DISCLAIMER: Star Wars and all publicly recognisable characters, names and references, etc are the sole property of George Lucas, Lucasfilm Ltd, Lucasarts Inc and 20th Century Fox. This fan fiction was created solely for entertainment purposes and no money was made from it. Also, no copyright or trademark infringement was intended. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is coincidental and not intended by the author. Any other characters, the storyline and the actual story are the property of the author. Not to be archived without permission of the author(s).
It was Qui-Gon's first mission.
In the short twelve years of his life, he had never seen anything as impressive as the Aladell palace. He had lived in the stately Jedi Temple for almost that entire time, but it had none of the understated grandeur of the marble halls flooded with light. Though he was the biggest of the human boys at the Temple, it made him feel incredibly small...
Imagine how Master Yoda must feel, he thouht with a secret smile. Especially next to the towering Lord Seiron.
"Oh," the Aladell lord said uneasily. His dark eyes looked over Qui-Gon. "Oh no."
Yoda raised his green head inquisitively. "Trouble there is?" he asked.
"Minor trouble," Lord Seiron replied, frowning down at Qui-Gon. "You see, the Sovereign recently lost her husband, son and daughter. Her son was not much younger than young Qui-Gon here, so... he might well be a painful reminder. She's still very upset about it, naturally."
Qui-Gon felt himself sink a little. He had heard so much about the Sovereign of Aladell—he had hoped to at least catch a glimpse of her.
"Leave my apprentice, I cannot," Yoda protested.
Seiron's strong hands twisted, as if he were trying to unravel a solution. "We were given to believe that you had no apprentice, Master Yoda," he said uneasily.
"Only a few days," Yoda replied gruffly.
Seiron looked at Qui-Gon again, with the dark eyes that seemed to have no pupils. "The palace has a beautiful garden," he said slowly. "Perhaps your apprentice could wait there?"
Yoda frowned, then glanced inquisitively at Qui-Gon. The boy bit his lip and slowly nodded. After all, if the queen was upset by the loss of her husband and children, he certainly didn't want her to feel any worse.
Lord Seiron placed a large hand on Qui-Gon's shoulder and led him away reluctantly. Looking over his shoulder, the last thing Qui-Gon saw was the stooped figure of his master hobbling through a pair of heavy, ornate doors to the throne room.
The gardens WERE beautiful, colorful and fragrant, the vines and flowers threatening to envelop the low walls that surrounded it. Trees, carefully planted and then allowed to run wild, turned parts of it into a winding maze. Every now and then there would be a stone bench, covered in moss.
Qui-Gon felt himself relax a little, smiling as he reached out to the Force. It was so strong in this beautiful place, it was almost hypnotizing...
CRASH!
Qui-Gon's heart leaped as he looked down, at where a potted plant was now shredded and shattered on the stone walkway. He dropped to his knees and started desperately gathering the pieces. He grimaced at the sound of approaching footsteps.
"What happened?" a soft, lilting voice asked. Another pair of hands appeared and began to pick up the shards of the pot.
Qui-Gon looked up fearfully at the face of a lovely woman. She was dressed all in shimmering silver, her curly dark hair streaked with silver. Her face was pretty, but slightly haggard-looking, as if she had been crying.
"I'm sorry," he said regretfully, gathering the destroyed plant in his hands. "I wasn't looking where I was going... I'm sorry..."
"You aren't hurt?" the woman asked, concerned.
"No," Qui-Gon said, looking down at the plant again.
She smiled and tossed down the bits of pot, then brushed off her fingertips. "Don't worry about it," she said, pulling him to his feet. "We have too many of those sitting around."
Qui-Gon sighed with relief, returning her bright smile with one of his own. She glanced at the maze of trees, zigzagged with rags of light. "Come, walk with me," she said, holding out her hand. "What's your name, child?"
Qui-Gon hesitated for a moment, then took her hand. "Qui-Gon," he answered quietly as he began to follow her. "What do I call you?"
The woman paused and laughed, a pretty, deep laugh. "Call me Saleil," she said quietly. "I come to the gardens when I need to think, or when I need to escape, or just when I need quiet. Do you have many gardens near the Jedi Temple?"
Qui-Gon nodded. "There are some in the Temple itself," he said enthusiastically, sensing that Saleil was genuinely interested in hearing about the Temple. "Have you ever been there?"
"Coruscant?" Saleil asked, brushing aside a low-hanging branch and sending a flurry of petals dancing on the wild. "Oh yes—long, long ago. And even then, I never saw anything of the world itself, except for the aircars and an ambassadorial function."
Qui-Gon squinted up at the desert sun. "I like it here better."
She laughed again. "I do too."
They emerged from the leafy tunnel into a tiny grove, white and pink flowers adorning the ground beneath three black obelisks. Qui-Gon stared at the complex letters carved into the stone. "What are those?" he asked in a hushed voice.
Saleil's large brown eyes swam in tears for a moment, then cleared. She looked sad and lonely for a moment, her long hands twisting around the front of her silver dress. Qui-Gon resisted the temptation to hug her.
"My husband... and children," she said quietly.
For a moment, Qui-Gon felt a surge of emotion from her—and his mouth dropped open. "You're the... the Sovereign?" he asked, shocked.
Saleil smiled a little. "I don't bite, Qui-Gon. Yes, I am the Sovereign... but do I hope that won't change your attitude toward me."
Qui-Gon considered it, still reeling under the information. "No," he said quietly.
Surprisingly, the Sovereign uttered another throaty laugh. "I'm glad," she said quietly. "Qui-Gon, I've had very few people in my life treat me as a person, and not as a queen. I appreciate rarities when they appear."
Qui-Gon relaxed, smiled. He watched as Saleil sadly trailed her fingertips over the obsidian monuments, then turned back to him and pointed back the way they had come...
TWO DAYS LATER
Qui-Gon and Yoda bowed slightly as Saleil entered the room. She seemed to have stopped being the kind, motherly person he had met before, transfigured into a distant, cool figure. In a way, she had eased the secret wish he had often had—the wish to have a mother. Her eyes rested on him for a moment...
And then she winked.
He almost fell over in surprise, as Yoda walked stiffly out of the room with his padawan in tow. Then he waved back at her, just before the throne room doors clanged shut.