Chapter Twenty-Four

"Aalea kissed you last night. Didn't she?"

Qui-Gon was drinking his chala, but he nearly spilled it at Cian's words. She was sitting across from him at a small table in a chalashop they had found near Valorum's office. He stared, complete surprise on his face.

"How did you know?" he finally asked.


Cian tilted her head and smiled.

"Well, you are many things, Qui-Gon. Jedi Master. Warrior. Ambassador. But you are not, nor were you ever, an eighteen year old girl. I was. That's how I know."

Qui-Gon set the cup down. He brushed at the front of his tunic where some drops of chala had spilled. He then sighed and placed his hands on the table.

Cian leaned forward. "What happened?"

Qui-Gon told Cian everything that had transpired after he, Obi-Wan and Aalea left her apartment. When he finished, he looked across at her helplessly.

"What should I do?"

"Nothing."

"Nothing? But---"

Cian picked up her chala and sipped thoughtfully at it. Qui-Gon waited. She set the cup down.

"Your first instinct is to avoid her, correct?'

He nodded. "I don't want to encourage this affection. I've never done anything, as far as I know, to lead her to believe---."

"Of course you haven't. Except by being yourself. Aalea has loved you all her life. It's natural that as she matures and begins to have these types of feelings, she would express them towards you. But please, Qui-Gon, don't avoid her. Based on what you told me, she already feels terrible about what happened and she's probably afraid she's lost not only your respect, but your love. If you avoid her, you will only confirm that fear."

"But, what if she persists---"

"I don't think you'll have to worry about that."

"How can you be sure?" When he saw the smile on her lips, he nodded. "Because you were once an eighteen year old girl."

"Exactly. I'm not saying she'll stop having these feelings for you over night but, with time, she'll transfer them to someone more appropriate. She's very beautiful and she has a good heart." Cian smiled. "Men will be flocking at her door, if they haven't already."

Qui-Gon shook his head. "Cian, you forget Aalea is a Jedi. She will not experience life the same as others."


"What do you mean, Qui-Gon?" Cian asked, her voice tight.

Qui-Gon glanced at her. She was frowning.

"I mean," he went on, "although it may be normal for young women to be courted by young men, Aalea has another destiny, another path to follow."

"Another path to follow?" Cian repeated slowly. "Yes, but a path she really had no choice in."

Now Qui-Gon could clearly hear the irritation in Cian's voice. But he wasn't surprised. Cian's late father, Senator Sydalli Nyal, had been an outspoken critic of the Jedi and their involvement in the affairs of the Republic. When his own daughter was found to be Force sensitive, the senator had steadfastly refused the Order's offer to train her.

Cian had grown up with a marked disbelief in the Force; a disbelief she held until she met Qui-Gon ten years ago on Dyran and used her Force healing abilities to save his life. Since then she had become more at ease with her Force sensitivity. However, over the years they had also had conversations like this in which Cian would criticize some practice of the Jedi Order. Its tradition of bringing children to the Temple at a very young age was a particular sore spot with her.

"Cian, we have discussed this----."

"You expect Aalea to act like a Jedi Master, don't you?" Cian said, her voice rising. "To not have natural desires and needs. And you're doing the same thing to Obi-Wan." She shook her head. "I don't understand you Jedi some times. You never really gave Obi-Wan and Aalea a choice."

"Cian, you're not being fair. Aalea and Obi-Wan have choices. They can leave the Order if they wish."

"But they won't, will they?" she cried, her voice sharp. "Because the Order is all they've ever known. And if they did leave, where would they go? What would they do? And you know them both so well, Qui-Gon. You know they would rather die than disappoint you."

Qui-Gon sighed. This was getting them nowhere. Cian was clearly distressed and he suspected she was upset about more than what she perceived as an injustice against Obi-Wan and Aalea. He was tempted to access the Living Force to see if he could discern what was really bothering her, but he had never done that with her. He had always trusted her to tell him what was in her heart. When she was ready, he believed she would do so.

"Cian, you know quite well the Order's reasons for training initiates so young. We must avoid any taint of anger and fear which could possibly lead the child to the dark side."

Cian sighed and crossed her arms.

"I'm well aware of that, but I still think it's wrong. When I think of what almost happened to Aalea on Fartonta---."

She stopped, bit her lip and looked quickly away from him.

"What do you mean? What almost happened to her?" he asked.

Cian looked back at him and shook her head. "I can't tell you. Aalea made me promise."

"I know she was tortured by Luba's men, but...," and then Qui-Gon fell silent. He looked deep into Cian's eyes.

"Why didn't she tell me?" he whispered.

"It's not an easy thing to talk about. Especially with a man."

"Have you ever been...?"

Cian vigorously shook her head. "No, thank the Lady. But, it's such a dangerous path you've set her on, Qui-Gon. She was lucky to get out of that situation alive."

Qui-Gon said nothing for Cian was only voicing the same reservations he had felt when he and Obi-Wan rescued Aalea from Luba. But he also knew how important it was for the Jedi to remain a presence in the galaxy. There were so few of them. 10,000 to service a galaxy of trillions of beings and thousands of planetary systems. If the Jedi Order was to survive it had to foster Force gifted children like Aalea and Obi-Wan.

He looked over at Cian. A succession of emotions flickered across her lovely face. Sadness, longing, then resignation. She took a deep breath.

"I'm sorry, Qui-Gon. I didn't mean to lash out at you. It's just that...I wish...."

He leaned over and took her hand in his.

"What do you wish?" he asked softly.

She pulled her hand away.

"Don't do that," she murmured.

"Cian, what's wrong?"

She shook her head. "We were talking about Aalea, not me."

Qui-Gon was tempted to press the issue regarding what was really bothering her, but decided not to. He would wait. They had not seen each other for quite a while. He did not want to push her.

Cian took a deep breath. "Please, Qui-Gon, do as I say regarding Aalea. Don't avoid her. Let her know you love her and always will. Remember, despite evidence to the contrary, Aalea still has a child's heart. And to a child there is no twilight. There is only night and day. Either they are loved or they are not."

"But---"

"Don't worry. If you like, I'll speak with her."

"Thank you." He lifted his hands in a gesture of helplessness. "I have been trained in many things but, regarding the hearts of young women, I admit my deficiency."

Cian smiled and he was glad to see her smile, but he also saw there was still some sadness in her eyes.

"Now," he said. "You still haven't answered my question."

"And what was that?"

"About our mission to Jalat. It does not please you I am to accompany you."

A faint blush appeared along her cheeks.

"No, of course not," she said. "I'm happy to have you along. Since it's my first mission for the Corps, I welcome your expertise."

"Then what's wrong?"

"Nothing. I just hadn't expected it. But you didn't seem surprised."

"That's because I already knew about it."

"What?"

Qui-Gon nodded. "Yoda informed me the Chancellor had asked permission of the Council for me to accompany you. It was granted."

"Oh, I see," she said. "Well, how do you feel about it? Accompanying me, that is?"

"I'm looking forward to it. I've never been to Jalat."

Cian stared at him for a moment and he sensed that was not the answer she had expected nor wanted. However, before he could say more, she reached into her bag and pulled out a small datapad.

"Well," she said briskly. "I suppose we should start preparing for it."

Qui-Gon reached into the pouch on his belt and took out the datachip Valorum had given him. He handed it to her. She slipped it into the datapad and as the information scrolled across the screen, they spent the rest of the morning drinking chala and discussing the mission.

To be continued....