Chapter 1- Wiring Gone Wrong
Had luck been on their side, Anakin Skywalker and Obi-wan Kenobi would have been the only two people on their ship. Instead, the force and the force alone decided that it would bring a third party onto their ship. One Jaina Jinn-Skywalker to be exact. The stowaway herself seemed to be more annoyed than upset about the loss of their ship.
"So what now?" the twelve year old girl asked.
"We pray we're not too late for dinner… or else Qui-gon will have our heads." Obi-wan sighed, rubbing the bridge of his nose.
"And we hope we know where we are." Anakin said pulling his younger sister into a half hug as another small explosion on the ship caused any hope of getting off the strange new world to explode with it.
Jaina ran a hand through her sandy blonde hair. That day had started off so normally….
A few hours earlier
"Jaina come down and help set up dinner!" Qui-gon called, chuckling softly as his rambunctious little girl practically jumped down.
"I'm here!" Jaina said, smiling up at her father before hugging him affectionately. "How can I help."
"I need you to set up the plates and then get two certain troublemakers back in for dinner." Qui-gon said, wrapping his arms around his daughter and hugging her hard. "You take so much after your mother."
"She has my looks but she's inherited her father's reckless personality." Shmi Skywalker said with a laugh as she walked over to them, kissing Qui-gon sweetly on the cheek and then Jaina's forehead.
"I'm pretty and pretty reckless. Better than my brothers though!" Jaina giggled before pulling away from her parents.
Shmi shook her head and laughed. "it would be better if none of you were trouble makers." Her voice was light and teasing.
Jaina giggled before kissing both her parents on the cheek and going to set the table. She practically skipped off as soon as she finished.
"I worry for her…" Shmi sighed, watching Jaina go off to find both Anakin and Obi-wan. "Is the training you gave her going to be enough?"
"It will be. She still has much to learn, but Jaina is strong. The force is strong with her." Qui-gon assured, kissing Shmi on the head before kissing her softly on the mouth. "I promised you the moment I married you that our family will always be safe."
"I know… I just worry. They're becoming so restless. Tatooine may not be enough anymore… Anakin still dreams of Padme and Obi-wan… his eyes always look to the stars with such sadness." She pressed her head on Qui-gon's shoulder. "Jaina… She wants to see the universe. It's like they're being called away from home."
"They are not being called away, my dearest star. Home is the heart and we are always in each other's hearts." Qui-gon kissed her head reassuringly before giving a teasing smile. "unless this is your way of asking me to have another child."
"Qui-gon Jin! I have enough with the three we do have and they're all grown!" Shmi began to laugh. "I'm ready to be a grandmother at this point!"
"Then we definitely need to send Anakin to Naboo."
Shmi let out another laugh.
Jaina looked around the moisture farm, eyes scanning the dunes before taking a deep breath. She closed her eyes, murmuring to herself.
"I am one with the force. The force is one with me. I hear all through the force. The force hears all through me."
She repeated her mantra, meditating before her eyes opened wide. She grinned, taking a step due east, moving as quietly as she could. She looked to the nearest rock formation, a natural cave that had become the family's secret training ground and hangar for a ship that her father stated would probably never be fixed.
She walked in quietly taking a deep breath slowly trying to lower her presence as she watched both Anakin and Obi-wan fiddle with the ship.
"It should be ready soon." Anakin sighed. "Do you think Mom and Dad will even agree to this?"
"We have to take it on a few test runs before we can even try to talk to Qui-gon and Shmi about leaving Tatooine." Obi-wan sighed. "Jaina will probably be more than happy to leave."
"She'd love Naboo."
"I think she'd like Mandalore even more."
"It sounds like you want to go to Mandalore."
"I should have… I should have left the order the moment that mission was over."
Jaina smiled sadly as she crept closer, deciding to stop and listen. She knew very little about the time before her birth. Only that her father and adoptive older brother were once part of a mystical order called the Jedi and that Anakin constantly claimed to have destroyed a blockade ship and that's why they had an R2 unit. She knew that Anakin spoke of an Angel on Naboo when he felt comfortable enough. Obi-wan would tell stories of a duchess on the run and the two Jedis who protected her on Mandalore.
Oftentimes hearing those stories made her sad. Anakin looked so desperate to run whenever he spoke and Obi-wan looked so rueful that it seemed like he would shed a tear.
She took a deep breath about to announce her presence when she heard Obi-wan speak.
"I think it's ready."
Jaina narrowed her eyes watching her brothers board along with R2 and 3P-O. She inched closer before running up the railing and crashing into Anakin.
"Jaina!" He squeaked.
"Whatcha doing there Ani?" She asked, looking around the ship. It was really nice. She wondered just how different life had been before she was born.
"Well before your big head winded me, me and Obi were working on the ship. We wanted to take her on a test run."
"You and Ben have been working really hard on this. But it doesn't look too stable. Mainly because you've got a few loose wires."
Anakin rolled his eyes.
"Can I come?"
"Sure. Don't touch anything."
"I promise nothing."
"Jaina…."
She rolled her eyes. "I will not touch anything… unless necessary." She whispered the last part. She wouldn't claim to be too much of a mechanic but both Anakin and her knew that she knew enough to be a problem.
"Thank you. Come to the cockpit with me and Obi."
"Going."
She sighed, following her big brother to the ship's cockpit. She smiled going to hug Ben.
"I see we have a bit of a stowaway." Obi-wan said, hugging her.
"Am I a stowaway or are my two responsible and respectable brothers going on a joy ride." She countered.
Obi-wan laughed. "A fair counter. Buckle in. Anakin, prepare for launch."
"Got it!" Anakin replied, starting to press random buttons.
Jaina observed him, trying to figure out what each button and control did and what commands were issued. She strapped into her seat, paying attention to each noise. Her father always said that her connection to the Force was through sound. And now, older than she was when she first began to train, she could hear everything. The most distinct sounds were the heartbeats.
Ben's was erratic, unsure yet determined.
Ani's was erratic but full of hope and excitement.
Jaina closed her eyes, focusing on her own steady heartbeat. Her eyes opened as she heard the engines roar and the anchors rise.
"Hold on!" Anakin announced as they zoomed out the larger entrance of the cave.
Jaina focused her hearing on the ship keeping track of anything that would be remotely suspicious of being wrong. She took deep breaths.
"I am one with the force. The force is one with me. I hear all through the force. The force hears all through me."
She whispered her mantra over and over again before opening her eyes and gasping at the sight before her. Stars, millions of them so much closer and so much more alive than she could ever imagine.
"It's so beautiful… is that Home?" She looked closer at the planet that was slipping away.
"That is in fact Tatooine." Obi-wan said, looking at the stars, eyes far away.
Jaina tilted her head watching Obi-Wan for a moment. He had that same distant and sad look that he would give whenever he recounted his time on Mandalore.
"Was she pretty?" She finally asked.
"What?" Obi-wan shook his head, looking at Jaina in confusion.
"Satine." Jaina said. "Was she pretty? You never described her in your bed time stories. Ani always tells me that Padme was so beautiful that the stars seemed dull in comparison. Her pretty—"
"Shut up!" Anakin said, face flushing.
"Anyway," Jaina rolled her eyes. "Was Satine pretty?"
Obi-wan laughed leaning back against his chair. "Satine was the sun. You couldn't help but be irritated when you looked at her. But like a sunset you'd miss the light when she was gone."
Jaina sighed. "I wish someone spoke of me the way you guys and dad speak of the women you love."
"You're twelve." Anakin said bluntly, crossing his arms.
"Weren't you nine when you met Padme!?" Jaina scoffed. "I wanna fall in love too!"
"Who said anything about love!" Obi-wan stiffened.
"Oh please. The blind can see and the deaf can hear just how in love you are. Even Dad says that he's surprised neither of you had run off to go do some weird romantic gestures that would surely get you arrested for trespassing."
Anakin raised a brow and Obi-wan narrowed his eyes. Jaina crossed her arms looking at her brothers defiantly, daring them both to try and prove her wrong.
"Well—" Obi-wan was cut off by sounds of the ship's sirens blaring.
"Shit!" Anakin said, unbuckling his seatbelt and running out of the cockpit.
"I'm gonna help, Ani, Ben." Jaina announced.
"Be safe."
"I don't promise anything!"
Jaina ran behind Anakin, looking around.
"Jaina." Anakin stopped. "Can you listen for the issue?"
Jaina nodded, closing her eyes and repeating her mantra as she set herself to focus. Her mind was filled with visions of currents and wires, feeling the energy as it moved. She took a deep breath trying to find the missing link. Her breathing became shallow as the sounds became overwhelming.
"Stop." Anakin said both his hands on her shoulders.
"Ani… I…"
"It's okay. Go back with Obi-wan. I'll be back and we'll just be really late for dinner." He assured her.
Jaina nodded, making her way back only to fall to her knees.
"Anakin!" Obi-wan called. "I think it's the ships—"
No words could be spoken at the moment as the flyer suddenly went into hyperspace. Anakin pulled Jaina close, forcing his way back to the cockpit.
"What are the coordinates?" He asked.
"I can't tell– it looks to-?" Obi-wan said before everything came to a halt. It was followed by loud beeping.
"R2?" Anakin called.
"Ani… I think…" Jaina pointed to the flashing button. "I think we're going to crash."
"Fuck! Obi get Jaina seated and get R2 and 3P-O. I'm gonna see if we can do an emergency landing."
"When was the last time you landed a plane?"
"I dunno. I think it was during the trade blockade."
Obi-wan and Jaina shared a mild look of concern but both decided no one would know that they listened to Anakin if they did die, which seemed to be the case, so it was fine.
Jaina was strapped in, head circling in pain from all the noises. And Obi-wan went to get the two droids.
Present time …
The landing had been less than stellar. Jaina was just happy that they were alive and less happy she was being smothered.
"I'm fine." She insisted. "But you guys have to explain this to Mom and Dad. I did nothing wrong!"
Hello! first time posting star wars fanfics. this fic is very much an AU where Qui-gon lives. there will be lots of family bonding, shippy stuff, and of course some gratuitous violence and heartbreak. it's very much starting in the middle because these characters refused to start at the beginning. Jaina is an OC and yes I did name her for EU Jayna but that is about where the connection ends. i do hope ya'll enjoy!