Well I'm back once more. Been getting some good feedback on the previous chapters which is always nice to see. It's rare a story picks up so many likes and reviews so quickly for me. So we're back at it again. I'm hoping as I'm writing this that the delay isn't quite as bad as last time, but every time I say I'm gonna be quick I end up taking longer. Anyways let's get started. Enjoy!
It had been a few days since he arrived and explained the future to the two Jedi Masters. It was becoming likely that he'd either been placed here by the Force to accomplish something or he was just stuck in an extremely odd space time anomaly. Either way he thought it best that he just take in this chance to experience Jedi life first hand. It was quite the experience. The feeling of light around him was almost overwhelming at first. Master Yoda had been keeping him company, but had encouraged him to try interacting with his fellow Jedi. Master Windu hadn't spoken with him, but hadn't taken any offense. He'd dropped a pretty big bomb on him when they'd last spoke.
For better or worse he hadn't come across Obi-Wan or his father since his arrival. He wanted to meet them of course, but he didn't know how best to go about it. His father was half his age and his once wise old mentor was only a couple of years his senior. Master Cin Drallig had once again extended his offer for a duel. He agreed this time, but on the condition the older man gave him some proper critiquing of his form. The Battlemaster agreed without hesitation.
Some other Jedi lingered to watch this mysterious unknown knight as they saw him. Luke was nervous as he hadn't often had an audience for his swordsmanship. Except the Emperor, but that wasn't a pleasant experience. He was admittedly nervous to face off against someone with proper training as opposed to his practically self taught style.
"Ready? Begin." a knight who was acting as a sort of referee called out.
Luke was focused. He took a breath and gave a silent nod. Cin Drallig did the same.
"Begin!" the knight called, stepping back off the dueling mat.
The Battlemaster was on his in an instant. It caught Luke off guard. He was fast, but Luke could didn't feel the heavy weight hanging over him like when fighting Vader. His opponent wasn't steeped in the Dark Side.
Cin's thrust was quick and clearly meant to test his reflexes a bit. Luke deflected it on instinct and was ready to a follow up attack which did indeed come. His strikes were light, clearly devoid of hostile intent. It was actually throwing him off a little.
Then he kicked it up a notch. Honestly it reminded him of Bespin. He'd been very out of his element then to. The way the master moved was unlike anything he'd seen before. Though he could see some gaps, clearly a result of never having dueled with someone aiming to kill.
Luke stayed on the defensive, utilizing technique's he'd adapted from Ben. When he saw one of the gaps, he went for the attack. Cin flinched slightly as Luke entered into his space suddenly, but still deflected the attack. He gave a nod of appreciation of Luke's attack.
They did this back and forth a bit, before he could tell they were both growing tired of this playing. Luke decided to be a bit riskier and try being more aggressive, but not too much. This was just a simple duel after all.
Cin Drallig was surprised to be put on the defensive so suddenly. Luke came at him with speed and power he'd rarely seen in someone so young. It reminded him a bit of young Obi Wan Kenobi. However, he was not the temple's Battlemaster for nothing.
Cin Drallig matched Luke blow for blow. Eventually Luke was outmaneuvered by the older man and found himself on the ground with a blade to him. He swallowed the bad memories the position brought back and took the other Jedi's hand.
Cin gave him an amused smile, "You have good instincts and some very good power there Young Luke. However, your technique I must say is rather sloppy. You don't seem to have a focus on a particular form though you do have some techniques that suggest you were trained in Soresu or Ataru. Form V is seemingly present in both variants as well. An oddly spread skill set for one so young and quite impractical." he remarked.
Luke sighed, "My master never focused on saber techniques when teaching me. He preferred strengthening my connection to the Force and the world around me. I seldom had to engage in combat, especially in blade to blade. Thought after going out on my own I attempted to study more on my own. I admit I'm quite rusty, but I was hoping to last a bit longer than that." he admitted.
The older man chuckled, "I see. For being mostly self taught then, your on the right track. However, studying by oneself does not make up for training with a fellow Jedi. Though my young friend, you've plenty of time to polish your technique. You put some focus on that and I could see you becoming a formidable duelist. Maybe even give old Yan or Mace a run for their money." he complimented.
"Now I hardly think I deserve praise that high." Luke said.
"No need to be so humble, Luke. Your skills are commendable. Take pride in your accomplishments, but be aware of your faults. You'll go far." he said, patting Luke on the shoulder.
"I appreciate your time, Master Drallig." Luke replied.
"No problem at all. I always enjoy a duel when I have the time. If you'd like some refreshing of your techniques, feel free to attend any of my classes or we can arrange for me to give you some pointers."
"I would appreciate that greatly, Master.
"I'm afraid I must be going for now, Knight Lars. I have a class to attend to."
Luke and Cin exchanged bows and parted ways.
"A compliment from the Cin Drallig isn't something that should be taken lightly you know." a voice called from behind him.
Luke turned to the voice to see the familiar yet foreign face of the young Obi Wan Kenobi. His hair was longer, not unlike to the way Luke had kept his hair in his youth. Thought definitely not as wild.
"I assure you that I'm not. I think he's overestimated me a bit." he replied.
Obi Wan's expression wasn't particularly readable, but he didn't seem to be in a bad mood, "From back here, you put up a decent fight against a veteran of the order on almost pure natural talent alone."
"If he was serious from the start I wouldn't have gotten that far."
"Few would. Masters Yoda, Dooku and Yoda are said to be among the few in the same bracket as him."
Luke took in the information before quietly before extending a hand, "I'm Luke Lars." he introduced himself.
Obi Wan raised his eyebrow slightly at the gesture, but still shook his hand, "Obi-Wan Kenobi. I admit I was curious to meet a fellow member of one of Master Yoda's direct lineages." he confessed.
"I understand. I would feel the same way in your position. Master Yoda speaks of you often." Luke stated.
Obi-Wan seemed slightly surprised at the news, "Good things I hope." he said.
Luke grinned, "Mostly. He usually has nothing, but praise for you, but also laments your ability to attract too much trouble."
Obi Wan nodded, "Well, it's not untrue I suppose. Trouble has a tendency to follow me wherever I go." he admitted.
Luke smiled, "Must be a perk of being part Master Yoda's line." he theorized.
The ginger haired knight gave a small smile, "Well I don't know if I'd call it a perk. A curse more like it." he said, amused.
Obi Wan got a beep on his comm, "Ah I seem to have lost track of time. I'm sorry, but I'll have to cut this conversation short. It's been a pleasure meeting you, Luke Lars." he spoke, somewhat apologetic.
"Same to you, Obi Wan Kenobi. May the Force be with you." Luke said the name fondly.
"And with you." Obi Wan said before making his exit.
Luke smiled to himself. He was young and inexperienced unlike the old man he'd known, but Luke could see the potential. It was a nice to see that his mentors were once no different than him.
Though he noticed the gentle prodding he'd felt at the bond from Obi Wan's side. It seems that even at this age the man was observant and had noticed the strange occurrence. It would be best to fill him in as soon as possible. Obi Wan and his father are critical pieces in any possible futures where the Jedi succeed. Though he feels he may be a little biased in that assessment.
He went to grab a late lunch before he went to study in the archives some more. Master Yoda had apparently used some influence of his to get some access to most areas of the temple without much fuss.
The food in the temple was something else who lived his life on meals prepped in the desert and military rations. It was like gourmet food by his standards though some of the other knights he'd met occasionally didn't seem to agree with his opinion. He had a particular fondness for these sweet rolls that they occasionally served. It reminded him of something Aunt Beru would've made if Uncle Owen could get his hands on the ingredients when he went into town.
A feeling of being watched suddenly came over him and he noticed the small form of his father not so subtly watching him from an adjacent table. There were few people nearby at the moment so the young man stood out like a sore thumb. The boy suddenly looked alarmed when they made eye contact. He couldn't seem to decide what to do.
Luke chuckled, "Hello there." he greeted, chuckling to himself.
Anakin seemed hesitant which was no surprise. Obviously Luke was a stranger to him.
Luke gently prodded him with the force, then physically gestured for him to come over. The currently younger Skywalker seemed puzzled at his casual use of the force. Luke chided himself for doing something like that without thinking about it. It was something he'd learned he could do with Leia and he reflexively did it here.
The child approached his table, though he looked embarrassed, "I'm sorry for bothering you, Master." he apologized.
Luke could tell the young man was more embarrassed at having been caught being nosy than anything else. He'd had a habit of being the same during his youth and Leia had admitted she was the same. A Skywalker family trait he supposed.
"Its no problem. Can I help you with something Young Skywalker?" Luke asked.
Anakin fiddled with his food, "I was hoping to get some of the camby berry rolls, but they were all out." he admitted.
Luke smiled, "Well, as it would happen, I happen to have grabbed one myself. Would you like it?" he offered.
The boy's eyes scanned the snack, but he shook his head, "It's alright. I'll just wait for next time. Master Obi-Wan says I'm hyper enough without the sugar as is." he declined with a grin.
"So I've heard. Master Yoda has talked about you. I actually just met your master not too long ago. He seemed to be rather busy." Luke noted.
Anakin fiddled with his sleeve, "Yeah. We can't do missions really yet because I'm still catching up on some of my studies. My Master helps around the temple or here on Coruscant most of the time when he's not helping me." he replies.
Someone cleared there throat, "Well I can't say being idle has ever been a particular strength of mine." Obi-Wan interjected.
Anakin jumped slightly. Apparently he'd been too nervous to notice his master's approach.
Luke smiled, "That makes two of us then." Luke commented.
"I wasn't expecting us to meet again so soon, Luke. I hope my apprentice hasn't caused you any trouble." he said, giving Anakin a knowing look.
The older Skywalker cut the pastry on his try in half, "Oh no it's no trouble at all. I invited him over actually. I offered to share the last of the sweet rolls with him, but he didn't wish to take any without your permission." he explained.
The ginger man seemed pleased, "I appreciate the kind offer. I known Anakin had a fondness for these particular treats, but I do wish he would ask instead of rushing off from his classes to get them." he exhaled.
Anakin looked sheepish, "I'm sorry, Master." he apologized.
"If you were sorry, Anakin, you wouldn't keep doing stuff like this." the knight scolded.
Luke surmised that this wasn't the first time his father had pulled a stunt like this. The look in Anakin's eyes confirmed that. He'd bet he looked much the same back on the farm when he got caught being a bit...adventurous. As a kid he thought nothing of it, but the older he got the more the lectures about how dangerous Tatooine could be really sunk in for Luke. Whether from the Sand People, or Krayt dragons, or the various lowlifes there was always danger lurking. He'd originally met Ben when him and a friend had gone out and ran into a Krayt Dragon one day. Ben have saved them and brought them back to a very upset Uncle Owen. His uncle had chased Ben off pretty quick which had confused Luke at the time.
Pulling himself out of his thoughts, he finished dividing the treat into sections, "Would you two like to join me for a meal? I don't often get the chance to eat with fellow Jedi." Luke offered.
Obi Wan glanced at Anakin before looking too Luke, "It wouldn't hurt I suppose. Though I'm afraid we can't stay long. Anakin and I have some other business to attend to this afternoon." he accepted.
Luke smiled, "I understand. Still I'd appreciate the company." he stated.
Obi Wan had grabbed a meal which Luke noted wasn't much. Obi Wan had declined the sweet pastry while Anakin had accepted gleefully. Anakin had chatted on and on about his classes and other various topics. Luke sensed his nervousness, but also the happiness at someone listening to what he had to say.
His trip to the library hadn't been particularly fruitful as he wasn't really sure what he was looking for. He was still just kind of taking things in reading up on the history of the Jedi Order and the Republic.
He couldn't believe that essentially all this thousands of years worth of information had been destroyed or hidden by the Empire. Just another thing to hold against the Empire, especially Palpatine himself.
When he met with Master Yoda that evening to meditate and to speak, Master Windu was present as well.
"Heard you spoke with young Obi Wan and young Skywalker you did?" Yoda probed.
Luke nodded, "Yes. It was unexpected, but neither of them seemed to be suspicious of me that I could tell. Obi Wan simply introduced himself and Anakin seemed curious, but easily distracted by other things."
The grandmaster seemed relieved, "Young Skywalker often lacks focus. Too our advantage this can be used for the time being. Obi Wan is no fool though and will eventually start questioning things. That's why we've been trying to keep him occupied when we can." he revealed.
Luke accepted the response then turned to the other Jedi in the room, "How can I be of service to you, Master Windu?" he asked.
Mace gave a small movement of acknowledgement, "I admit I was still pretty skeptical about your claims about the future, even with Master Yoda's assurances. However, in the time since we last spoke, I took a look into things and realized that the possibility of them being true is far less impossible than I initially thought. A lot of things in recent years have been far too odd to be a coincidence."
The younger man understood, "I don't blame you. If I wasn't living it, I'd scarcely believe what I'm saying myself." he replied.
"Unlike most of his position, we have almost no information on Sheev Palpatine before his rise to power and what we do have is vague at best. Given the whole situation that brought him into power involved the invasion of his own home planet, many have already been suspicious as to whether he had any involvement. With that in mind it makes him a possibly very corrupt politician at best and a Sith Lord at worst. I think it's best we be wary of him either way."
Yoda and Luke signaled their agreement. Luke really wished he had his friends with him. They would be really helpful right now. Leia could better understand the political aspect of the situation and Han was good at navigating the underworld if need be though he'd long left his smuggling gigs behind.
Really he'd really just like to see his friends again. He was too caught up in his head to notice the other two Jedi looking at him with concern.
"Troubled are you, young Skywalker." Yoda asked.
Luke blinked and tried to focus back in on the current situation, "It's nothing. Sorry for spacing out like that." he apologized.
Yoda chuckled, "Much like your father you can be. See through you we can. Dumb, we are not." he emphasized.
The blonde man slumped slightly, "I just wonder what's happening to the people in my time. Trying to make peace with the fact that unless I get send back to the future somehow that I may never see them again." he confessed.
"Unusual circumstances are these. Uncertain I am as to what will become of you." Yoda expressed sadly.
Mace nodded, "If nothing else, you can find strength in them. Make a better future for them to be apart of or live to see if you will return to the future once all is said and done." he suggested.
Luke stood taller, "Thank you, Masters. I will try my best." he promised.
The rest of the evening was spent discussing bits of the future, even filling the two masters in on some smaller scale info from the future and asking questions he'd always wanted the chance to ask Ben. Overall, Luke may miss his friends, but he would do his best to persevere and if that meant finding a place in this Jedi Order in a time not his own then he would do it.
That night as Luke slept, he was shifting constantly. For some reason he couldn't shake a strange feeling in the Force. Suddenly he was in blank space. Nothing seemed to exist around him and he was completely alone.
"Greetings my young friend." a voice said behind him.
Luke spun around to face an unfamiliar face staring back at him, "Um...Who are you?" Luke asked.
The man chuckled, "I'm sorry for the intrusion. In all honesty I wasn't suspecting to make such quick contact. All others I've attempted to communicate with have been unable to hear me or have brushed off my appearance here." he explained.
The younger man gave him a puzzled look, prompting another chuckle, "Though I suppose that doesn't really answer your question." he said.
The man paused and bowed slightly, "I am Jedi Master Qui Gon Jinn. It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Young Luke." he greeted, introducing himself.
It finally clicked for Luke, "You're Obi Wan's teacher." he guessed.
Qui Gon smiled, "Indeed. I see Obi Wan and Master Yoda have at least spoken of me in the future." he commented.
Luke smiled, "They have, but I'm afraid we've never met. I don't know if you are unable or if we were just never introduced." he admitted.
The older man tucked his hands in his sleeves, "It's not unlikely it is difficult for you to communicate with my future self. I never completed the training necessary to fully manifest myself. Before now I couldn't even appear before anyone else nor speak to them. Not a surprise really. No one is aware of the knowledge I uncovered. Thus none have a reason to believe that one can exist in such a state." he revealed.
This surprised the young man, "Then what makes me special? I don't think I ever did any training for this either." he questioned.
"You were trained without such a limitation being put in your mind. Thus you were open to the possibility without questioning it like the Jedi of this era may have."
It made sense to Luke. He had no doubt Obi Wan and Yoda took many things into account when they were training him.
"I see. So I'm the only one who can communicate with you for the time being then." he surmised.
Qui Gon nodded, "Afraid so. However, I won't keep you long. In time, I may be able to reach your conscious mind and I may even be able to pass on my knowledge to you." he offered.
That was certainly helpful. He needed as many allies as he could get and knowledge like this could be helpful no matter when he found himself.
"I'd appreciate the help." Luke accepted.
The old Jedi seemed pleased, "I'm glad to have met you. You're a bright star in the Force, Luke Skywalker. I have great faith in you and in Anakin." he paused, "Ah it seems my time is up for now. I should be going for now. May the Force be with you." he said as the dream faded.
Luke awoke to the morning light, mind stuck on the dream he'd just had. Qui Gon Jinn huh. He'd never met the man, but Obi Wan had spoke of him in his journals that had been left behind on Tatooine. The man seemed friendly enough on the first impression. It seemed he'd have to be prepared to meet him again eventually.
This chapter took way long than anticipated only because I got distracted by trying to finish my play through of Persona 4 Golden. Still not finished, but I decided to take a break to try and work on this again. Sorry for the slow updates. Especially considering how short they are. I hope people are still enjoying this. Also I'd like an opinion, how do you guys feel about time skips? I have ideas for the next chapters but I was kind of wanting to skip some of the time periods where I don't really have anything beyond Luke kind of just hanging out in the temple.
Feedback is appreciated. I'll see you all next time.
~Trevyler