Prologue

Ani missed her mother. She missed her mother so much that the cold chills raking her body and the gnawing hunger in her stomach barely registered as discomforts. Physically she had been in much worse conditions. Mentally she was not so sure. She might have had the release of a good cry but slaves don't cry and neither did Jedi. So she wiped the tears away quickly and pulled her robes tight around herself.

The room she found herself in was the smallest on the ship and yet bigger than her room at home. She looked around again, hoping to see something she could do to keep busy. To make herself useful. Qui-Gon had assured her multiple times that all that she needed to do now was rest. But years of conditioning left her feeling on edge. Always make yourself useful child

"Are you all right?"

Ani startled, so lost in her thoughts she had not seen the hand maiden enter. Padmé was so brave and beautiful and dignified that Ani wished hopelessly to be like her one day. But Ani was a gutter-rat of a girl – she enjoyed fixing droids and pod-races, and always had tangles in her hair. And she didn't usually worry about being beautiful because it took too much time and her mother told her she was beautiful in the ways that really mattered….. and it was dangerous for a slave girl to be pretty anyway.

"I'm okay. It's just cold," she lied, hoping the tear tracks on her eyes weren't noticeable to the other girl. Unfortunately Padmé saw right through her.

"It's okay Ani, I miss my family too sometimes," she said softly, sitting down beside her. Padmé was studying her face, and her messy hair and Ani felt her self-consciousness flare. "I could comb your hair for you, if you like," Padmé offered and Ani looked up at her in shock. No one except her mother had ever cared for her. "My sister Sola used to do that for me what I was little."

Ani nodded and offered her head to Padmé who quickly settled into the job of pulling the tangles out of her long hair. Ani relaxed gradually until she was leaning against Padmé who quickly grabbed them a blanket when she felt Ani's shivering. It took a long time but finally Padmé had divided Ani's hair into two long braids on either side of her head. It wasn't the same as when her mother did it but Ani was glad Padmé was there.

It would have been nice to have a friendly face holding her hand while she learned her fate. Not that Qui-Gon wasn't friendly, he just, he was busy with so many other things. Obi-Wan most of all. The other man seemed to always be beside him now. And Obi-Wan was nice enough when he spoke to her, but he kept giving her these side way glances that made her feel as if she had walked in bantha poo….. But she had checked her shoes and they were clean.

"Her cells do contain a very high concentration of midi-cholorians," began one of the councilors whose name she could not remember. She did not know what that meant but Qui-Gon seemed happy so it must be good. "And the force is very strong with her. But we have many reservations about her being trained," said – Windu – she recalled suddenly.

Ani stood up taller.

I'll take the mother but the girl isn't much use to me.

She had proven her value to Watto and she could do the same for the Jedi if they would just give her a chance. But her mother wasn't here to argue for her and she wasn't sure her ability to fix things would be very impressive to the Jedi. She looked to Qui-Gon to say something more on her behalf but he was strangely silent. She saw the clenching of his jaw though. The others held more power than him.

Slaves know when to hold their tongues and bite their lips

Her mother had spoken up for her anyway.

"Qui-Gon even you have to admit that she is too old, and much too attached to who she was," continued Mace as if she wasn't here, as if she couldn't hear them. And what was wrong with who she was? It was the slavers fault, not the slaves. She wiped a tear from her eye quickly, hoping that no one saw but another tear quickly followed. And they were Jedi, of course they would notice. The green one, Yoba she thought, looked at her intensely and it felt like he was looking through her. Like she was nothing.

"Agree with Mace I do," said Yoba and she felt her hope fading. "Her future is clouded, but I can sense that there is loss, and fear and pain."

But then Yoba looked at her again, and this time he actually seemed to see her and her tear stricken face. Suddenly his tone softened, "Is the life of a Jedi truly for you child? Let go you will have to if you are to follow this path."

She nodded at him. She could let go. She could do anything if it meant being a Jedi instead of a slave. She had already left so much behind her, and truly she had nothing to let go of anymore. Yoba looked away from her to Qui-Gon.

"If you believe truly that the chosen one she is then I entrust her in your care I do. Let her follow you and Obi-Wan for a time. Meditate we will and re-address this matter later."

Qui-Gon agreed and quickly shuffled her out of the council chambers.

She had the distinct feeling that Yoba hoped she would give up so he wouldn't have to disappoint her. But she would show them. She would show them all.

XOXOXO

"And what will happen to Ani?" Obi-Wan asked, even though he felt incredibly tired after the events of the last few days. He would have preferred to forget her and let someone else deal with the child. But he had promised Qui-Gon when he died.

Yoda looked at him thoughtfully, taking his time to respond.

"Emotional young Ani is. Too attached to her mother. Her training will be a great undertaking. Ready you are not. Ready she may never be. But expel her we cannot. Nowhere to go has she. So here she will stay, and allow her to learn with the other younglings. If she passes her initiate trials then you may keep your promise to Qui-Gon and train her."

Obi-Wan nodded, letting his relief into the force. He doubted young Ani would ever make the rank of padawan as she had nine years to make up. But she would be safe at the temple, and if she was truly the chosen one as Qui-Gon believed she would catch up. And if she did he supposed he would have to take her on…. But most likely she wouldn't.

XOXOXO

"He is one with the force now Ani, we must let go."

Ani looked at Obi-Wan and the lack of tears on his face. And yet she could tell he had cared deeply for his master. But he couldn't have loved him. Jedi didn't love. And she didn't know if she pitied or envied them that.

"What will happen to me now?" she asked tentatively.

"You will live in the temple with the other younglings Ani. You will be trained in the ways of the force, and if you pass the trials to become a padawan I promise I will take you on as my student."

She smiled at him. She would pass those tests, and someday be his padawan. She just knew it.

End Prologue