a knock at the door. Madame Thelcar was early. Qui-Gon went to open the door, but stopped suddenly.
A warning in the Force had stopped him. The second knock was followed by a voice, "Master Jedi? Might I speak with you?" It was Qorbin.