Disclaimer: I do not own Star Wars or anything that has to do with it, George Lucas does (Darn it! Oh well but if he ever wants to sell it...)
Summary: AU One year after Attack of the Clones Anakin and his family are on the run from the Empire. As they try to hide on Naboo, problems begin from within as Qui-Gon's health begins to fail.
Warnings: Nothing for this chapter.
Author's Note: This was my first attempt at fanfiction that I started in 1999 and I have rewritten it several times in order for it to tie into the movies a bit better. I just tried to fix some of the spelling, grammar and typing mistakes but bear with me. My CP and dyslexia makes it hard to catch everything.
Chapter 14: Memories, Self forgiveness and Letting goLater that night Anakin found himself unable to sleep, even after everyone else had found his or her dreams. The young man paced quietly about the house for a while before he finally gave up and grabbed his cloak and Lightsaber before going outside. Skywalker trudged through the ankle deep snow and followed his favorite garden path into a large secluded area of which he had found by accident a year ago while he was guarding Senator Amidala as his wife was known as then.
The young Padawan had found that this was the perfect place for Lightsaber exercises. He could have privacy and still be within hearing range of the house. Lowering the hood of his cloak before doing a series simple stretches Anakin began mentally and physically preparing himself for the deadly dance that the Jedi called Katas. Something he was exceedingly good at.
Skywalker ignited the Lightsaber and watched as snowflakes melted with a hiss the moment they contacted the cerulean blade. Sometimes I forget how dangerous these things can be. He thought as he began moving gracefully into the first Kata. It's hard to believe something so beautiful can be so deadly…
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Anakin stood off to the side of the Nubian hanger and watched, as Qui-Gon Jinn was loaded onto the Queen's Starship. Queen Amidala had insisted that the Jedi Order use it to transport the wounded Jedi Master back to Coruscant. It had taken all the restraint that Skywalker could muster in his nine-year-old body from running for the man that was now his only link to his mother when Obi-Wan Kenobi managed to carry the older man into the palace infirmary before falling to his knees and screaming for help.
"Anakin." Someone said as they placed a hand on his shoulder, jarring him from his thoughts. Anakin looked up to find that a pair of tired blue-green eyes locked with his. "It's time to go home little one."
"What's going to happen to me now Obi-Wan? He asked as he followed Jinn's fourteen-year-old apprentice up the ramp of the ship and into a small cabin.
Kenobi smiled as he helped Anakin buckle the safety restraints, "You will come back to the Temple with us and will be my responsibility until we know if my father will be able to train you." He said as he buckled himself in.
"Master Jinn is your father?" Skywalker asked not even bothering to hide his wide-eyed astonishment.
"He adopted me and my twin brother when we were born." Obi-Wan said with a bit of a sad smile as the Starship took off.
"Does your brother know what happened to Master Jinn?" The nine-year-old asked as he tightened his grip on the seat as the ship jumped into hyperspace.
"I sent him a message as soon as I got a chance to do so. He'll be waiting for us when we land on Coruscant." The Padawan replied as he began to take his restraints off. "We can move about the ship now if you'd like."
Anakin readily agreed and took the restraints off faster then Obi-Wan had put them on, "Can we see Master Jinn?" He asked.
"I'm sorry Ani, we can't just yet. The Jedi Council is with him right now but Master Yoda promised to send for us as soon as my Father wakes." Obi-Wan replied.
"Oh." Skywalker said a little downfallen. "Then can we just sit here and talk?"
"About what?" Kenobi asked, the boy peaking his interest.
"Who was that man in the hanger?" Anakin asked while looking at his lap. "The one you an Master Jinn where fighting?"
"He was a Sith Anakin." Obi-Wan told him while folding his legs under himself.
"A Sith?" The boy asked cocking his head in confusion. "Who are they?"
"They are the only true enemy of the Jedi." The Padawan explained. "They represent everything we stand against. Do you understand?"
"I think so." Anakin answered.
"The Sith are only one of the many things you'll learn about in the Temple." Obi-Wan told him before the door chimed. "Yes." The cabin door slid open to reveal a small green creature with big ears. "Master Yoda." Kenobi stood and immediately bowed low to the esteemed Jedi Master. "My father is he…?"
"Well he is Obi-Wan." Said Yoda. "Vary weak he is right now but stubborn he remains." The Padawan smiled. "Wishes to see you and the boy he does."
"Thank you Master." Obi-Wan said before turning to Anakin. "Come on Ani, let's go see my father."
(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)
For the second time in as many hours Anakin stood off to the side as Obi-Wan and his father held each other and took a few minutes to reassure themselves that the other was still alive. Occasionally the two would whisper in a language that Skywalker recognized as one his mother used most often when she sang to him or would cry out in her sleep. She never taught it to him though or told him where it came from but Anakin guessed that it was the language of her home world. The home world that had been brutally taken away from her the day she lost her freedom.
"Ani" Obi-Wan called, again being the one that brought him back from his thoughts. "Come here little brother."
The boy complied but was a little more then confused when Kenobi called him 'little brother' but that question could wait, "Hi Master Jinn." He said quietly.
The Jedi Master just smiled for a moment before taking Anakin's small hand, "Hi Ani…" He said before having to take a breath. "Are you…all right?" Skywalker nodded before biting his lower lip. "Hey…don't cry I'll…be all right. Right now I need…you to listen carefully…to what I have…to tell you. Do you…know where your mother…was born?" Skywalker shook his head and waited while Jinn gathered the strength he needed to continue. "Your mother…little one is my…best friend."
"She was from your home world?" The boy asked while Qui-Gon rested again.
The Jedi Master smiled again and took another breath determined to tell the boy about the Shimi Skywalker he knew, "Shimi and I…are from a planet not…far from here…and she and I were born…and raised in the…same village."
"Why did she become a slave?" Anakin asked.
"That I don't…know Ani but…it wasn't that uncommon at…that time…for my people to become slaves." Jinn looked up and signaled for Obi-Wan to take over for a while.
"Nir'duin is primitive compared to many planets in the Republic. The technology is not to unlike what you had to live with on Tatooine." The Padawan explained. "But it's more beautiful then you could ever imagine."
"But Padme said that the Republic doesn't allow slavery on its planets." Skywalker said as he used the edge of Qui-Gon's bed as a seat.
"That's true Ani." Obi-Wan replied. "But Nir'duin has only 'officially' been apart of the Republic for about fifteen years. Yes the Jedi have had a Temple there for a lot longer but it wasn't until Qui-Gon began pushing the Republic to sit down and talk to Nir'duin's representatives that the planet was made a member."
"I tried looking for…your mother Ani…but I was…unable to find her." Qui-Gon said after a few more moments of rest.
"Until you found me." Anakin stated.
"Until I…found you." The Jedi Master said as he reached up and brushed the side of the boy's face with the palm of his hand. "Ani. This…is where I need…you to listen extra carefully." The nine year old nodded before standing and trading places with Obi-Wan at the head of the bed so that the wounded man didn't have to strain as hard in order to be heard. "Before we left your…mother's house, I told her that…I would look after you. She asked me to…take it a step farther. Would you allow me…the honor of adopting you…as my son?"
Anakin stared at the older man for a moment before glancing at Obi-Wan. Who gave him a wide warm smile, "You really mean that Master Jinn?" He asked wondering why anyone would want to adopt an ex-slave as his or her son.
"Yes Ani I…mean it. With all…my heart." Qui-Gon said while giving the boy a weak smile. "Will you…do me this…honor Ani?"
"Yes! Yes please Master Jinn." Anakin said while really wanting to hug the older man but too afraid that it would hurt him.
The Jedi Master smiled softly when he sensed the child's dilemma, "It's all…right Ani." He said as he drew the nine year old into his arms as best he could in his reclining position.
The Healer accompanying the Jedi back to Coruscant called an end to the conversation, "I'm afraid that I'm going to have to call an end to this conversation Master Jinn. You need to rest." She said after Jinn's heart rate went up momentarily.
Kenobi's eyes immediately went the monitor that was positioned above the bed, "Father…"
"I'll be all…right Obi-Wan take…Anakin back to…the cabin you two…are sharing and…try to get…some sleep." Jinn said before he gave both boys another hug. "I'll see you…in the morning."
"Good night…father." Anakin said before his new brother led him away…
(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)
Anakin took a deep cleansing breath and listened to the crunch of the falling snow beneath his feet as he moved into the next Kata position. He had completed four positions of the deadly dance and shifted his thoughts from the falling snow as he moved into the fifth and most dangerous of them all…
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"Obi-Wan, what's your brother like?" Anakin asked as he helped the Padawan pack what little bit of belongings the two had before they had to strap themselves into their seats.
"You mean our brother?" Obi-Wan asked with a smile as he stowed the two travel bags. "Christian looks like me only his hair is black like our mother's and his eyes are dark blue like our father's."
"Qui-Gon's?" Skywalker asked as he found his seat for reentry into Coruscant's atmosphere.
"Yes and no." Kenobi replied as he buckled the nine year old into his seat before sitting and buckling in himself. "My biological father Danonte is where Christian inherited his eyes but Master Jinn once told me that Danonte Kenobi had midnight blue eyes like his."
"Oh." Anakin said with a small smile as the ship shuttered when it came out of Hyperspace. "Do you think he'll like me?"
At that question Obi-Wan laughed outright, "Yes Ani I think he'll like you." The Padawan undid the restraints and stood to gather the two bags while Skywalker undid his own. "In fact I know he will love you and I bet he'll tell you all about the things he did to make my life miserable."
It was Anakin's turn to laugh as he fallowed Kenobi through the corridors of the ship that led to the Medical Bay…
(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)
Anakin laughed softly at that memory and had to stop his exercise long enough to gather his concentration. Christian had met the Nubian Starship at the temple docking bay and almost immediately started falling into the roll of Anakin's older brother. Obi-Wan had sent his twin another message while they where in Hyperspace forewarning him of the new addition to their family.
During the weeks that followed their return to Coruscant; the three young Jedi were never far from Qui-Gon while he recovered in the Healer Ward and after. The Jedi Master of course was as stubborn as ever; he insisted that he would be allowed to perform Obi-Wan's Knighting Ceremony the day he was released from the Healer Ward. Skywalker remembered that day fondly, for it was also the day that his adoption was finalized…
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Anakin held onto Obi-Wan's hand as they walked with Obi-Wan's twin brother Christian to Coruscant's Jedi Temple infirmary to pick up their father Qui-Gon Jinn. Some might think it odd that a nine-year-old was holding hands with an adult in order to keep from getting lost but Skywalker had only been at the Temple for about twelve weeks and wasn't allowed to go anywhere without an adult yet.
The Jedi Masters Yoda and Mace Windu had taken personal time with Anakin in order to get him used to one being a free person and two help him into a radically new kind of life for the boy. Skywalker thrived in his new world and even though it soon became evident that Anakin had a short fuse and a volatile temper the support he was getting from his new family and the friends he was making was starting to even the nine-year-old out.
Anakin still had a lot of fear to work through. Fear of rejection, fear of failure and just a lot of fear in general that came from being in a new place so far from everything and everyone he knew. Learning about his Nir'duinain heritage along with its language and religion from Qui-Gon was giving him something to focus on and it was helping immensely. Along with the fact that the Jedi Master and the sons he had already adopted called Skywalker son and little brother helped too. The boy was beginning to feel like he belonged with Jinn, the Kenobi twins and the Jedi.
When Obi-Wan, Anakin and Christian arrived at Qui-Gon's room in the infirmary the tall Jedi Master was sitting in a hoverchair, packed and ready to go home but he, Master Yoda and Master Windu were looking over a Datapad while a government official looked on. Everyone looked up and smiled, especially at Anakin when the three brothers came into the room.
"Masters." The three newcomers said before bowing low in respect for Qui-Gon and the two Jedi Council members.
"Did we come at a bad time?" Anakin asked.
"Not at all Ani." Qui-Gon said with a wider smile. "Come here, I have something to show you." The boy hurried over and looked at the Datapad the older man was holding. The document on it looked official and Anakin saw his name but couldn't understand anything else so he looked at Jinn for clarification. "This is the document that will officially make you my son and Obi-Wan and Christian your brothers. Master Yoda and Master Windu have both witnessed it and all it needs now is for me to sign it. I wanted you to be here when I did."
Anakin broke into a beaming smile and carefully hugged his new father after the Jedi signed the document, "Thank you Papa." He said in Jinn's native language. He had worked with his brothers for weeks just on that single sentence so that would come out perfectly when he said it.
"Thank you my son." Qui-Gon said in the same language with a smile before squeezing Anakin's nose like he always did when he wanted to get the boy to laugh.
"Congratulations to you." The government official said as he took the Datapad back and took his leave.
"Let's go knight your brother and officially make you a Padawan Learner shall we?" Jinn said in Basic since Master Yoda and Master Windu didn't speak Nir'duinain and Skywalker was still learning it.
"Remember that you are under orders to do both from that chair." Mace quietly reminded his stubborn friend.
"Yes Mummy." Qui-Gon said with a smile since that had been the fifth time the dark-skinned Jedi Master had said that since he and Yoda had gotten there.
Anakin, the twins and even Yoda (although it was only a tiny chuckle that came from the green-skinned Jedi Master) laughed at the look that came over Windu's face.
(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)
Anakin powered down his Lightsaber after he was done with his exercises and turned around when he felt his father come up behind him, "I didn't wake anyone did I Papa?" Skywalker asked in Nir'duinain.
"No son, I'm having trouble sleeping too." Qui-Gon said in the same language.
"Are you feeling okay?"
"It's not my body that's keeping me up little one."
Anakin nodded in understanding, "My mind is still so…" He stopped a moment to find the right word. "Raw, like I've lost something and I can't figure out what that is."
"Your mind had been invaded Ani. By something very dark and very powerful." Jinn said after he moved to stand next to the younger man. "The good part f you, the true part of you has been locked in the deepest part of your mind while the anger, pain and despair of losing your mother gave Palpatine into your mind and body."
"I don't remember much." Skywalker admitted. "The overwhelming emotion, the feeling of helplessness and the despair of not being able to stop something though… that I can't forget."
As difficult as it is Ani you must let go of the pain and feelings you still feel." Qui-Gon said as he held his son's face in his large hands. "And focus on the good you have done. The good you will do."
"How Papa?" Anakin asked like the nine-year-old he used to be. When his world had been turned upside down.
Jinn could see the unshed, long held back tears and pulled his youngest son to him as tightly as he could and held Anakin like he used to, "Cry Ani." He whispered. "Go ahead and cry my little one."
It took a few minutes and started with only a few tears but soon Skywalker was releasing everything he had held back for over a year, in his tears and into the Living Force like he had been trained to do. All while in the protective embrace of a loving father, the only parent he had left and then he suddenly realized that he could lose Qui-Gon before long too.
