This story begins as a beautiful meadow in the kingdom of Coruscant.
It was a beautiful, sunny, clear day, and out on this meadow, there was a picnic going on. A picnic in celebration of a birthday.
At this picnic, a little girl with light brown skin and brown hair tied in two braided pigtails was playing a game of Hide and Seek, giggling as she quickly zipped from place to place.
"Where is my little birthday girl?" sang a male voice.
A man with long sandy blonde hair, a chin strap and mustache walked by the table. He had a smile on his face as he heard a little girl giggling and he pretended to have no idea where she was.
"I wonder where she could be."
He quickly looked under the table.
"Gotcha!"
But no one was there.
"Hmm... I could have sworn I heard-agh!"
The man fell forward as he was tackled by a certain five-year-old girl.
"Gotcha, Daddy!" the little girl laughed.
The girl's father laughed and said, "Aren't you a speedy little rascal?"
"Kara," said another voice. A voice belonging to a woman with sandy blonde hair and blue eyes similar to the man who was Kara's father.
Her name was Shmi, and as of right now, she was six months pregnant with her and Qui-Gon's new baby.
You might be wondering, why does Kara look so different from both of her parents? Well, the answer is simple. She inherited most of her appearance from her mother. Her birth mother.
You see, long ago, Qui-Gon had another wife. Her name was Tahl. Their marriage was arranged according to the traditions of the kingdom. Over time, however, they fell madly in love and were dubbed a dream couple. And to make their marriage even better, Qui-Gon and his queen Tahl were blessed with a beautiful baby girl they named Kara. Sadly, their little family would not last forever, as Tahl grew gravely ill while Kara was still very small, leaving her widower Qui-Gon alone to raise their beloved daughter.
For a long time, Qui-Gon was very sad, grieving deeply for his beloved queen. His only desire then and now was to honor his wife's final wish. To continue raising Kara with love and care, and one day find love again.
Qui-Gon did not believe he could ever find a woman he loved as much as he'd loved Tahl... until the day he met a lovely woman named Shmi Skywalker.
Shmi was beautiful, but more importantly, she was devoted to helping children and those in need. Qui-Gon met her one holiday eve a year after Tahl's passing while he and Kara hosted the opening of a new school built right near the orphanage. Shmi worked so many stations at the orphanage. She was a cook, nurse, and nanny for the children. And when Qui-Gon saw how happy the children grew up to be under her care, he knew she was the one. And so, one year after that, Qui-Gon made Shmi his new queen and Kara's stepmother.
Kara wasn't sure what to make of Shmi at first though. Being only four at the time her parents married, she was not yet old or mature enough to understand why her birth mother wasn't there anymore, or what a stepmother really was. But Kara remembered hearing a lot of stories about wicked stepmothers who made their stepdaughters' lives miserable. Qui-Gon, however, reassured her that those were just stories, and Shmi would love her as much as he and Tahl always did.
Throughout their marriage, Shmi grew to learn a lot about royal life and protocol, and she swore she would help Kara become a proper princess and suitable bride for a son of one of the great leaders of the kingdom's clans someday.
"A lady does not run about, rushing everywhere she goes." Shmi said.
"Shmi, it is Kara's power." Qui-Gon said, placing a weapon on the table. "She needs practice."
"Qui-Gon Jinn, no weapons on the table." Shmi scolded.
Kara tried to reach for her father's weapon, begging him to let her try it out. But, Qui-Gon told her a lightsaber was too advanced for her right now. Not child's play. But he did have something she could practice with. A little bow and arrow just the right size for her. And a perfect weapon to help her practice focus, improve her hand-eye coordination, confidence, and make her arms stronger too.
Kara was fascinated with the new weapon her father gave her and was eager to try it out.
Qui-Gon showed Kara how to position her body and how to properly hold the arrow and aim it.
"A lady should not have weapons, in my opinion." said Shmi. "Or any child."
Shmi rubbed her stomach, worried about how this may influence her soon-to-be baby.
"Please, Dear. Learning to fight is an essential skill." Qui-Gon said. "There may come a time she will have no one else to protect her. As well as one for her to protect her new baby brother or sister."
Kara followed her father's guidance, aimed her arrow, and... shoot!
The arrow went flying through the air, and landed somewhere in the forest.
"I'll get it!" Kara said, zipping off.
"She's going to end up hurting herself if she doesn't slow down!" Shmi said.
Qui-Gon started to comfort his wife.
"Now, now, Dear. Think about the baby."
Kara looked into the woods and soon found her arrow as it landed in the dirt, and she had to pull it out.
But before the little girl could head back to the picnic, she spotted something nearby. Something blue and spirit-like. A willow the wisp.
Tahl remembered hearing stories about willow the wisps from the kingdom's great storyteller Yoda. It was said that the willow the wisps would lead those who saw them to their destiny, but only if the ones who followed them were conscientious and wise enough to understand what they were doing and the price they would pay to change their fate or fulfill what they hoped would be the fate they desired.
Little Kara, being the curious child she was, quickly followed the wisp, only for it to vanish when she tried to grab it. She saw some more and started to follow them, only to hear her parents calling for her to come back as it was time for them to head home.
Kara ran back and arrived back at the table.
"Mama! Daddy! I saw wisps!" Kara exclaimed.
"Wisps, now?" Qui-Gon said. He chuckled. "I remember hearing many tales of those when I was a boy. But I did not require them to lead me to the love of my life."
Qui-Gon oversaw the servants clearing everything up, while Shmi picked little Kara up into her arms.
"Your father certainly has a unique point of view on everything, doesn't he?" Shmi chuckled.
"Daddy's a wise and amazing leader." Kara smiled, but that smile quickly turned into a look of fear, and she screamed as a shadow loomed over her and her stepmother.
Qui-Gon and the royal guards all got out their weapons as they were approached by a large gray and white dragon!
"RUN, MY LOVE! PROTECT KARA!" Qui-Gon shouted.
And Shmi rushed Kara onto their horse and rushed away to get the child to safety while the brave men stayed back to fight the dragon.
The dragon let out a mighty roar as the men began to draw out their weapons. This dragon was going down!