Chapter 17

When the Jedi Council were satisfied that they had tested Anakin's Force ability as much as possible, they dismissed him.

He walked over to Jessica, who smiled and put her hand on his shoulder.

"How did I go?" he asked nervously as Jessica opened the door.

"You did well, Anakin. Don't worry."

Once outside, Shmi embraced Anakin as Jessica closed the door.

"How did he go?" Shmi asked.

Jessica smiled. "He did excellently. He answered everything truthfully, and to the best of his abilities – which, I might add, are rather considerable. You should be proud of him."

"Oh, I am," said Shmi. She and Anakin both looked radiant at Jessica's praise.

"What happens now?"

"We wait," said Qui-Gon, "for the Council's decision."

"It'll probably be a while," observed Jessica. She looked at Anakin, frowning. She pulled out a lightsabre. Frowning slightly, using the Force to change the settings of it. Then she held it out. "Here, Anakin. You can try swinging this around a bit."

"Oh, awesome!" He took the lightsabre and hit the activator. Jessica's golden beam erupted from the end. He began fighting imaginary enemies, lunging and swinging at the air.

"Isn't that a little dangerous?" asked Shmi worriedly.

Jessica smiled. "No, not at all. I've changed the phase variation to practice mode. He can't hurt anything."

Anakin had deactivated the lightsabre, and was studying it. "Why's it curvy?" he asked.

Jessica took back the lightsabre and ignited it. "So I can do this." She began twirling it. "One of my favourite fighting forms is Makashi. It involves a lot of blade manipulation – especially spinning like this. A curved hilt makes it easier."

"Oh." Anakin thought about it. "But they're not all curvy, are they?"

Jessica shook her head. "No. Most sabres have straight hilts."

"Can I see one of those?"

"I don't have one, but both Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan do. If one of them will let you, then sure."

Anakin looked at Qui-Gon. "Please?"

"Alright."

Anakin took the lightsabre, and activated it. Qui-Gon's green blade erupted. He began swinging it.

Jessica blocked the lightsabre with her own. "I wouldn't do that, Anakin. Jedi lightsabres don't have inbuilt phase variation. You could hurt someone with it." She used the Force to deactivate it. "Maybe you should give it back to Qui-Gon."

Anakin handed it to the Jedi.

Jessica frowned, trying to think of something to keep the boy amused. "I know!" From a hidden sheath on the inside of her arm, she pulled a miniature lightsabre. It was only about 10cm long. She handed it to Anakin. "Here. It's a sabre-knife. You can take this apart and have a look at the inside, if you like. It's identical to a normal lightsabre, just smaller."

"Are you sure? That I can take it apart, I mean."

Jessica smiled. "Yes. I've made a lot of them. I'm carrying five others right now."

"Awesome!"

"And, I'm confident in your ability to put it back together afterwards."

So Anakin started taking the sabre-knife apart. Shmi turned to Jessica. "Can I ask you something?"

"Certainly."

"Well, I was wondering –"

Jessica suddenly held up her hand. "Wait, please –" She closed her eyes. Padme was trying to contact her.

'Master, I need you. I've decided to go back to Naboo.'

'What sparked this decision?'

'Something Jar Jar told me.' Padme shared what she had learnt from the Gungan, and explained her plan.

'It's a good idea; there's a good chance it'll work. Anakin's test is complete. The Jedi are going to give us their decision soon.' She paused. 'Actually, I think you should come here.'

'Why?'

She paused again. 'Oh, never mind. It won't really be that much longer. I just thought, maybe you should hear what the Jedi Council had to say about me training Anakin. I mean, you have been my apprentice for eleven years.'

Jessica could hear/sense a slight amusement in Padme's voice as she corrected her. 'Twelve years, Master.'

'No, eleven. Now, I've got to go; Shmi's trying to talk to me.'

"Sorry," she said, breaking the contact. "Someone contacted me with the Force. Go on."

"I just wanted to know –" Shmi paused. She wasn't sure how to say it. "I've heard that the Jedi take children away from their families and," she paused again, then finished in a rush, "I was wondering if you'd do the same thing. If you trained Anakin, I mean."

"No. I wouldn't. The Grey Order doesn't forbid attachments. Actually, we encourage them. We see them as strengthening, because they can give us a cause, and a point of balance."

"Then, why do the Jedi forbid them?"

"Because they see attachments – or, more correctly, threats to attachments – as leading to the Dark Side. The irony is, most Darksiders have no attachments, because they scare their friends and families away – if they don't kill them. But the Grey Order – we walk the fine line between the two. Does that help you at all?"

Shmi nodded thoughtfully. "I think so. Thank you."

Jessica smiled. "I'm quite happy to. Anakin's your son; I know you want the best for him. You need information, so that you can make the best decision for him. I may have said this earlier, but if you need to ask me anything, feel free."

Shmi looked a little surprised. "Wow, that's quite deep. Are you a mother?"

Jessica laughed a little. "No, no. But I've had apprentices before, and normally I live with or near the family. You can learn a lot from observation, I've found, and more from experience."

Shmi smiled at that.

Just then, Anakin looked up. "I've taken it apart and put it back together again-!"

"That's excellent, Anakin," Jessica told him.

"-five times," he finished.

"Really?" asked Jessica, standing and moving over to him. Using the Force, she lifted the knife into the air, a small distance away from everyone, and activated it. It came on with the customary snap-hiss. She looked at Anakin. "Perfectly put together, too. So, do you think, if you had the parts, you could build a full-sized one?"

"Sure," said Anakin. "After Threepio, it'd be easy!"

"That's good to hear. As either a Grey or a Jedi, you have to build your own lightsabre. But the most important part is the crystal."

"Why –?"

But Anakin didn't get to finish his question. Just then, the doors to the Council Chamber opened. Mace Windu beckoned them in. "The Council has made a decision."