When Obi-Wan and I were finished installing the hyperdrive, I decided to explore the marvelous ship. Obi-Wan made no objection and instead waved me off. I gladly took advantage of it and walked around the carpeted halls, running my fingers across the cool glass of the ship's windows. As a passed one of the windows, I stopped and squinted in the sun. There were two figures running across the desert terrain. I looked harder. It was Qui-Gon and Anakin! But why, I didn't have time to think, for just as I did, a third figure made its way into my vision. It was coming very fast toward Anakin on a speeder. He barely missed Ani as he approached and jumped off to fight furiously with Qui-Gon, who had already brought out his lightsaber.
As I watched the figure fighting with my master, my breath caught in my throat. I knew that figure. I knew that face. But the face I had known had not been colored with the battle colors of red and black. It had been tanned, smooth, with the rough beginnings of a brown beard. Those eyes, whose color I could tell even from this distance, had not been orange, but a brilliant, kind, blue. My eyes. That person, that man, I knew him. I had to help Anakin and Qui-Gon. I had to because I knew what would happen if Qui-Gon wasn't strong enough.
I ran back to the room where Obi-Wan was and I burst in panting. "Qui-Gon and Anakin are being chased by a man in a dark cloak!" I gasped. That face, that man, had brought back memories, a second vision. A painful vision. A vision of a very young man receiving those tattoos of black and red, of the reception of the double bladed red lightsaber, tossing away the old lightsaber with it's bright blue hue. Taking the lightsaber and destroying his first victim. I shuddered as the vision ended and I turned to Obi-Wan.
His blue eyes were blazing and they flashed as he grabbed my arm and pulled me up to the cockpit. When we reached it, I noticed Padme standing there in the shadows, her brown eyes dark with worry. I managed a quick smile then directed my attention towards the others. "Over there, fly low." Obi-Wan directed the pilot, who nodded and carried out the orders. Just then, Anakin ran in, all out of breath. I ran to him, my heart rejoicing that he wasn't out there with HIM. "I knew I'd see you again. But I didn't think it would be this soon." He said, grinning. I returned his smile, then fixed my attention on the men.
As the ship floated by the duelers, the captain lowered the drawbridge. I saw Qui-Gon look up, then jump upon it, leaving the man below in the swirling dust. As Obi-Wan and Anakin made their way to the loading bay, I watched the man below. He watched us go away, clicking his lightsaber off in disbelief. I focused my attention on him to understand his thoughts. Anger, frustration, fury, and exasperation. I felt them. And I felt him and somehow, I think he felt me. He cocked his head with a curious expression and I turned away, following my friends to the loading bay.
When I reached the bay, I saw Qui-Gon lying on the floor panting hard, Anakin and Obi-Wan close by. "Are you all right?" Ani was asking Qui-Gon. Qui-Gon nodded, trying to catch his breath. I knelt down beside them, and Qui-Gon's blue eyes smiled. "What was it?" Obi-Was asked, just as concerned as Anakin. "I don't know. But my guess is that he was after the queen." He said, having finally caught his breath. Anakin's forehead furrowed. "What are we gonna do?" Qui-Gon took a fairly large breath and looked at him with a humorous glance. "We shall be patient. Anakin Skywalker, meet Obi-Wan Kenobi." Obi-Wan held out his roughened hand to the little boy and he grasped it energetically. "You're a Jedi too?" Obi-Wan nodded. "Pleased to meet you." He said, shaking the Jedi's hand fiercely. The two Jedi smiled.
As the two began to talk, I stood uneasily and walked towards the door. I had to think. I had to try to sort out the feelings flying through my head. What was it that Taran always said? Relax, feel the force flowing through your body like the air. In, Out. In, Out. I sat down on one of the bright red couches and began to think back over the episode. Of the man and of his cocked head as he watched the ship leave. He did feel me. I know it. He did. I wished I had never seen him, never tried to touch his feelings. He brought back my past. He WAS my past. He was the past I wished I could forget. Something inside me told me to confide in Qui-Gon. But I didn't know if I should. It was something that I had never told. Ever.
Suddenly I looked up and saw the two Jedi standing in the doorway. Qui-Gon quickly crossed the room, a concerned look on his face. "Is there something wrong Elaina?" He asked, placing a large hand on my clasped ones. I took a deep breath, looked into my master's eyes, then at Obi-Wan's. "Master, I am now willing to tell you about what happened in the market place. Or rather how I did what I did in the market place. My past." I said uneasily. The Jedi stood and sat down in on of the chairs next to me. Obi-Wan looked at me uncomfortably. "Do you wish me to leave?" I looked up at him. "No, you may stay. I'd, I'd, rather you stay." He nodded and sat down beside Qui-Gon. I took a deep breath and began.
"When I was quite young, I had a normal family. Loving parents, and a caring older brother. My father was a Jedi knight and left often, but he came home as often as he could, training my brother as he came and went, often taking him with him on some occasions. He gradually began to change somehow. He would ignore us, and go away more often than he usually did, leaving my brother at home. But then, suddenly, when I was three years old, my father left and didn't return. My brother was very close to becoming a Jedi and somehow he sensed something strange and evil about my father's disappearence. When we asked our mother, she refused to speak. Just looked at us with her sorrowful blue eyes and wouldn't say anything." I sighed.
"She was very much opposed to my brother teaching me Jedi arts. But he didn't listen, he just kept it going, so our line of Jedi could continue. He taught me to feel the force, harness it, and use a lightsaber. Not long after my fourth birthday, Jabba's slavers came on our property and demanded that we were to be enslaved. They refused to tell us who gave the orders, but I knew that it was not Jabba, otherwise they would have said so. They had myself and my mother enslaved, but not my brother, for he insisted that he was already in an apprenticeship. But he didn't say what KIND of apprenticeship." I smiled.
"So, we lived the lives of slaves, my mother helping me in Master Banoba's shop when she could, my brother teaching me Jedi arts when he could. He kept this up till I was five years old, when everything changed. I ran outside one morning to call my brother and ask him to teach me more before I had to work. I couldn't find him anywhere in the house, so I went outside to look in the yard. I wished I hadn't. I saw the glow of two lightsabers clashing in the soft morning light. One purple and one red. Suddenly, the purple one went out. I screamed and ran in that direction." I sighed and suddenly felt Qui-Gon's hand on mine.
"I ran to him, but I was too late. He was dead, his attacker gone. I knelt down and picked up his lightsaber, vowing that someday I would not only become a Jedi, but would avenge my brother's death. It was then that I looked up and saw him. My brother's killer. He was dressed in a black robe and it was covering his red and black face. But his eyes. His eyes were blue, but they were slowly being taken over by an orange color. Those queer eyes bored holes into me where I stood. Then he smiled. Not a happy smile, but an evil smile, a smile that told me that he would be back for me. Then he left. I knew who he was, not only your attacker, but," I couldn't finish. The lump in my throat had become huge.
"So I have been a slave ever since my brother's death, and I won't stop until I have become a Jedi like my father and brother." I finished boldly. I looked up at Qui-Gon. He was looking at me, no, looking through me. Looking into my heart, feeling the pain I had suffered for over twelve years. Feeling the pain I had suffered to at last release my secret. Obi-Wan sat in silence, hands clasped, blue eyes looking at the floor. Qui-Gon's eyes glistened as he spoke. "Well Elaina. I see that you do have the ability to use the force in a very powerful way. And, I promise you, that I will try as hard as I can to free you and help you become a Jedi." I could have hugged him, but I didn't. It isn't proper for a slave to do.