Anakin tentatively walked up to the group of younglings his age hanging out in the courtyard on the temple grounds. After Obi-wan passed the trials and was promoted to knight status, Anakin was finally allowed to train as a jedi under Qui-gon Jin. He now sported a fresh haircut and braid tied into his short hair. As soon as he walked down the stairs to the other younglings, the small group turned to stare at him.

"Who are you?" a boy with dark skin that had white freckles all over his body and black hair braided to his shoulders asked.

"Do you want my name?" Anakin asked, "Or what I'm called?"

Confused, the boy glanced at the other younglings in confusion and said, "Those are the same thing."

Anakin explained, "I'm usually called Wenuchulla, but my name is Anakin Skywalker."

A blue Twi'lek girl asked, "What does Wenuchulla mean?"

He hesitated. He wasn't sure how to explain it, given the word didn't have an exact translation, never mind how vulgar language it was. He answered, "In nicer words, it basically means 'slave brat' in Huttese."

"You're a slave?" the first boy asked, looking him over in confusion.

"Before Master Qui-gon freed me I was," Anakin answered, "but I'm not anymore. I get to train here to be a jedi just like you guys now."

"I'm Davy Stardust," the first boy said, "she's Aita," he pointed to the blue Twi'lek girl, "she's Shali," he gestured to the pale brunette human girl, "and he's Huron," he pointed to the yellow Twi'lek boy.

As usual, Anakin said, "It's nice to meet all of you. Can I service you with anything?"

Now all the younglings were confused. Shali asked, "Why?"

"Whenever I'm introduced to someone new, I'm always told to get them something," he said, "like drinks for everyone in the room, or snacks, or a fan if someone is overheating. Something along those lines."

Davy asked, "You want to get us stuff?"

He replied, "Sure."

"Okay, Wenuchulla," he said, "the masters have a refreshment bar a couple of floors down deep inside the temple. I can tell you where it is and you can go and get us some juice and cookies and those little cakes they always have sitting out and look amazing. Bring that stuff right back here. Okay? No detours!"

Anakin understood. Now on a mission, he went off to the center of the temple and grabbed a large tray for the number of drinks and snacks everyone wanted. He thought it was going well, until he felt Qui-gon's presence sneak up behind him. "Anakin," he asked gently, "what are you doing?"

"The younglings outside wanted snacks and drinks so I'm getting some for them," he answered.

"These are set out for the councilmembers," he said, "why did they send you here and to come and grab these things for them?" He took the tray from Anakin's hands and put it back on the table.

He confessed, "I asked them if I could service them with anything, like I always ask everyone, and now I'm here doing just that. Did I do something wrong?"

Qui-gon got down to his eye-level and explained, "You never have to ask anyone that question ever again. Let me tell you something, Ani, if anyone ever wants you to get something for them, from now on you can always say 'no, you can get it yourself.'"

"I'm allowed to say no to people?" he asked, "I won't get whipped or have rest time privileges taken away?"

"No jedi will ever hurt you," he answered, "you may say no to people, if you want to. Lets try a few practice runs. Ready?" He nodded. "Anakin, could you grab me a clean robe from the laundry?"

"Yes Master, where is the laundry?"

Qui-gon shook his head gently, put his hand on his shoulder, and said, "No, you can get it yourself."

Anakin held his breath anxiously. "No, Master, you can get it yourself."

"Very good," he said, "Ani, can you go and grab me a file from the temple library?"

"Um," he said nervously, "No, Master, you can get it yourself."

Qui-gon smiled. "There you go. One more time. Ani, go and grab some plates for me from the kitchen."

Anakin shook his head. "No, Master," he said, "you can get them yourself."

"I think you have it down," he said, standing upright, "now, I need to have a chat with these younglings. Come along. It's alright, you aren't in trouble."

"I really shouldn't have grabbed these things for them?" he asked as they set off together, "Even though they called me Wenuchulla?"

"Isn't that a Huttese slur for slaves?" he asked, "How would they know that word?"

He confessed, "Because they asked me who I am, and I didn't know if they wanted to know my name or not, so I told them that word. Almost no one ever asks for a slave's name. But I don't want them to call me that, not if I don't have to do things for them."

Qui-gon said, "You'll have to tell them you want to go by your name only. That's called advocating for yourself. It may seem hard now, but I sense a rebellious spirit in you yet."

He walked Anakin back to where the other younglings were waiting. "I can sense the smugness coming from all of you before I even step out here," he said in a disappointed tone, "I know you're all well aware those snacks are for councilmembers only. You wanted Anakin here to get in trouble, but unlike you he has integrity. He is new to the temple, to the jedi way of life. The way you talk to and treat him is a reflection on yourselves, not on him or his upbringing. It was disgraceful for you younglings to take advantage of his naivety."

"But he doesn't even know how to introduce himself," Davy said, genturing to Anakin, "I couldn't just leave that sitting there."

"You could have helped out a fellow jedi," he said, "instead you chose a darker path."

Aita said, smirking, "But it was funny, Master."

He frowned. "I suppose all of you need time for reflection on what you've done today in the meditation chamber with Master Yoda."

They all groaned. "He's such a snitch!" Davy whined.

Qui-gon explained, "If you hadn't done anything wrong you wouldn't have to worry about anyone being a 'snitch' now would you? Come with me. Anakin, wait here for Master Plo to begin your first lesson."

"Yes, Master...but...what's a snitch?" Qui-gon left with them without answering, not having heard him.


Qui-gon stepped into Anakin's quarters of the jedi temple about a month later. He assembled a starfighter toy on his desk next to his bed. "Master Qui-gon," he said, "I'm ready for my next lesson."

"I'm leaving the temple for a while, Ani," he said calmly, "and you're going to remain here with the other younglings."

Anakin pouted, "But they don't like me."

"There is much more to life than making sure others like you," Qui-gon explained, "as long as you're always doing the right thing, and helping others where you can, you must know you've made a good life for yourself whether or not others take notice or enjoy your company."

He said, "But the council doesn't like me either, and they're in charge."

He went down to his eye level and said, "The council isn't everything, Anakin. Now, I came in here to tell you I'm leaving with Obi-wan Kenobi to fight that sith lord we were dealing with before."

"Can I go too?"

Qui-gon shook his head, "It's much too dangerous for you to join us this time around. Sith lords are nothing to mess around with."

Anakin asked, "What's so bad about a sith lord?"

"You'll learn in time," he answered.

"You're not going to let me go with you?" he asked sadly, "If I was older would I get to go?"

Qui-gon answered, "There's no point in going down that road, Ani. You'll be safe here inside the temple. I'll return when I can and we'll continue your training together. Is that understood?"

Anakin nodded in understanding. Unfortunately the force had other plans, because Obi-wan returned alone with Qui-gon's body in a casket. Maul was defeated, cut in half, but Qui-gon didn't make it through the battle. After the funeral and the cremation ceremony, both Obi-wan and Anakin were brought to the council.

"You no longer have a master, young Skywalker," Mace said solemnly, "that means we no longer have the means to train you."

"But Master Qui-gon said I'd become a jedi," he said.

Obi-wan stepped forward and said, "I promised Master Qui-gon I would train Anakin in his dying breaths. As a knight, I'm ready to take on a padawan learner."

Yoda said, "The decision is not yours, Obi-wan. The council has already decided this boy's fate."

Anakin said, "But I've already been here for a month. Is this really the first time a master has died so suddenly? What do you usually do when this happens?"

"Another master takes their place," Mace said, "but we don't have anyone willing to train you."

"I will," Obi-wan insisted.

"No," Mace said, "you will not. We sense darkness in his heart. One wrong move and the dark side will overwhelm him. Can you live with yourself if you let that happen?"

Obi-wan said, "What you sense is him missing his mother and his master. Once he overcomes his grief he will do well and prove to be the chosen one Master Qui-gon believed in."

Anakin couldn't take hearing anymore. He couldn't believe it. They didn't like that he was mourning his mother and his master? How could he not?! Where else was he going to go? Back to Tatooine? Back to being a slave? Qui-gon promised he wouldn't ever go back! He ran out of the room and all the way back to his quarters. He couldn't help but cry under his bed, away from anyone who could find him.

It wasn't long before he felt Obi-wan approaching. "Anakin!" he called out. He didn't dare move. "Anakin, it's alright! You're not going anywhere. I'm going to train you." He stepped into the boy's room but didn't see him. "Anakin?"

He didn't move. He thought maybe if he held his breath he couldn't sense him.

Obi-wan's face appeared under the bed. "Hey," he said gently, "it's alright, Anakin. I'm going to train you from here on out. The council has changed their minds. It's alright." He helped him come out from under the bed.

Anakin quickly wiped his face and asked, "They're not going to make me go back to being a slave?"

"No," he said, "you're officially going to be my padawan."


Years later, now of age, the youngling group Anakin was part of was taken to Illum to select their Kyber crystals for their lightsabers. Anakin shivered in the cold at the back of the group as they walked to the cave where the crystals waited. As Yoda spoke and explained the nature of their mission, Anakin asked, "Can we hurry this along? It's so cold!"

"Patience, Anakin," Yoda said, "when the sun sets, the entire opening to the cave will freeze over and you will spend the night trapped inside."

Shali gasped, "No way! We'll be stuck in there if we don't hurry?"

Davy said, "We better not waste time then."

"It is time for all of you to go through the cave and claim what is yours," Yoda proclaimed, "go on then. Only you will know which Kyber crystal is for you."

Anakin shielded his eyes as he entered behind everyone else. Unbeknownst to him, he could see every crystal glowing throughout the entire iced in walls. They felt like suns burning through his retinas. He closed his eyes and covered his face.

"It's so bright in here!" he complained, "It hurts!"

"What are you talking about?" Shali asked, genuinely confused, "It's almost pitch black. I can't see a thing."

"He's just being weird again like away," Davy said, "you know him."

Anakin asked, "You guys seriously don't see the millions of tiny suns burning through all this ice?" He tried to open his eyes but it was too bright for him to handle. He had to cover his face with his mittened hands in order to take it.

Huron looked around and said, "No?"

"Come on, Anakin," Aita said, "stop messing around or we'll leave you behind."

"We're supposed to do this on our own anyway," Shali said, "so let's just split up now and meet back up outside later. Whoever gets done first, wins!" She went on ahead.

They all did. Anakin could feel them leaving. He got on his hands and knees and sat on the icy ground, shivering in the cold. He couldn't help but wonder why this quest couldn't have happened on a tropical planet instead of a frozen one. He couldn't believe he actually missed Tatooine.

Eventually his eyes finally beginning to adjust to the brightness, he opened one of them a sliver to see he was absolutely surrounded by Kyber crystals of all colors. Blue, green, purple, white. He closed his eyes again and focused on them.

It was as if each and every crystal wanted to be his. What was going on? Yoda told them they would know when the crystal was theirs, but apparently the crystals had their own minds, and he could tell they all wanted him. He broke through the ice wall and pried a blue one out. Surely that was good enough.

He was the first one to make it back out of the cave.

"Completed your quest already, you have, young Skywalker," Yoda remarked, "are you sure this is the crystal for you?"

"I don't know," he confessed, "they all burned so bright in there it hurt to even walk around in there let alone look at them individually. It made it hard to pick just one."

"Every Kyber crystal, you see?" he asked, "Surprising, young Skywalker. This means you will garner strength no matter which lightsaber you use."

"Really?"

Yoda nodded in approval. "A very rare skill indeed," he said, "expected from the chosen one, I should have." After that, it was a waiting game for everyone one to pick theirs out.