Summary: AU: Qui-Gon lives and ends up training Anakin himself while Obi-Wan takes on a different padawan. It's a story about the simplicity and complication of change. If things were different would thedarkness be any different? Would the future?
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A/N: Alley: Hey everyone! It's Alley ( awesome author of 'Sorry' ) and Aryll ( totally talented author of 'Beautiful!' ) We decided to co-write a fic for ya! This is an AU featuring the 'Qui-Gon Lives' effect. :)
Aryll: Just read and enjoy! Kudos!
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"Light in the Shadow"
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Chapter 1
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He saw it a second too late. Darth Maul whirled around in a split second spin and set a boot right into his chest sending him catapulting backwards. It was an odd moment to feel stupid, but that's how he felt as he slammed into a walkway a few levels below, his body sliding on the polished surface which carried him off of the edge. It was a good thing he collected himself and had enough sense to grasp onto the edge.
As he hung, swaying, he felt a sudden, unexplained pain course through his entire body. It forced him into action. He lifted himself from the edge, ignited his light saber, leapt up onto the walkway Qui-Gon and Darth Maul were heading down, and shot after them with Force enhanced speed.
He scowled in irritation as the two battlers entered a time sequenced hallway of ray shields. Darth Maul whorled forward, losing Qui-Gon and seperating the two of them between a wall of angry red. Obi-Wan watched with a sudden nervousness as Darth Maul paced in front of Qui-Gon with obvious killer intent. His Master, in turn, set himself on his knees and took those spare moments to gather healing and clarity from the Force.
Obi-Wan shifted his weight from foot to foot with confounding restlessness. He had to get to them before the ray shields closed again, he had to rejoin his Master. He resolved to run like he had a swarm of Corellian raptor-wasps on his tail as soon as the rays parted.
Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, the ray shields switched off and Obi-Wan was a blur. It felt like the extreme unease inside of his chest was dragging him forward, imploring him to run faster, and faster still. Qui-Gon and Darth Maul had already reached the end of the hallway and were locking sabers furiously.
Obi-Wan's subconscious blared an alert. The ray shields were going to close. He wasn't going to make it! No! He had to make it! Time seemed to slow around him as he streaked toward the end of the hallway, his breath heavy not with fatigue, but with panicked demand.
And the ray shields were closing...and he was skidding, sliding straight through that last one. He felt the hot brush of sizzling energy across his back as he tumbled into the small reactor room. Immediately lifting himself up, he swatted at the back end of his Jedi tunic which smoked from close contact with the powerful ray shields.
He was already on the move to the two in battle after a quick check that he would not be set afire. Lightsaber sweeping in, he joined his Master once more and the stifling dread that seemed to crush his heart left at once.
Only minutes later, with Darth Maul's face diminishing in tunneled blackness, did he question the strange feeling that had attacked him. He looked over at his Master and knew the answer to that question. He knew by the way his Master's breath rushed out, the way he slightly staggered to stay standing, the sweat streaking his brow. Darth Maul would've killed him.
Concern enveloped him as he stepped forward to offer a hand to his Master. Qui-Gon gave him a grateful glance, but only shook his head gently and took a few steadying breaths.
Obi-Wan stepped back, watching solemnly. If he'd been just a second too slow...
Well, no use thinking about it now.
Qui-Gon offered him a fatherly smile, which he returned with blossoming joy.
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( A week after the celebration of Naboo's freedom, back at the Jedi Temple. )
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Obi-Wan walked on his Master's left while the young Anakin Skywalker struggled to keep up on Qui-Gon's right. Noticing that Anakin was having trouble matching his gait, Qui-Gon slowed. Anakin gave him a grateful smile. Obi-Wan wanted to scowl, but only set his face in calm irritation.
The three of them stepped before the Jedi Council doors as they opened, letting them enter.
Qui-Gon led them, his Padawan standing respectfully behind, and to the left of his Master. Qui-Gon grabbed Anakin's shoulder and urged him to stand before him, presenting the youngster to the whole of the Jedi Council.
"Anakin Skywalker," Yoda hummed, his head inclining softly, green orbs regarding the trembling figure.
"Y-yes sir," he stuttered at the beginning before steadying himself.
Yoda allowed a ghost of a smile and then fixed his gaze on Qui-Gon. "Here on the matter of young Skywalker's training, you are?"
Qui-Gon nodded curtly. "I believe he is the Chosen One of the prophecy." The other council members exchanged quiet looks at this. "And I will train him," he said with a sternness in his tone that seemed to end the sentence with a 'whether you like it or not.'
Yoda nodded slightly, his eyes roving to Obi-Wan. "Permission, you have given, to allow Padawan Kenobi to take the Jedi Trials?"
"Yes, Master," Qui-Gon responded without missing a beat.
Obi-Wan remained deadly silent, his expression unreadable.
"Wish to take these trials, do you, Obi-Wan?"
Obi-Wan felt himself flinch on the inside, but his outside remained solid. "Yes, Master Yoda."
Yoda stared at him for a moment that seemed to last a little too long. It was an uncomfortable stare. A knowing stare. Obi-Wan reverted his attention to Mace Windu to escape those wise eyes.
"Very well," Yoda said next, "If Jedi Kenobi passes the trails, converse over the matter of training young Skywalker, we will."
Qui-Gon nodded curtly. "I have no doubt that he will pass the trials."
Obi-Wan glanced at his Master's shoulder feeling a strange emptiness in place of the gratitude he should've felt.
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( Youngling apartments of the Jedi Temple. )
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A young girl sat in her room; she looked forlorn, her cheeks rosy from recent tears. It was only four days until her thirteenth birthday...four days until she was placed into the Jedi Service Corps. She had only four days to find a Jedi Knight, or for a Jedi Knight to find her.
Unwanted irritation prickled onto the surface of her placid emotions. How could the Jedi pass her up? She was the best healer of all the younglings, not to mention she had grades that were top of the class. Sure, she had a little trouble with lightsaber welding, but she was still very exceptional. And it wasn't like it was anything that couldn't be fixed under the guidance of a Jedi Knight.
So why hadn't she been picked yet?
She looked up as her door was knocked upon. Through the Force, she could feel the familiar presence of her best friend, Lexxa Lysk, outside of the door. Gripping the edges of her tunic folds, she wiped her eyes, and stood up.
She opened the door slowly, peaking out. "Hello, Lexxa," she said stoicly. She had no energy for enthusiastic greetings today.
Lexxa's brows furrowed in concern and sympathyfor her friend. "Ana, why do you stay in your room depressing yourself? Come on out, have some fun! You'll have a Master, I know it!"
Ana frowned, her hazel eyes dropping from her friend's coal-colored orbs to her own fingers which curled around the edge of the door. "I'm almost thirteen, Lexxa...four days...no Jedi Knight is going to take me...it's too late," she said faintly, fingers tightening their hold.
Lexxa's lips set in a solid, grim line, her eyes sparking with frustration. "Mariana Star, you will stop this moping right now! It doesn't become you at all! What happened to your optimism?" she asked with a huff, her hands on her hips.
Ana couldn't help but crack a small smile at her friend. Though she was four years younger than her, she had the mind of a young adult, that's why Ana liked her so much. "I'm sorry, Lexxa, you're right. I just...I feel so strongly, deep in the depths of my bones, I don't belong in the Jedi Service Corps."
"Then you won't be there!" Lexxa said simply before crossing her arms and looking up in thought, "You know...you could ask the Jedi Council if they would give you a Master?"
Ana's eyes widened in consternation. "Lexxa, are you mad? I'm not going before the Jedi Council just so I can whine over not having a Master. They have much more important matters to attend to!"
"So what?" her friend said with nonchalance, "Besides, I think this is important, you're the best in all our classes, you deserve a Master!"
"Sometimes I think that younglings only receive Masters if they're good with their lightsabers...look at you! You're nine and you already have a Master!" Ana grumped. Lexxa had received a Master only a few months ago. Ana couldn't say she was surprised, cause she wasn't. Her friend was exceptional in the areas of lightsaber dueling. When Ana watched her, she was in awe. Her friend moved like water, a technique that starkly reminded her of Master Kit Fisto.
Lexxa rolled her eyes, pushing the door open and stepping inside of Ana's room. "I know what you're thinking. And you can stop. You seem to forget how well you healed my knee when I fell! For Force sake, you've healed about every Youngling's injury in the entire academy!"
Ana rolled her eyes, closing her door, and sitting back down on her bed. "You do a good job of making small things sound big, Lexi."
Lexxa groaned, flopping down on a small chair across from Ana's bed. "Just trust me, Ana. You'll get a Master...I know you will."
Ana smiled up at her friend. "I hope so," she paused when she remembered that a Jedi did not necessarily hope since it might lead to a depressing let down, but she could not deny that this was the emotion that fit the current situation she was in. She found herself considering a Council appearance.
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TBC...
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Thanks for reading! Hope you liked! Please, tell us your thoughts.
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-Aryll & Alley