PROLOGUE

The sun had set almost an hour ago. The moon had already risen illuminating some ruined buildings still in repaire. There were hardly any lights on in the capital city, Coruscant, at this time. Most of the buildings were being rebuilt this time not so high.

The Jedi Temple had been one of the first places to be reconstructed and had been finished only recently. Since it had been redone it had also been brought up to date. A few additions had been added. Namely a new rose garden just outside the first floor's left side windows.

Since the weather was warming the roses were blooming steadily and a cool breeze carried their smell around the Temple. The smell of blood red roses.

Jedi Master Yoda had recently returned to the Temple with two others: Obi-Wan Kenobi and Luke Skywalker, son of Padme Amidala and Anakin Skywalker, also known as Darth Vader.

There were no classes for the recently sent Younglings, who were all still very young, so the Jedi Master had time for himself. Since he was still getting used to the newly rebuilt Temple he decided to take a walk outside to the rose garden.

When he reached it he stood still for a moment, closed his eyes, and just breathed. He could smell the fragrance of young still growing roses. He stayed like that, totally contented with what he was doing for the moment. It was nice to be back. He'd missed the Temple.

The Jedi Master opened his eyes and looked up at the sky. Yes, it was nice to be home...

Suddenly he became aware of a soft muffled sound. He tensed and listened carefully, his right hand resting on the handle of his lightsaber. He thought he'd heard crying.

"Hmmm...?"

He listened for a moment longer as he figured out where the sound was coming from. He turned his head until it faced a rose bush closest to the street. The crying seemed to be coming from there.

What is that?

He decided to find out. Slowly he made his way to the suspicious bush.

When he reached it he put up his hand, pushed the branches aside, and peeked down into it. He couldn't believe what he saw. He hadn't expected anything like this!

What is...?

It was a baby.

A baby that looked no more than a few months old. Leave a baby here, why?

He pushed the rest of the bushes aside so he could see better. When the baby became aware of him it stopped crying and looked at him with huge curious purple eyes.

"Don't cry," he said to it. "Hurt you, I will not."

The baby stared at him. Then it reached up toward him with it's fat little hands. It seemed to want him to pick it up.

All right.

He reached down and picked the infant up. That's when he found out, the hard way, that it was a girl. He quickly pulled off his cloak and wrapped it around her. He then held her carefully so she wouldn't fall.

Leave her here, someone did. Why, I wonder. Show her to Obi-Wan and Skywalker, I will.

He held her close to his chest as he slowly made his way back into the Temple and to the Council Chamber on the top floor.

When he arrived at the Council Chamber he heard Luke Skywalker saying to Obi-Wan Kenobi. "I don't think it would be a good idea. How would you know if any of the new Jedi Apprentices aren't poisoned by the Dark side?"

"Luke, we've been through this already," Obi-Wan said testily. "We'd be able to tell."

"How?" the younger man challenged.

"We'd be able to sense it."

Yoda instantly felt offended. Not about the conversation, only that he'd missed it. How dare they discuss that kind of topic without him present! He was the oldest. He should have been let into the topic. But no, he wasn't, they were talking about things without his knowledge. Unacceptable!

Well they'd just have to know he was there. He cleared his throat so they'd know he was there. "Hello," he said stepping into the room. "You're discussing important matters, I see."

The two Jedi looked at him in surprise but said nothing to his inquiry.

"Please continue," the Jedi Master urged. "Hear this as well, I would like too."

They didn't seem to want to talk about it now that he was in the room.

"Umm...," Luke stalled then he noticed something. "What's that?" he asked, pointing at the bundle his Master held. "Did you get your cloak dirty?"

What a stupid question, Obi-Wan thought.

Yoda did not reply to the question. He held the cloak in his right arm and used his left hand to push the cloth away, revealing the thing under it. The two men leaned forward to see what was in it.

"A baby?" Obi-Wan asked. "Where did you find it?"

"The rose garden," the old Jedi Master replied. "Thinking, I was. Someone to care for her, do you know?"

The human Jedi shook his head. "No, I'm sorry."

Yoda looked at Luke, his head cocked waiting for the younger man to say something.

"I don't know either," Luke replied slightly distracted. "Why don't you send it to an orphanage? We don't have time to be worrying about babies in rose bushes."

"Luke!" Obi-Wan scolded.

"Obi-Wan?" Yoda kept going, unfazed by Lukes words for the time being. "Care for her, will you?"

Obi-Wan shook his head regretfully. "I'm sorry but I can't. I wouldn't be able to find the time. Remember. I'm teaching the Younglings most of the time."

Yoda looked back at the slightly spaced out Luke. He didn't seem to notice the dark look on the young man's face. "Young Skywalker?"

"No!" Luke yelled, snapping out of his blank state. "There is no way I'm going to waste my years taking care of a whiny baby! For all we know it could become the next Sith Lord!'

Obi-Wan saw something growing in Yoda's hazel eyes. He could sense Luke's selfish words were getting to the Jedi Master. Luke had better tred carefully. But Kenobi didn't say anything. He didn't want to get involved.

Mine! Me! Me! Yoda couldn't believe what he was hearing. "But..."

"No, Master, I won't! I refuse to."

The Jedi Master looked at Obi-Wan for support but the human said nothing. The Jedi Knight's expression clearly said he didn't want to get involved.

Obi-Wan noticed something dangerous growing in Yoda's expression. Uh oh...

"FINE!" the small Jedi stated in anger and disgust. "Take care of her, I will!"

Then he turned and left the room walking a lot faster than the two men ever remembered him walking, too upset and disappointed to look back.

When he was gone Obi-Wan looked at Luke with the same expression Yoda's face had held just a second before. "You should be ashamed of yourself."

Luke looked at his mentor in surprise. "Why?"

"The way you spoke to Master Yoda. That was very disrespectful."

"I don't care," Luke said sounding like his father when he didn't get his way. "I don't want to take care of a baby. What's wrong with that?"

Obi-Wan looked away shaking his head. This kid was hopeless.

Yoda took the baby to his room/house/whatever on a slightly lower floor in the Temple. He sat down on his bed and cradled her in his arms. How dare he! his mind said before he could stop it.

Well that just let him know that he was still upset about what Luke had said. He tried not to let it bother him though. Luke was young. He still had much to learn.

Especially about children.

The Jedi Master looked down at the baby again. He noticed her violet eyes were locked on his face. It seemed she was studying it carefully. She seemed very aware for an infant. Somehow that was amusing. That and he could sense the Force in her strangely strong.

He smiled at her and she smiled back.

Then she started crying.

Taken totally unaware, the piercing sound startled Yoda and he almost dropped her.

For a moment he just held her there his ears perched as high as they would go. How could something so small be so loud and what did she want? What was wrong?

Then a thought, as if it had been spoken, screamed into his mind so loud he thought his ear drums would burst. I AM HUNGRY!

So now he knew what was wrong. There only problem now was, he had nothing to feed her. Oh boy what a calamity... Well he did have milk somewhere around the place but he had nothing to put it in. Unless...

The Jedi Master set her on the bed and began to search the small apartment place. Finally he found a water bottle that a careless builder had left behind by accident after the Temple had been finished.

Yoda quickly filled it with milk and returned to the baby, who was still wailing, picked her up, and started to feed her.

A second later Obi-Wan came into the room. "Master Yoda," he said.

The older Jedi looked up. Obi-Wan noticed the old Master looked very peaceful at the moment. "Hmmm?" was all Yoda said.

"I'm sorry for the way Luke acted. I'm sure he didn't mean it," Obi-Wan explained.

"All right, it is," Yoda said looking at a spot between the baby and the Jedi Knight. "Young, Skywalker is. Much to learn, he still has."

The human Jedi had to agree. "Yes, he does," he consented. "And just to let you know, if you need any help taking care of her I'll be willing to assist you."

Yoda just nodded but the younger Jedi noticed the old Master's eyes were bright with held in laughter. Obi-Wan knew what that look ment. Will happen, I doubt that.

No say either way.

After a few more minutes Obi-Wan left. Yoda was once again left alone with the baby. Now he could give her his full attention.

By then she had finished her milk and was starting to look tired.

Yoda knew he had to put her somewhere but he didn't have a crib or anything like that. He'd never taken care of a baby. His only option was his own bed. It was big enough but he hesitated.

"You want her to sleep on the floor?" a voice in his head asked.

He shook his head. He knew he couldn't do that. She might get sick or he might step on her. Okay bad idea about the floor.

Stupid idea anyway, he figured rolling his eyes.

So that ment she had to be put in his bed. At least for one night anyway. He'd look for something else to put her in later.

Into bed they went.

The Jedi Master carefully laid her next to him, being sure not to let the cloak he's wrapped her in fall off. When he was done she started to fuss so he had to pick her up again. He rocked her gently hoping it would help her get to sleep.

For good measure he started humming as well. The sound wasn't that great since he was tone deaf and totally off key. Well, it was the thought that counted. Besides the baby didn't mind. Infact she seemed to like it.

She fell asleep almost instantly.

"Take care of you, I will," he said again, still rocking her. "Nobody will harm you. I promise."

Then there was a silence for a few minutes. The silence was broken a little later by him making a conclusion. "Name you, I will."

But what was he going to name her? He thought about where he'd found her. The rosebushes outside. Rose? No, that wouldn't work. What would rose sound like backards?

"Esor?" he said out loud. "Esore."

Yoda looked at the sleeping baby's face. "Esore. The name, I give you. Esore."

He set her down on the bed again. As he slid under the covers he suddenly had an overpowering feeling. This baby had a special purpose. What is was he did not know. But he felt it was important, after all, he had sensed the Force strongly in her.

"Find out soon. I will," he figured. "When she is older."

He looked over at the little baby, Esore, again. "Important she is... Why. I do not know."

A/N

Dear Readers.

You are probably thinking. "Why are Yoda and Obi-Wan still alive? They died before Darth Vader did!" well you'll find out why they are still alive in a later chapter. Please people if you do not like this fact kindly do not yell at me about it. If it offends you I will politely tell you now. "Please do not read any farther." I am not trying to be nasty I'm just trying to avoid problems people have given me about that kind of thing before.

If anyone is OOC well we all can't always get them right -.-

Just a brief definition. The girl's name is pronounced. "ES-OR-AI" kinda like the name Kagome with the "E" pronounced as "A" but not the sound "Ahh". "ES-OR-AI" Esore.

Well that is all I wanted to tell everyone. If you liked the story let me know. If you didn't please keep it to yourself I am not planning on changing it to make you happy.

Okay, I'm done now.

Happy reading!

Minor note here: I have not read the New Jedi Order books