Chapter Fourteen: "Chosen"
When I had met Qui-Gon Jinn in the Research Facility, I had assumed he could use the Force, as I had with the others there as well. However, he didn't affect my senses as much as this powerful little creature did.
I stepped up to speak with him because I had to. He was practically glowing with the Force, although I doubted Padmé could see it. He wasn't the source of the power, but he was likely pretty high up in authority with it. And although he seemed humble and kind, his very presence demanded respect. I could tell that much.
We followed him as he had requested out of the library and toward the cliff face of the mountain. With a wave of his tridactyl hand, he opened a doorway that had been invisible to the naked eye. Inside the mountain, there was plenty of light, both natural and created, and the temperature was substantially more comfortable.
For having occupied the space for as long as he claimed, I was surprised it didn't contain more creature comforts. The furniture was sparse, with a few round cushions here and there, a short table to one side, and a bed of glowing coals surrounded by smooth, round stones in the center.
What grabbed my attention was the display of relics that lined the far wall and I was drawn to them. What appeared to be hilts of swords without any blades were stacked there, as well as a couple of dark cubes, colorful crystals, rolled tapestries, and a mask appearing to be of Mandalorian origin.
He had kept all of these things here all this time for some reason, so I assumed they must hold some significance to the Jedi. I wanted to know each and every reason but didn't know where to start or how to ask.
"Eager, you are," he told me from across the space. "Patience, you will need for much you have to learn. Come, join me you shall, and talk we will."
Padmé and I did as requested and we gathered around the square wooden table, placing the small cushions underneath us for comfort.
"Help you, how can I?" the Jedi asked after he had seated himself, cross-legged and quite comfortably, his walking stick laid across his lap.
I glanced at Padmé who nodded, encouraging me to proceed. For a long while, I shared the story of my life, my discoveries, and disappointments, of finding Padmé, my arrest, and so-called rehab. The entire time, Yoda listened with alert ears and open eyes. He hummed at times which I imagined was a noise of understanding, though he never interrupted.
"And that's all there is to it," Padmé took up the conversation. "We came here with the hopes of discovering why the Jedi were ever considered a criminal organization to try and figure out if there was any way we could reverse that belief."
"Difficult it is, the path you take," Yoda replied soberly. "For destroyed themselves, the Jedi did. A great battle, hundreds of years ago took place, it did. Those who used the Dark Side of the Force, Sith they were called, defeated the Jedi. Evil, they were, full of hatred and greed. The Force itself, retaliated, it did. Shadowed it became and resistant to those who would use it for good. The darkness, it spread. It infected this realm until none left were of the Light."
"But what about Obi-Wan?" Padmé asked, "There's not an evil bone in his body! He has only used the Force for good and yet he's been punished for it. And the others in the facility. I don't know what's in their hearts, but they're being abused as well."
"Only one the Force has revealed. Only one, return balance they will."
"I knew it! I knew Obi-Wan was special," she announced excitedly. "It's him, isn't it? He's the one who will return balance, whatever that means."
The ancient Jedi chuckled, a throaty sound that shook his small body. "A Jedi the one prophesied shall not be. A leader of many they are and from royalty they come, although through succession they do not."
This strange creature had an equally strange way of speaking. His syntax was all off, and it took me a moment to figure out he was telling Padmé that her guess was incorrect.
Leader of many could be a king, prince, or prime minister. Possibly a Queen or political leader. But both? Who did I know that was a former member of royalty elected democratically and was now a leader of many people?
The answer was as obvious as the ears on Yoda.
"It's you, Padmé," I told her with quiet confidence. "You're the only one who can clear the name of the Jedi and right the wrongs of the past. I'm right, aren't I?" I asked the old Master.
Yoda closed his large eyes and opened them again to gaze at me. "Reach out with your feelings, you should. Allow the Force to guide you."
I did as he had recommended and never in my life experienced such easy access to the Force. I gave all the credit to being in the presence of someone who was much stronger than I was. I studied the ebbs and flows of the power surrounding me before opening my eyes, immediately drawn to the image of Padmé. She was not only confused but seemed wary of the decisions that were about to be made.
"It's you," I told her conclusively while reaching for her hand.
"I don't understand," she admitted while pulling away from my touch. "I'm not a Jedi! I don't even know what that means! All I am is a representative of the Chommel Sector. I have very little influence in the Senate. I'm too inexperienced and I have so much to learn."
"The only voice the Jedi has, you are," Yoda explained. "Help you I will to discover what you need. Search your heart. Know it is what you should do."
Padmé's smile lacked her usual tenacity. "I'll need some time to think about it. Is there someplace where I can rest and meditate?"
Yoda directed her toward an arched doorway which he explained led to several smaller caves once designated for sleeping. There, she would find a bed of sorts, though not much more comfortable than the ground. She nervously excused herself and I would've followed had not Yoda asked me to stay.
"As said before, did I, difficult this path will be. Help her, you must. For the only hope the Jedi have, she is."