Chapter 20
Mace Windu ran as fast as he could to his friend. He felt a little weak from not being exposed to the Force for a while due to the effects of the ysalamri. He tapped into the Force and felt it flow through him like he was a part of it. Then all of the sudden everything froze. It wasn't just that the people froze, but time itself stopped. Waves were frozen in their wake, birds in their flight, people in mid stride, even the wind froze. It was like a sense of sub consciousness that was stuck between reality and the dream world. In the wake, Mace 'saw' someone hovering the young boy. A woman, by the look of it. She had honey skin and blonde hair. If he could, Mace would have dropped his mouth open. It was none other than the boy's dead mother. But that was impossible. No it wasn't, the Code said that there is no death, there is only the Force. Mace wondered what she was doing, as she put a ghostly hand on the boy's forehead. That's what Mace's last thought as he and everyone else lost consciousness and fell softly to the pavement.
Qui-Gon opened his ice blue eyes and looked up. Something had happened. Darth Nero was unconscious. He moaned slightly and got up. He reached out with the Force and took the Dark Lord's lightsaber and stuck it to his belt. Qui-Gon looked around and saw something weird. Everyone and everything had frozen in time. Living being's were unconscious all over the street. He wondered why he was the only one standing. He turned his sights toward where he knew his son to be. A woman stood over him with he pale hand on his forehead. Tahl, his beautiful wife. He walked quietly over to her.
"Qui-Gon," Tahl said softly.
"Tahl," he whispered back.
"You promised me, Qui-Gon, you promised me," Tahl said a little louder this time.
"Promised what?" replied the Jedi Master.
Tahl looked at him. "You've forgotten, Qui-Gon, think, remember."
Qui-Gon looked at her, and entered his own unconsciousness. The part where memories long-forgotten are stored.
i A much younger Qui-Gon Jinn stood over his wife who had their newborn son on her chest. There was no denying that she was dying.
"He's beautiful, Tahl," he told his wife.
"I know Qui-Gon," she replied weakly.
"What should we name him?" he asked her.
"You name him Qui-Gon," Tahl replied weakly. "He's your son."
Qui-Gon thought for a moment. He reached into the Force and a name came to him. "Benjamin," he said, "Benjamin Nuri-Luka Jinn."
"It's beautiful, Qui-Gon," Tahl said.
Benjamin started to cry. Tahl was losing her grip on life.
"Tahl," Qui-Gon gasped, as he grasped her hand.
"Qui-Gon," she replied weakly.
"Yes, my love."
"Promise me this."
"Anything."
Tahl was losing her breath. "Promise me that'll you'll love him... Promise me that you'll love him like you've never loved anyone else before. Promise. me you'll. always .be. there. for. him, ........promise me."
"I will, love, I promise you with all my heart," he said as he squeezed her hand.
Tahl's hand went limp, as a heart monitor beeped. Little Ben was crying on his mother's chest. Qui-Gon through tears, picked up his little boy and held him for all he was worth.i
"I never fulfilled that promise, did I?" Qui-Gon said through teary eyes.
Tahl didn't answer as she held her hand over her son's forehead. She gestured to Qui-Gon to pick up their son. As Qui-Gon put his loving arms over his son for the first time in nearly fifteen years he was flooded with memories of his boy both as baby Ben and Obi-Wan. He leaned over to give his son a kiss on the forehead. He sighed, in thought that it was all over, but what he didn't see or hear was the snap-hiss, snap-hiss of a double- bladed lightsaber igniting.
Mace Windu ran as fast as he could to his friend. He felt a little weak from not being exposed to the Force for a while due to the effects of the ysalamri. He tapped into the Force and felt it flow through him like he was a part of it. Then all of the sudden everything froze. It wasn't just that the people froze, but time itself stopped. Waves were frozen in their wake, birds in their flight, people in mid stride, even the wind froze. It was like a sense of sub consciousness that was stuck between reality and the dream world. In the wake, Mace 'saw' someone hovering the young boy. A woman, by the look of it. She had honey skin and blonde hair. If he could, Mace would have dropped his mouth open. It was none other than the boy's dead mother. But that was impossible. No it wasn't, the Code said that there is no death, there is only the Force. Mace wondered what she was doing, as she put a ghostly hand on the boy's forehead. That's what Mace's last thought as he and everyone else lost consciousness and fell softly to the pavement.
Qui-Gon opened his ice blue eyes and looked up. Something had happened. Darth Nero was unconscious. He moaned slightly and got up. He reached out with the Force and took the Dark Lord's lightsaber and stuck it to his belt. Qui-Gon looked around and saw something weird. Everyone and everything had frozen in time. Living being's were unconscious all over the street. He wondered why he was the only one standing. He turned his sights toward where he knew his son to be. A woman stood over him with he pale hand on his forehead. Tahl, his beautiful wife. He walked quietly over to her.
"Qui-Gon," Tahl said softly.
"Tahl," he whispered back.
"You promised me, Qui-Gon, you promised me," Tahl said a little louder this time.
"Promised what?" replied the Jedi Master.
Tahl looked at him. "You've forgotten, Qui-Gon, think, remember."
Qui-Gon looked at her, and entered his own unconsciousness. The part where memories long-forgotten are stored.
i A much younger Qui-Gon Jinn stood over his wife who had their newborn son on her chest. There was no denying that she was dying.
"He's beautiful, Tahl," he told his wife.
"I know Qui-Gon," she replied weakly.
"What should we name him?" he asked her.
"You name him Qui-Gon," Tahl replied weakly. "He's your son."
Qui-Gon thought for a moment. He reached into the Force and a name came to him. "Benjamin," he said, "Benjamin Nuri-Luka Jinn."
"It's beautiful, Qui-Gon," Tahl said.
Benjamin started to cry. Tahl was losing her grip on life.
"Tahl," Qui-Gon gasped, as he grasped her hand.
"Qui-Gon," she replied weakly.
"Yes, my love."
"Promise me this."
"Anything."
Tahl was losing her breath. "Promise me that'll you'll love him... Promise me that you'll love him like you've never loved anyone else before. Promise. me you'll. always .be. there. for. him, ........promise me."
"I will, love, I promise you with all my heart," he said as he squeezed her hand.
Tahl's hand went limp, as a heart monitor beeped. Little Ben was crying on his mother's chest. Qui-Gon through tears, picked up his little boy and held him for all he was worth.i
"I never fulfilled that promise, did I?" Qui-Gon said through teary eyes.
Tahl didn't answer as she held her hand over her son's forehead. She gestured to Qui-Gon to pick up their son. As Qui-Gon put his loving arms over his son for the first time in nearly fifteen years he was flooded with memories of his boy both as baby Ben and Obi-Wan. He leaned over to give his son a kiss on the forehead. He sighed, in thought that it was all over, but what he didn't see or hear was the snap-hiss, snap-hiss of a double- bladed lightsaber igniting.