"Wait, wait, wait," Novalee said, shaking her head. After she had
Americus back in her arms and she was calmed enough to listen carefully,
albeit grudgingly, Yoda and Mace explained the situation of what was
happening to Novalee, and Americus's role in their destiny.
"You mean to tell me that my daughter, a five year old, is this great one, this destiny that is meant to save your world and balance it?"
"The truth it is," Yoda said, his ears moving in time to his words.
"Y'all are crazy," Novalee said, waving her hand a bit.
"Not crazy, Mama," Americus said with a bright smile. She hurried over to Obi-Wan. The man instantly opened his arms to allow the little girl to crawl into his lap. His eyes widened as he felt Americus's strength as she lifted them both into the air. He helped her lower them both back down. "See? He gonna train me, Mama."
Novalee stared opened mouthed. Her jaw lifted to shut as she stood, her jaw tensing. "Y'all are nothing but a bunch of lunatics, you actually expect me to let you anywhere near my daughter?!"
"Miss Nation, I assure you that we are not crazy," Qui-Gon said. He lifted a nearby stone to show her.
"What is this?!" Novalee demanded, panic stricken. "What illusions are these?!"
Obi-Wan set Americus on her feet and stood, walking over to Novalee. He put his hands up in a show of not hurting her when she backed up, her face contorted in an invisible pain. "There are no illusions, m'lady," he said, slipping into a role of slight submissive to her. "This is what we call the Force, it is our way."
"Your way?" Novalee asked. She looked around. "What way is that?" She glanced at Padme and waved her hand. "And her! She looks identical to me, or I look identical to her. What IS this place?"
"You are on a planet called Naboo," Obi-Wan said.
"Not in your galaxy, are we, your time we are not in," Yoda said.
Novalee looked over, suddenly pale. "What?" she asked.
"Mama, you scared?" Americus asked as she came over to her, taking her hand.
Novalee knelt beside Americus and wrapped her arms around her. "Terrified, baby," she whispered, hugging her daughter.
"Might I suggest, Master Windu, Master Yoda, that we allow Miss Nation and her daughter to rest," Qui-Gon said. "This is a rather overwhelming thing to take in."
"Agree, we do," Yoda said. "Master Obi-Wan, escort the child and mother you will."
"It shall be my honor, Master Yoda," Obi-Wan said with a bow. He offered a hand to Novalee to help her stand.
Novalee raised her eyes to his, noticing how blue they were. She took his hand and let him pull her up. She lifted Americus into her arms, and the little girl instantly reached out for Obi-Wan.
Surprised by the action, the young Jedi Knight took the child into his arms, feeling her legs wrap trustingly around his waist as her arms wrapped around his neck. "This way, m'lady," Obi-Wan said.
Novalee followed Obi-Wan. She kept one eye on her daughter in his arms and following him, while the other took in her surroundings. She had never known such lavish surroundings as the palace. She felt as though she were in a dream.
"No dream, Mama," Americus said. "It's all real. I gonna help them."
Novalee looked at the innocent features of her daughter and couldn't help but smile. She jumped as she heard Lexie behind her. "Oh my sweet Lord Novalee!" Lexie cried as she ran over. Novalee had barely turned when she found herself engulfed in a hug by the older woman. "Where are. Hello." Lexie had pulled back and was now smiling at Obi-Wan.
"Something wrong, Obi-Wan?" Qui-Gon asked as he and Anakin walked up to the group of people.
"No, Qui-Gon," Obi-Wan said. "I was just escorting Lady Novalee and Lady Americus to their quarters when the lady before us came upon us."
Lexie turned and felt a grin splitting her face. "And helllooooo," she said to Qui-Gon, looking him up and down. She looked at Novalee with a grin. "And Lady Novalee huh?"
"Lexie, don't start," Novalee said. Lexie gave her an innocent look. Novalee sighed. "This is my friend, Lexie Coop. And her children, Peanut, Brownie, Baby Ruth, and Praline."
"It's a Pleasure, Miss Coop," Qui-Gon asked, bowing to her. "This is Anakin Skywalker, my apprentice, and Obi-Wan Kenobi, my former apprentice."
"And you are?" Lexie said, with a smile.
"Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn," Qui-Gon said with a bow again.
"Jedi. yeah right, okay very funny," Lexie said with a laugh.
"I'm sorry I didn't find it amusing at all, my apologies if you thought I was joking," Qui-Gon said confused.
Lexie snorted with laughter. "Lexie, they are serious," Novalee said.
"Get out," Lexie said as she sobered. "Like out of a movie?"
"Look, I'm not sure really what's going on, but they keep saying that Americus is going to save them, all I know is I am really confused, very tired, and I just want to get to my quarters and not have to think about whatever is going on right now," Novalee said.
"Then I shall continue to escort you to your quarters, if you wish," Obi-Wan said.
"Quarters I am sure have been assigned for you as well, Miss Coop," Qui-Gon said. "Anakin and I shall be happy to escort you there."
"Why I would be honored," Lexie said with a big grin. She looked at Novalee as she lifted Peanut into her arms and held Baby Ruth's hand. "You and I need to talk later."
"Night, Lexie," Novalee said waving her hand.
"Master Qui-Gon has his hands full, doesn't he?" Obi-Wan asked as he led Novalee to her quarters.
"To say the least."
~~
"Do you think this is going to work, Master Yoda?" Padme asked as she watched the Jedi Master. "You've told me so much, but can this little girl really save us from the dark times that you say we are going to face?"
"Save us she will," Yoda said. "Foreseen it I have."
"But even you have said, the future is always in motion," Padme said. "Anakin can still fall, Qui-Gon can still die, and the Empire can still rise."
"Only if we allow the dark side to overcome us all," Mace said. "You must have faith, Padme. You hold the key to the faith of young Novalee as well. If you lose faith, so will she."
"And lost, all will be."
"You mean to tell me that my daughter, a five year old, is this great one, this destiny that is meant to save your world and balance it?"
"The truth it is," Yoda said, his ears moving in time to his words.
"Y'all are crazy," Novalee said, waving her hand a bit.
"Not crazy, Mama," Americus said with a bright smile. She hurried over to Obi-Wan. The man instantly opened his arms to allow the little girl to crawl into his lap. His eyes widened as he felt Americus's strength as she lifted them both into the air. He helped her lower them both back down. "See? He gonna train me, Mama."
Novalee stared opened mouthed. Her jaw lifted to shut as she stood, her jaw tensing. "Y'all are nothing but a bunch of lunatics, you actually expect me to let you anywhere near my daughter?!"
"Miss Nation, I assure you that we are not crazy," Qui-Gon said. He lifted a nearby stone to show her.
"What is this?!" Novalee demanded, panic stricken. "What illusions are these?!"
Obi-Wan set Americus on her feet and stood, walking over to Novalee. He put his hands up in a show of not hurting her when she backed up, her face contorted in an invisible pain. "There are no illusions, m'lady," he said, slipping into a role of slight submissive to her. "This is what we call the Force, it is our way."
"Your way?" Novalee asked. She looked around. "What way is that?" She glanced at Padme and waved her hand. "And her! She looks identical to me, or I look identical to her. What IS this place?"
"You are on a planet called Naboo," Obi-Wan said.
"Not in your galaxy, are we, your time we are not in," Yoda said.
Novalee looked over, suddenly pale. "What?" she asked.
"Mama, you scared?" Americus asked as she came over to her, taking her hand.
Novalee knelt beside Americus and wrapped her arms around her. "Terrified, baby," she whispered, hugging her daughter.
"Might I suggest, Master Windu, Master Yoda, that we allow Miss Nation and her daughter to rest," Qui-Gon said. "This is a rather overwhelming thing to take in."
"Agree, we do," Yoda said. "Master Obi-Wan, escort the child and mother you will."
"It shall be my honor, Master Yoda," Obi-Wan said with a bow. He offered a hand to Novalee to help her stand.
Novalee raised her eyes to his, noticing how blue they were. She took his hand and let him pull her up. She lifted Americus into her arms, and the little girl instantly reached out for Obi-Wan.
Surprised by the action, the young Jedi Knight took the child into his arms, feeling her legs wrap trustingly around his waist as her arms wrapped around his neck. "This way, m'lady," Obi-Wan said.
Novalee followed Obi-Wan. She kept one eye on her daughter in his arms and following him, while the other took in her surroundings. She had never known such lavish surroundings as the palace. She felt as though she were in a dream.
"No dream, Mama," Americus said. "It's all real. I gonna help them."
Novalee looked at the innocent features of her daughter and couldn't help but smile. She jumped as she heard Lexie behind her. "Oh my sweet Lord Novalee!" Lexie cried as she ran over. Novalee had barely turned when she found herself engulfed in a hug by the older woman. "Where are. Hello." Lexie had pulled back and was now smiling at Obi-Wan.
"Something wrong, Obi-Wan?" Qui-Gon asked as he and Anakin walked up to the group of people.
"No, Qui-Gon," Obi-Wan said. "I was just escorting Lady Novalee and Lady Americus to their quarters when the lady before us came upon us."
Lexie turned and felt a grin splitting her face. "And helllooooo," she said to Qui-Gon, looking him up and down. She looked at Novalee with a grin. "And Lady Novalee huh?"
"Lexie, don't start," Novalee said. Lexie gave her an innocent look. Novalee sighed. "This is my friend, Lexie Coop. And her children, Peanut, Brownie, Baby Ruth, and Praline."
"It's a Pleasure, Miss Coop," Qui-Gon asked, bowing to her. "This is Anakin Skywalker, my apprentice, and Obi-Wan Kenobi, my former apprentice."
"And you are?" Lexie said, with a smile.
"Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn," Qui-Gon said with a bow again.
"Jedi. yeah right, okay very funny," Lexie said with a laugh.
"I'm sorry I didn't find it amusing at all, my apologies if you thought I was joking," Qui-Gon said confused.
Lexie snorted with laughter. "Lexie, they are serious," Novalee said.
"Get out," Lexie said as she sobered. "Like out of a movie?"
"Look, I'm not sure really what's going on, but they keep saying that Americus is going to save them, all I know is I am really confused, very tired, and I just want to get to my quarters and not have to think about whatever is going on right now," Novalee said.
"Then I shall continue to escort you to your quarters, if you wish," Obi-Wan said.
"Quarters I am sure have been assigned for you as well, Miss Coop," Qui-Gon said. "Anakin and I shall be happy to escort you there."
"Why I would be honored," Lexie said with a big grin. She looked at Novalee as she lifted Peanut into her arms and held Baby Ruth's hand. "You and I need to talk later."
"Night, Lexie," Novalee said waving her hand.
"Master Qui-Gon has his hands full, doesn't he?" Obi-Wan asked as he led Novalee to her quarters.
"To say the least."
~~
"Do you think this is going to work, Master Yoda?" Padme asked as she watched the Jedi Master. "You've told me so much, but can this little girl really save us from the dark times that you say we are going to face?"
"Save us she will," Yoda said. "Foreseen it I have."
"But even you have said, the future is always in motion," Padme said. "Anakin can still fall, Qui-Gon can still die, and the Empire can still rise."
"Only if we allow the dark side to overcome us all," Mace said. "You must have faith, Padme. You hold the key to the faith of young Novalee as well. If you lose faith, so will she."
"And lost, all will be."