Return of Hope
"You look better."
Qui-Gon glanced up at the voice, grinning impishly at the girl before him. Aislinn smiled hesitantly, obviously looking a little uncomfortable. He gestured for her to sit in one of the chairs at the small table he occupied in the Archives, pushing away some of the tomes and the datapads on the table. "That's good to hear, though I didn't know I ever looked badly," he replied a little dryly, although his eyes danced in amusement.
"Perhaps not looked," Aislinn amended with a shrug. "But there's a difference."
He nodded slowly, digesting that information. After a moment, his face took on a curious look, and he asked, "Why did you send Master Yoda to look for me?" He stopped, not waiting to ask the next question in his mind. Why did she even care? Yoda's words had hit home. He was trying not to keep people at arm's length.
Aislinn shifted uncomfortably in her chair, studying her hands for a moment before turning her gray eyes upon him. "I thought about what you said. About hope. You were right, that I had the opportunity to see him again. The fear was overwhelming me, and I let it. But now I see that there is a reason to this, just as there is a reason for what's happened to you. I have to let it make me stronger by yielding and learning. By remaining unbending, I'd be destroyed. When you walked away in the Room of a Thousand Waterfalls, I was afraid that you would do something rash. You were quieter and unreceptive. I consider you a friend, if a new one, and I didn't want you to come to further harm." She shrugged without looking apologetic.
"I understand," he replied, smiling slightly for a moment. "I suppose I should be grateful."
Aislinn gave him a wry look in return. "I suppose that's as much of a thank you I'm going to get from you, isn't it," she retorted amiably. The padawan leaned back more comfortably in her chair, giving a sweeping glance to the pile of data cards on the table. "What is all this? Studying for exams?"
"I don't have to take them," Qui-Gon answered. "My teachers gave the Council such a glowing report that in the stress of my situation it was deemed unneeded. This is information on Ieve. You really made me understand as well. The memory of my master will always be in the Force and within myself. What I do after his death is the proof of whether I have learned anything during my training. He had faith in me, so now I must have faith in myself. And I think I have learned and can trust myself, at least more. I then waited to find out more about your situation. Perhaps return the favor."
An odd look passed over Aislinn's face. "Thank you for your concern, Qui-Gon, but it's misplaced as of now. Master Yoda contacted me earlier this morning. He's coming home soon. The rebels released him on some terms with the other side. They are going to examine him and then send him home. My master is coming home." Hope shone across her face at this thought, and Qui-Gon leaned over and gave her a strong hug.
"That's wonderful news," he told her sincerely. When he pulled away, tears of joy clouded her gray eyes.
"I can hardly believe it. I don't know when he'll be back, but he will. It will be all right in the end." Aislinn smiled again, and Qui-Gon returned the look, although he couldn't help thinking that it might not be all right in the end. However, it was all right now, and that was enough.
"You look better."
Qui-Gon glanced up at the voice, grinning impishly at the girl before him. Aislinn smiled hesitantly, obviously looking a little uncomfortable. He gestured for her to sit in one of the chairs at the small table he occupied in the Archives, pushing away some of the tomes and the datapads on the table. "That's good to hear, though I didn't know I ever looked badly," he replied a little dryly, although his eyes danced in amusement.
"Perhaps not looked," Aislinn amended with a shrug. "But there's a difference."
He nodded slowly, digesting that information. After a moment, his face took on a curious look, and he asked, "Why did you send Master Yoda to look for me?" He stopped, not waiting to ask the next question in his mind. Why did she even care? Yoda's words had hit home. He was trying not to keep people at arm's length.
Aislinn shifted uncomfortably in her chair, studying her hands for a moment before turning her gray eyes upon him. "I thought about what you said. About hope. You were right, that I had the opportunity to see him again. The fear was overwhelming me, and I let it. But now I see that there is a reason to this, just as there is a reason for what's happened to you. I have to let it make me stronger by yielding and learning. By remaining unbending, I'd be destroyed. When you walked away in the Room of a Thousand Waterfalls, I was afraid that you would do something rash. You were quieter and unreceptive. I consider you a friend, if a new one, and I didn't want you to come to further harm." She shrugged without looking apologetic.
"I understand," he replied, smiling slightly for a moment. "I suppose I should be grateful."
Aislinn gave him a wry look in return. "I suppose that's as much of a thank you I'm going to get from you, isn't it," she retorted amiably. The padawan leaned back more comfortably in her chair, giving a sweeping glance to the pile of data cards on the table. "What is all this? Studying for exams?"
"I don't have to take them," Qui-Gon answered. "My teachers gave the Council such a glowing report that in the stress of my situation it was deemed unneeded. This is information on Ieve. You really made me understand as well. The memory of my master will always be in the Force and within myself. What I do after his death is the proof of whether I have learned anything during my training. He had faith in me, so now I must have faith in myself. And I think I have learned and can trust myself, at least more. I then waited to find out more about your situation. Perhaps return the favor."
An odd look passed over Aislinn's face. "Thank you for your concern, Qui-Gon, but it's misplaced as of now. Master Yoda contacted me earlier this morning. He's coming home soon. The rebels released him on some terms with the other side. They are going to examine him and then send him home. My master is coming home." Hope shone across her face at this thought, and Qui-Gon leaned over and gave her a strong hug.
"That's wonderful news," he told her sincerely. When he pulled away, tears of joy clouded her gray eyes.
"I can hardly believe it. I don't know when he'll be back, but he will. It will be all right in the end." Aislinn smiled again, and Qui-Gon returned the look, although he couldn't help thinking that it might not be all right in the end. However, it was all right now, and that was enough.