For anyone who likes having a visual reference for characters, I vaguely picture Falon as resembling Shay Mitchell (at this starting point of the story, anyway, she'll be much older by the time the story finishes).
The next day, the four Jedi and three royals succeeded in safely and stealthily leaving the city. They travelled for hours on a hired transport until they arrived at the country mansion several hours after sunset. The royals, tired from the trip, were quick to excuse themselves and go to bed, but the Jedi remained awake. There was work to do after all.
Once the house was scoped out and potential points of entry for intruders identified to be dealt with from tomorrow onward, Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon left for their rooms. The Jedi were in the same wing as where the royals were staying, for safety, but at the other end so as to give them their privacy.
Not yet interested in going to bed, Falon and Sii had opted to venture to the very well stocked kitchen for some late night snacking. Falon wasn't someone who held any great enthusiasm for food but Sii was a great appreciator of it and she liked to see him happy. So while he found some of his favourite vegetables, she cut up some fruit for herself.
Its knobbly purple skin was interesting under her hand, almost like the scales of a reptile. It had a gritty but not unpleasant texture to it as she bit into it, and the juice tasted sweet and sour at the same time.
Thinking about the different details of the fruit consumed the majority of her brain's attention, but she was still aware enough to see Qui-Gon a few moments before he entered the room. She met his eyes for a moment as a way of greeting considering that her mouth was occupied.
Despite being much older, now in his mid thirties, he was fairly similar to her limited memories of him. Still patient, with an easy if small smile, his muscular build - even more notable than it had been before - suggesting he was still a formidable fighter, and even more of one now. And intelligent, too. His connection with the Force would be more difficult to ascertain (though she had already determined through her small test of him that it wasn't weak), but it wasn't as if that was necessarily any of her business.
"Join us?" She asked him, after having swallowed her morsel.
The corner of his mouth twitched in what seemed to be amusement. "No, thank you," he said, "I was just going to inquire as to which rooms the two of you will be taking."
"Whichever ones are closest to yours, I expect," Falon answered, brushing her hands on her robes and beckoning for Sii to follow them up the stairs to the living quarters. She spotted the adjoining rooms that Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon had taken, and that there were matching ones opposite. "Yes, these will do just fine. Goodnight Master Jinn."
"Goodnight, Jedi Ti-Tarn."
Falon turned to Sii and smiled at him before heading to her own bedroom door. "Goodnight, Sii."
"Goodnight, Master."
A routine was built quickly. In the mornings, the Jedi would rise early and eat together. When the royals woke up, they would eat on the outdoor patio in the sun while the Jedi meditated on the balcony.
The king was a kind man named Raoul, who was very interested in the Jedi order and directed a lot of questions at Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan, having had months to make such inquiries to Falon and Sii. Both newer Jedi took to him very quickly and were more than happy to answer most of his questions.
Lern, the red headed teenaged prince, had struck up a close friendship with Sii over the six months they had been on Algnadesh.
"Sii, are you done yet?" He asked the Etti, who did not open his eyes.
"No."
"Come on, you've been doing that for ages, and I want to go for a swim down at the river. I'll race you!"
"We'll go when I'm finished meditating," Sii said firmly.
Even if he was very dedicated to his training, and kept any hint of true interest out of his voice, Falon could sense that he was keen to go.
"Sii, go with him," she said without opening her eyes.
"What?"
"You've been very focused this morning, I see no need for your continuing in this moment. Go with the prince. If Master Jinn permits it, Obi-Wan might wish to join you as well."
"Obi-Wan may go."
"Thank you, Master."
"Thank you, Master."
The teenage boys took off down the side steps of the palace which led to the nearby water's edge. Even without being able to see the excitement on their faces, it resonated strongly through the force. Not long after, the two remaining Jedi also rose from their meditation, the younger of the two crossing to the edge of the balcony to look down at the three forms zipping through the water.
Falon smiled. "I believe Obi-Wan will get along with those two just fine."
"Sii has made a great friend in the prince," Qui-Gon observed, coming to join her.
"Yes, he has. I'm glad. He's not the most amiable sort, it takes a while for him to warm to people," she said, "But the prince is nothing if not friendly and persistent. It only took about a month."
"Falon!" The princess, Sierrn, was standing behind them when they turned around. She immediately frowned at them. "Aren't you two hot in those robes?"
"Not uncomfortably so," Falon answered, "How can I help you, princess?"
"Please just call me Sierrn."
"Sierrn."
"Can I braid your hair? I mean, would that be okay and not against some Jedi rule or something? Only I'm bored and your hair is so long and pretty."
Falon eyed the blonde curls cascading from the crown of Sierrn's head and wound up in a bun behind it. "So is yours."
"Yes, but I've already done mine."
"...very well. I don't see why not."
Falon moved to sit cross-legged in the centre of the balcony, in a similar position to how they had all been meditating before. Sierrn fetched a brush and then gingerly knelt behind her, untying the plain braid that was already in place. The princess was surprisingly gentle as she began to brush Falon's hair, and the sensation combined with that of the warm sun on her skin was soothing enough that Falon let her eyes fall shut.
She could still sense Qui-Gon watching them with some kind of curiosity, but he soon moved to talk to the king, who was still at the breakfast table.
One night, a few weeks after their arrival, Qui-Gon left the royal family to themselves and went out onto the balcony to find Falon there, meditating.
"Where are Obi-Wan and Sii?"
"In Obi-Wan's room exchanging stories of previous assignments - the ones they're allowed to talk about, anyway."
"I see. Would you mind if I joined you?"
"Not at all." She didn't turn around or open her eyes as he sat down beside her and closed his own.
"How long do you think we will be here?" He asked after about thirty seconds of silence. She didn't reply immediately, and after ten seconds passing he wondered if she was going to at all.
Finally, "I don't know," she admitted, "The future is clouded, I can't see it very well at all at the moment. There are many things in it which I don't understand." Her voice was as carefully measured as ever, but Qui-Gon could sense how troubling she found it, and empathised.
"I feel it also," he said, "Though I can see well enough that this should be over within five months. But the details, as you say, are clouded."
This time she really didn't reply, though he wasn't sure of that until it had been over a minute since he had finished speaking and she had kept quiet. But Jedi were not bothered by silence, and they sat together comfortably in the warm night air.
Two months in, the seven occupants of the mansion had adjusted well to living together and were all more or less getting along well. Well enough that the padawans had taken to practising their lightsaber techniques against each other while the royals watched as spectators, who were enraptured by the quick and graceful sport.
But it came to be that one morning, Princess Sierrn asked if they could see the older Jedi join in.
"Very well," Qui-Gon said, turning to his apprentice, "Let's see if all this practice with Sii has seen you improve, my young padawan."
The two males began to duel, with a higher level of energy and urgency that could never transpire between two padawans because it required the skill of at least one fully trained Jedi.
The royal family was completely absorbed by the duel, while Sii looked on, very improved. Falon meanwhile analysed each move made, noting techniques and moves Qui-Gon was using that he had evidently learnt since they had practiced together all those years ago.
Within minutes, Qui-Gon had his padawan cornered on the ground, and the boy yielded before grinning up at his master. He moved to the side and turned to Sii, about to suggest something, when Qui-Gon stretched a hand out to beckon to Falon.
"You want to duel me?" She asked, surprised, but walked towards the centre of the room regardless. "Why?"
Qui-Gon shrugged. "It's been fifteen years, call it curiosity."
"Alright then."
The Jedi Master lingered in the centre of the ballroom, watching her every move as she came to join him, "Let's see what you've learned, Jedi Ti-Tarn."
Immediately they both sprang into action, skilled warriors with far more knowledge than their apprentices would have for many years. Each movement was precise and lightning quick. The flash of the green lightsaber against the blue was the only real way to properly track the duel because the people holding the weapons were moving too fast to pinpoint half the time.
Qui-Gon had control for the first thirty seconds, but soon Falon was on the offensive, keeping her centre and striking out at him with quick and precise jabs, which he countered. He made to fight back with a strong forward thrust but she met it with her own. They stood, inches from each other, weapons locked. But Falon threw her body weight downwards, propelling herself to the floor and sliding through his open legs to get behind him. However, while her body and head made it through unhindered, his legs snapped shut in time to catch her long braid between them. With a pivot, he was facing the correct way and looking down at where she was lying on the ground, her knees bent but unable to get up without her hair being released.
He took the offensive again easily, and while she managed to hold him off, she knew that she wouldn't be able to keep it up forever in her position.
"I yield," Falon exclaimed, panting, and Qui-Gon immediately withdrew his lightsaber and released her braid from his hold. She sheathed her weapon as well, and smiled gratefully when her opponent offered her a hand up. "Thank you."
"Next time, you might want to consider doing something else with your hair. The braid is a bit too long to be practical," Qui-Gon suggested.
She nodded. "You've just made that fairly obvious. Is anyone else hungry?"
Over lunch, Qui-Gon sat with Falon so that they could discuss their duel in detail.
"I'd forgotten how...formidable you are," Falon told him as she reached for some fruit, "It was funny, for a moment I was twelve years old again, thinking I was about to, well, lose spectacularly."
"I know what you mean," Qui-Gon said, chuckling, "But my victory was not as spectacular as I remember. A testament to your improvement, I think."
Falon grinned. "Well, one would like to think I'd seen some improvement in fifteen years."
"You're marginally better than before, I admit."
She looked at him with confusion before taking in the twinkle in his eyes and the faint curve of his mouth. "You're teasing me!"
He smirked. "Astutely observed."
After staring at him with mild disbelief, a tiny laugh escaped her. "You're more fun than I remember. Do I have Master Dooku or young Kenobi here to thank for that?"
"It's definitely Obi-Wan's bad influence," Qui-Gon said, making his padawan perk up from the other end of the table.
"Are you talking about me?"
"It's not polite to eavesdrop, Obi-Wan," Qui-Gon told him.
"Apologies, Master."
"How long ago did you take the trials?" The older Jedi asked Falon curiously as he buttered a slice of bread.
"About four years ago," she answered. "It all still feels a little surreal. Sometimes it's hard to believe I was considered competent enough to be done with being a padawan, let alone competent enough to teach one of my own."
"You must have taken Sii on fairly soon after that though," Qui-Gon said, eyeing the Etti across the table, "Given his age."
"Not for almost a year, actually," she said, shaking her head and lowering her voice even more, "His first mentor was killed in a very unfortunate accident. Master Yoda asked me to step in and continue his training. I'd not have had the nerve to select a padawan for several years at least, I think, but the universe had other plans."
"Master Yoda must have seen something in you."
"I wonder almost every day what it was," she murmured as she took a sip of her drink, "I feel that knowing might make me more...sure of myself."
"Everything is a learning opportunity," Qui-Gon pointed out, and she smiled.
"That's true. And I'm grateful, regardless, because Sii is now a part of my life I find it difficult to imagine not having."
"Padawans can have that effect."
A few months later, Qui-Gon found himself troubled by a dream that had him tossing and turning in his bed. Upon waking up he couldn't exactly remember it, but it left troubling certainty in its wake all the same. He sat up and swung his legs over the bed, taking deep breaths and trying to process everything that was now running through his head.
The door to his room opened, and his head snapped up to see Falon in the doorway, her hair as loose and unruly as his own and her skin flushed.
"Did you sense it?" She asked, voice more urgent than he'd yet heard it and eyes wide.
"Yes. Did it wake you as well?" At his question, she just nodded. "What do you make of it?"
"It was brief, and non-specific, but at the same time utterly clear," she said, and when she spoke the next part, he said it with her and with the same grim resignation.
"Something's coming."
Thanks for reading, let me know what you thought!
-MayFairy :)