"So a bunch of old people will determine whether or not I can lift a fork with my mind for a living?" Rose asked as they left the cafeteria. Qui-Gon led her down the halls of the Jedi Temple once again, navigating the confusing twists with ease.
"They're more than just a bunch of old guys," he scolded her.
"Sorry, should I have thrown wise in there somewhere?" she pressed, scurrying to keep up with the long-haired Jedi's strides. By the time they made it to the doors to the Council Chambers, Rose was out of breath.
"Wait, I can't go in there looking like this. It looks like I've been in a war or something," she started, motioning down to her tattered clothes. Her dark poncho was shredded and rubbed with dirt, while the clothes under it suffered a similar fate. She reached up and felt her hair. It still clung to her neck in a matted state, mystery substances stuck into it. Her feet were still soggy from the mysterious liquid at the bar, causing her footsteps to squash with every step. It was no wonder the Jedi looked at her with curiosity as she entered the Temple; however, maybe it was disgust they were looking at her with. Even worse, it could have been pity. Rose smelled underneath her arms, moving her face away in disgust. "Or smelling like this, for that matter."
"I believe it will be a humbling experience for them," Qui-Gon said coolly as the doors to the Council Chamber slid open. Rose stared into the round room, the people who would decide her fate turning their heads to look at her. Qui-Gon went in ahead of her, announcing his business with the Council. Rose noticed how they listened to his words respectfully; the only person not looking at him was a small, green creature with wing-like ears protruding from either side of his head. He looked at her with a quizzical face, his eyes not dropping her own.
"Come here, you will," he motioned to the floor in front of him, cutting Qui-Gon off. Rose carefully moved to the center of the floor. The windows of the room allowed for her to peer out over the planet Coruscant, the setting sun just barely peeking over the skyline. "Your name, hrmm?"
"Rose," she said, dipping her head into a respectful bow, just as her father had taught her to. Qui-Gon moved off to the side of the Council Chamber, observing quietly. "Rose Amaha."
"What brings you to the Jedi Order?" A man next to the green one asked. He was bald, his skin dark and contrasting against his pale robes.
"I don't really know," Rose admitted, lifting her head from her bow. "Lord Jinn over there seems to think I can lift forks with my mind," she threw a sideways glance at Qui-Gon, giving him a light thumbs-up. He threw his head into his hand, a small sigh coming from him.
"Master, Rose. We're not Lords, we're Masters," he corrected desperately. Rose ignored his comment and began twirling her hair around her finger.
"And what makes you believe you deserve to know our ways?" A voice called out from behind her. Murmurs of accordance with this question echoed all around her, leaving Rose to merely grasp at straws to try and make her case.
"Strong with the Force, this young one is," the green man remarked reverently, stroking one of his ears. "A powerful Jedi, she could be. Much determination I see, hrmm?"
"Masters, if I may," Qui-Gon interjected, stepping next to Rose in the middle of the floor. "This child has demonstrated her sensitivity to the Force. Her midi-chlorian count is well at the upper ends of our scanners and she has visions." The Council murmured once again around them.
"She's too old," someone else interjected. "She should have begun training years ago."
"Masters," Rose corrected herself, sending a glare at Qui-Gon and silencing the room. "If I may. If I'm being honest here, I don't even know who this guy is," she said, jabbing a finger at Qui-Gon, "but Papa always said the 'Jedi would come for you one day, little one,' whatever that meant. I think it's fair to say I have no idea what is happening right now, but whatever it is, I never turn down a challenge, especially one as cool as this," Rose's voice grew low as she mimicked her father, but she felt a new kind of strength behind her as she remembered her father's words. She wasn't sure what was pushing her to want to join the Jedi Order – she knew very little about it and it seemed like a lot of work. She searched deep down, searching the feelings that lay deep under the thick layers she had laid long ago to protect herself. Something felt right about this place, and Rose was not going to let it go away that easily.
The green man moved from his chair and came to stand in front of Rose. Though he was short, he still came halfway up her figure, his eyes looking up into hers. He held out his hand and Rose took it, fighting back the urge to run out of the room - away from the commitment of the Order. She felt a strong sense of reassurance wash over her, a friendly force filling her soul. The green man let go and hopped back into his seat, nodding his head.
"The Dark Side, she has not," he said after a moment of silence. "To train her, I think is best."
"Then we shall have a vote," the bald man said. "All in favor say 'aye.'"
A chorus of 'aye's' filled the chamber, and Qui-Gon came up behind Rose, placing a hand reassuringly on her shoulder.
"Master Jinn, would you please usher our newest member to her quarters… and to a bath, while you're at it," Rose saw the bald man smile and nod at her. She nodded back. With a bow to the Council, the two left the chambers, leaving them to discuss further business.
"Congratulations, young one," he said once they were in the hallway. "Welcome to the Order."
"Thanks, Master," she quipped, her feet squishing in her spot.
"I can't believe they let you in after that," he said, leading her to her new quarters.
"I thought it was pretty funny. All you old guys are the same: no sense of humor," Rose complained. "You need someone to liven up this place."
"Well, either way, little one," he laughed. "It will be an honor to serve alongside you." Qui-Gon led her to the Jedi quarters, opening a door for her. She stepped through and took in the small room that would be her new home. Though it left little for interior decor, the quarters were larger than anything she had ever been given while in the Shadow Dwellers. Rose walked in, taking in her new space: a small bed lie on the far side of the room. A modest bathroom and closet made up the hallway. Walking over to the far wall, she peered through the blinds of her window. Outside, she had a perfect view of Coruscant. The stars above twinkled endlessly, their light only slightly drowned out by the city's.
"I'll have another Initiate bring you a change of clothes. For now, this is goodnight, my little friend," Qui-Gon left Rose to her silence, her figure still marveling at the world outside the Temple. For the first time in her memory, Rose felt the warm affections that came with a home. She looked down at her arms and the bandages that still covered them. Carefully, she began unwinding the cloth that covered the markings that had always been upon her arms. Her father used to tell her it was a symbol of royalty and power, but Rose had always took those for his jokes. Dropping the wrappings to the floor, she heard a light knock on the door.
"Come in," she called out. The door slid open to reveal the same blonde boy that had smiled at her when she first entered the Temple. He was holding a pile of clothes in his hands.
"Hello," he said warmly, the smile still there. "My name is Obi-Wan Kenobi, and yours?" He set down the robes next to Rose on her bed.
"Rose Amaha," she said, returning his smile. "You don't really look like a Jedi."
"I'm not one yet," he said. "I'm hoping to be a Padawan learner soon. And from there, a Jedi." His eyes lit up as he talked about his hopes and dreams. Rose couldn't help but laugh a little at him.
"So, Obi-Wan, is it? How does this whole training thing work? When can I get to the fun stuff and the glowy sabers?" Rose asked as she pulled off her wet shoes and poncho. She held up the robes he had brought her, liking the dark brown meditation cloak and light tan tunic.
"Well, you'll probably begin training with Master Yoda, and from there, if you're lucky, you'll get your own lightsaber and then work under a Jedi Knight where you'll learn to use the Force through experience. After that, you go through the Jedi Trials and then if you pass them, you become a Jedi Knight yourself," the boy looked at Rose with quizzical eyes. "Do I know you from somewhere?" His blue eyes stared back into her green ones.
"No," she snorted. "I only just got here, remember, dork?" He appeared to be about the same age she was, and as she said those words, she couldn't help but feel as if she knew him from somewhere as well.
"No matter, then," he said quickly. "I'll be here in the morning to take you to Master Yoda. Master Qui-Gon has put me in charge of showing you the ropes for the first couple of days. Goodnight Rose." The boy made his way out of her quarters, the door sliding shut behind him. Rose began to peel off her various layers of her garb, flinging it into the laundry bin on one side of her room. She went into the bathroom and stepped into the shower. The warm, welcoming feeling of the water soothed her body and the sores that lay on it. The layer of dirt that had accumulated over the past couple of weeks fell down the drain, along with the mystery substances of her hair. When she was finished, she put on the tunic that Obi-Wan had left for her, the brown coloring a nice contrast to her old, dark clothing. For the first time, Rose was able to get a good look at herself in the mirror of her small bathroom.
The spots under her eyes were dark and defined; her cheeks were hollow from malnutrition. The skin everywhere seemed to be clinging desperately to the bones underneath, appearing to be the only barrier between her bones and the outside world. Her hair, still wet, hung over her shoulders in clumped strands, their blonde color darkened by the water. Rose made sure to wash her face very well, having to stand on her tiptoes to reach the sink.
The door to the bathroom automatically slid shut as she left. Rose crawled her way into the bed in her room, lying on her back so she had a good view of her new space. The walls were grey and lonely – they were going to need some livening up. Rose smiled to herself.
"Goodnight Coab. Goodnight Kator. Sleep well, my friends," Rose yawned and turned on her side, allowing the grips of sleep to overcome her. For the first time, her mind was at peace as she slept.
When morning came, the new light streamed in through her blinds, casting weird lines on the floor. Rose's eyes fluttered open, momentarily confused as to where she was. Looking down at her clothes, she breathed a sigh of relief as she realized it wasn't just a dream. Kicking off her bed, she headed out into the hallway of the Jedi Temple. She wanted to do a little exploring before she began her "training," whatever that entailed. Retracing her steps back to the cafeteria, she saw the Jedi Temple in a new light. A new vibrancy filled the hallways as people of all ages hustled about, doing their morning routine. She saw the eager younglings racing around the halls, the Padawans chasing after them in an attempt to wrangle them up.
"They do this every morning," a familiar voice sounded behind her. She turned around to be greeted by Obi-Wan, his eyes following the herd of younglings. "I bet you're hungry."
Rose nodded, feeling her stomach growl. Obi-Wan motioned for her to follow him, leading them a different way to the cafeteria.
"If you go the way you were going to go, it would have taken you ages to reach the food hall," he mused. "This way is much faster. It's like a shortcut." He was right. The doors to the cafeteria were much closer than she thought, and the two of them ate breakfast together, discussing the training that was ahead of Rose.
"So it's like a test?" she asked while taking a bite of a mystery orange substance. It didn't taste bad, but Rose couldn't quite pinpoint its flavor. Obi-Wan nodded.
"They have to see what you can do before they can begin training you. They won't let anything happen to you, they just want to see what you are capable of," he said with a reassuring smile.
"And if I absolutely suck?" she said with a mouthful of food.
"Doubtful," he said, taking another bite of his own food. "Master Yoda saw something in you. Otherwise, he wouldn't have let you in."
"Er, which one is Master Yoda?" Rose asked sheepishly.
"The little green guy who walks with a cane," Obi-Wan described how he was the most powerful Jedi out of all the ones at the Temple, and how he was also the wisest of them all. He was interrupted by the com link on his arm going off.
"Obi-Wan, bring our new guest to the training arena," Rose heard Qui-Gon's voice on the other side. Obi-Wan stood up and threw his tray where it was supposed to go and led Rose to the training room. They arrived to a circular chamber where Masters Yoda and Qui-Gon already were. Four hooded, looming statues were on opposing sides of the circle, watching their every move. Rose stepped up to the middle of the room to where the Masters were, observing the intricate circular patterns of the floor below her.
"Made it, you have," Master Yoda said acknowledging. "Begin now, your true test has."
"Rose, we're going to test your physical capabilities first. We just need to gather where you are in your training," Qui-Gon said, holding out a lightsaber to Rose. She took it, eyeing it suspiciously.
"It's just a practice saber. Are you ready to begin?"
Rose nodded, and the two Master Jedi left the floor, ushering Obi-Wan away. He sent an encouraging thumbs-up in Rose's direction. She took a deep breath and the lights of the room dimmed.