Chapter two:

"Trained, you think this child should be?"

"Yes Masters. The Force is strong with her. Surely you can feel this as well as I?"

"Feel it, we can. An interesting thing, it is."

"Then there should be no problem, should there?"

Master Mace Windu had returned to Coruscant immediately after his discovery of the Chalactan baby. The trip back had been most amusing for both Jedi and crew... the child had proven to be very vocal, to say the least, and sleep seemed a foreign thing to her. All in all the Captain had been relieved to be rid of the Jedi and his small companion.

After reporting on the results of his mission and the fate of the Chalactan merchant ship (Which he had been assured would be taken care of sometime in the immediate future) he had proceeded to present the girl to the Jedi Council.

He stood now within the circle of the Council member's chairs, holding the baby tightly in his arms. For some reason that he could not quite explain he felt almost protective of her. The poor thing had suffered so much...

"Clouded, I feel her future is. Odd, for one so young, hmmm?" Master Yoda regarded Mace through his large, twinkling green eyes, leaning forward and resting his weight on his gimmer stick.

"Wise to train her, I do not know. Other things than a Jedi, she could be."

Next to him, Ki-Adi-Mundi leaned forward slightly in his seat and said, "Also, we wonder if the group of merchants on the ship where you found her were identified yet."

Mace shifted his weight, trying not to become frustrated. She should be a Jedi, he knew it. Why was it so hard to decide? She was young, a mere baby. She would be raised as a Jedi. It shouldn't be a dificult desicion.

"No, Master, no investigation has yet been made." He said slowly. "And with all do respect, I believe it was the will of the Force that brought me to find this child. She will make a great Jedi, I can feel it."

"Ah, so certain are you? Telling you, the Force is, or your soft heart?" Yoda said.

Mace shifted again, looking down at the baby he held in his arms. She was sleeping again at last, one small fist clutching the front of his robes. He had to smile, inspite of himself.

"Your point is well taken, Master, but my feelings for this child do not extend beyond the moment... I've known her for scarcely a few days." he said, looking back up at the Masters.

"Hmmm. Very well, to me bring the child. Decide, the Council shall. Wait you will, and accept our descision, you must."

Slowly, almost reluctantly, Mace stepped forward and ever so gentley handed the baby over to Yoda. The small green Jedi Master cradled her in his arms, the equivalent of a smile on his small face. Master Yoda's love of children was well known. Training the younglings was his favorite pastime.

Mace backed away, bowing respectfuly, then retreated from the room as requested.

The waiting was unbarable. Mace didn't understand why the descision should be so hard.

He paced up and down the hallway outside the Council Chamber, waiting, hoping... he didn't know why he was so worried, it seemed perfectly obvious to him that the girl should be trained. There was no reason why she should not be trained, after all. Plenty of babies were brought to the temple. it wasn't like he had given them a full grown child...

"Enough. They'll do whatever they want to do and I'll just have to deal with it." He told himself, stopping in his pacing.

He walked over to one of the large windows and gazed out at the buisy city world that surrounded the temple, reaching into the Force to center himself.

The sun was just going down, casting an orange light over the metalic buildings and making them shimmer and glint in an almost beautiful way. Mace by far prefered wildlife and forestry to cities, do, he thought, more than likely to the nature of his own homeworld, but even he had to admit Coruscant had its own... something. Not exactly beauty, but an awe inspiring gloriousness. A whole world turned into a city... it was quite the accomplishment.

Mace's reverie was interrupted by the sound of door clicking open behind him as the Council beckoned for his return.

'Finally...' he couldn't help but think.

Returning to the center of the Council chamber he saw that Yoda still held the girl in his arms and was still smiling in his own way. The other Council members wore looks that ranged between amusement and fould attempts to keep straight faces.

'What I wouldn't give to know what happened...' Mace thought, shaking his head ever so slightly. It was every Jedi,including his own, dream to one day sit on the Council. But even he had to say they were a little on the odd side. Having wisdom must do that to a person.

Master Yoda took his time in speaking, no doubt, Mace thought, it was a way to test his patience. Thus he stood obediently still and silent, waiting with barely concealed anxiety.

"To be a Jedi," Yoda said at last, "She will be."

Mace let out a breath he hadn't known he'd been holding then bowed low. "Thank you masters..."

"Thank us not. For her, it would be best we feel. Not you." Yoda said, and Mace could have sworn he was smirking. "Wonder we do, does the child have a name?"

Mace shook his head. "I do not know, Master."

"Then name her, we shall. Ideas, you have." it was a statement, not a question.

"Yes, Master. I had been thinking of a name... In my travels I have had a chance to meet more than once with Chalactan culture and traditions and I was thinking..."

"Yes?"

"I would like to call her Depa. It..."

"Explain not. Know something of Chalactans, do I as well. Depa, we will name her."

Mace bowed again, resisting the urge to grin as he looked at the small baby held in the Jedi Master's arms. Little Depa...