Once Anakin had said his goodbyes, the group was off. The sandstorm was
just ending, but the far off howling of another one approached. Naya rode
piggyback on her father's shoulders. Padmé spoke softly among themselves,
as Qui walked in front with Ani.
"Daddy, are you angry at Mr. Qui-gon?"
"No, not at all Naya. Daddy's just a little confused right now."
"Why are you confused?"
"Well, do you remember when I told you that I had gone to the Jedi Temple when I was two?"
"Yes."
"Well, two years old is usually the oldest a child can be sent to the Temple. Anakin is nine years old, and Qui-Gon wants to train him."
"Well, that's not fair! If all the other children can only go before they're two years old, how come Ani can go when he's almost ten?"
Obi smiled slightly to himself. That's exactly how he felt, but he knew he couldn't do anything about it. "Naya, sweetheart, sometimes life just isn't fair. We just have to learn to go along with it."
"I still don't think it's fair!"
"Ah, and what do you think of this?"
He swung her down off his shoulders, and tickled her sides until she screamed happily.
"Stop it Dad, stop it!" she giggled.
Obi laughed with her, then put her down on the ground. She grabbed his hand and skipped alongside of him.
"Where are we going next Daddy?"
"We're going to Coruscant, to see the Chancellor and the Senate. Padmé is going to try and ask the Senate for help."
"Are we going to go to the Jedi Temple Daddy?"
Obi was quiet for a moment, his modd turning serious. "Yes, we are Naya, and that brings up something that I wanted to ask you about. Would you like to be a Jedi?"
Naya looked up at her father, to see if he was serious or not. One look at his expression confirmed that for her. "With all my heart Daddy, but I'm too old now."
"You may not be. You see, you have higher midi-chlorians than me. And I have the second highest score than any Jedi. I'm going to ask the Council to train you, if that's what you want."
"Yes Dad, I want to be a Jedi."
"Daddy, are you angry at Mr. Qui-gon?"
"No, not at all Naya. Daddy's just a little confused right now."
"Why are you confused?"
"Well, do you remember when I told you that I had gone to the Jedi Temple when I was two?"
"Yes."
"Well, two years old is usually the oldest a child can be sent to the Temple. Anakin is nine years old, and Qui-Gon wants to train him."
"Well, that's not fair! If all the other children can only go before they're two years old, how come Ani can go when he's almost ten?"
Obi smiled slightly to himself. That's exactly how he felt, but he knew he couldn't do anything about it. "Naya, sweetheart, sometimes life just isn't fair. We just have to learn to go along with it."
"I still don't think it's fair!"
"Ah, and what do you think of this?"
He swung her down off his shoulders, and tickled her sides until she screamed happily.
"Stop it Dad, stop it!" she giggled.
Obi laughed with her, then put her down on the ground. She grabbed his hand and skipped alongside of him.
"Where are we going next Daddy?"
"We're going to Coruscant, to see the Chancellor and the Senate. Padmé is going to try and ask the Senate for help."
"Are we going to go to the Jedi Temple Daddy?"
Obi was quiet for a moment, his modd turning serious. "Yes, we are Naya, and that brings up something that I wanted to ask you about. Would you like to be a Jedi?"
Naya looked up at her father, to see if he was serious or not. One look at his expression confirmed that for her. "With all my heart Daddy, but I'm too old now."
"You may not be. You see, you have higher midi-chlorians than me. And I have the second highest score than any Jedi. I'm going to ask the Council to train you, if that's what you want."
"Yes Dad, I want to be a Jedi."