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 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.
Eliana Jinn lay her head back on the folding chair and enjoyed the sunlight, wending through the branches of the trees above her. The garden hid the ugly spikes of Coruscant's skyscrapers from her view, in the huge round outdoor platform filled with soil, grass and trees. All were carefully tended, to keep them under control.
Eliana watched as the twelve-year-old twins, Ka-Nari and In-Yara, raced past her, laughing and shrieking as they fled from the garden into the spacious suite that served as their home. Ka-Nari never caught his sister, she thought with a smile. Her slate-blue eyes softened further as a tall, muscular figure appeared in the door.
"Hello, Mother," Tan-Ri said, giving his mother a quick kiss on the forehead and dumping his sleepy baby brother in her lap. "Qui-Gon was asking to come out here."
As if in response, the toddler yawned and wriggled off Eliana's lap, walking awkwardly into the shrubbery. His bright red playsuit was a spot of color among the green.
Tan-Ri smiled as his brother uttered a chuckle of joy at something only he could see. "He's going to be big when he's older. Like Father."
All of Ra-Han Jinn's children took after their father, Eliana thought ruefully. Except for her eyes, she saw none of her shadowy, almost emaciated figure in any of the children. Qui-Gon in particular took after the huge, gentle Cathian diplomat who spent so much time away from Eliana. She had been pregnant with Qui-Gon up until their arrival on Coruscant, and the youngest of her children was the first born on that world.
Qui-Gon was no ordinary toddler, that much Eliana knew. He always had an air of thoughtfulness about him, that made him seem older than he was, only a few months over one.
And once, he had cried hysterically for ten minutes, without visible cause. Eliana and her maid had tried to comfort him, only to discover that his brother Ya-Rin had broken his leg just a short time before. Suffering of any kind upset Qui-Gon, who would not leave the side of someone who was angry or upset. Stray, wounded animals found themselves at home in the Jinn household, under the careful watch of the family baby.
As if sensing his mother's thoughts, Tan-Ri interjected loudly, "Father will be coming home soon. He'll be surprised at how much Qui-Gon has grown."
Eliana shook off her air of deep thought and called, "Qui-Gon! Come to mother!"
A downy dark head appeared briefly in the bushes, then Qui-Gon erupted from them, running as fast as his small legs would allow. He quickly climbed up into her lap. "Mama?" he asked.
"Let me take a look at you," Eliana said, staring at him critically. Her finely-drawn eyebrows raised slightly. "You've grown more than an inch."
Qui-Gon seemed to take this in, then extended one chubby fist towards his mother. "What do you have?" Eliana said, watching as he uncurled his small fingers. "A pretty stone! See the sparkles in it?"
Qui-Gon nodded, holding the rock up for Tan-Ri to see. "I found it," he murmured.
"Yes, you did," Eliana said. "Would you like to put it in your room?"
Slowly, Qui-Gon shook his head, then stuck the rock into his astonished brother's large hand. Then he slid to the dirt ground and toddled into the suite.
Tan-Ri stared at the rock, a slow smile coming across his chiseled face.
Eliana smiled warmly, commenting, "I'm glad that you two get on so well. The thing I'm afraid of is him not getting along with your father... he's here so little."
"I try to help with him," Tan-Ri said, tucking the stone into his shirt pocket. "He's special."
Eliana started a little. "Yes," she said quietly. "Very special."
Eliana touched her exquisitely coiffed hair, bound with simple silver chains that matched her dress. As the wife of the lead representative of the Roy Cathos colonies, she had to look her best at these occasions. Outside, thunder rumbled ominously, promising rain before the night was out.
"Ma'am," her maid Tara said from behind her. "Qui-Gon wants to see you. He looks upset."
Eliana forgot about her appearance and got up, her dress rippling to the floor. Her little boy appeared in the doorway, his blue-gray eyes wide in a pale face. "Little one, what's the matter?"
Qui-Gon dashed forward with speed that she didn't know he posessed, holding onto the folds of her gown. "Bad men!" he exclaimed passionately, his baby speech failing to convey what he wanted to say. "Bad men... in black... hurt Daddy..."
Eliana knelt down and hugged Qui-Gon. "Don't worry, sweet," she whispered. "Your daddy is fine. Nobody is going to hurt him, all right?"
Qui-Gon looked dubious, but he nodded, some of the fear leaving his face.
Eliana smiled and gave her baby a kiss on the forehead. "Now, Tara will give you your bath and then put you to bed."
"Lights?" Qui-Gon asked.
"Just because it's going to storm," Eliana consented, rubbing her fingers over his downy head. "I know how much you hate thunder."
"Too loud," Qui-Gon agreed, wandering over to where the Twi'lek servant girl was standing. She smiled her sharp-toothed smile, affection for the tiny boy radiating from her red eyes. She picked him up and began walking to Qui-Gon's nursery.
Eliana smiled at her son's baseless fears and began fastening on her earrings.
Ra-Han Jinn appeared asleep when his wife came to their bedroom, brushing her long dark hair. As she dimmed the lights, he muttered, "You don't have to do that."
She flicked them back on and sat down on the bed. Ra-Han rolled over, his chestnut hair spread over his pillow. "Something's troubling you, love," he said almost sternly. But the twinkle in his gray eyes almost convulsed Eliana into giggles. "As your husband, lord, and master, I demand to know what it is."
"Nothing, lord and master," she said with a mock bow. "It's just... Qui-Gon."
Ra-Han's brow creased a little. "Why? The boy looks healthy enough... he doesn't speak much, but that may be normal..."
"It's not that," Eliana said, putting down her hairbrush and beginning to braid the thick dark coil that hung from her head. "He's... he's different. He plays by himself all the time. Mostly with blocks, making towers... towers that never fall. He spends most of his days in the garden, searching for insects and lizards."
"He's curious, that's normal," Ra-Han yawned. "By the Maker, I'm tired! Negotiating with Alcepians always makes me nauseous..."
"You're avoiding the subject," Eliana said, lying down and pulling the blankets over herself. "Qui-Gon said something earlier. He claimed that bad men in black were coming to hurt you."
Ra-Han smiled and slid one arm around his wife's shoulders. "He probably heard something from one of his brothers, perhaps a news story," he said
gently, kissing her on the tip of her nose. "He has an active imagination, that's all. There's no one who wants to hurt me."
Late that night, thunder crashed and lightning lit up sheets of rain that poured down on that area of Coruscant, full of homes for the wealthy. A small boy slept fitfully, tossing and wriggling in his blankets. Suddenly he awoke, shivering and staring about with frightened eyes, dilated with fear.
Little Qui-Gon saw a vision of a man, with eyes hard as flint and a hideous scar across his face. He saw a blazing inferno threatening to consume his father...
Qui-Gon slipped into his parents's bedroom, his footsteps muffled by the tiny slippers that Tara had put on him. His mother, as she always did, was sleeping on her stomach, dark tendrils of hair falling across her face as she slept. One slim hand dangled off the edge, almost to the floor.
He glanced at the ceiling, feeling tears starting in his eyes. He could hear the frenzied roaring above him, now that the rain was gone. It made him quiver with fear, but he slowly overcame it. Nothing was important but telling his mother.
Qui-Gon grabbed her hand and tugged, but she didn't even stir. Frustrated, the tiny boy grasped a handful of her hair in his other hand and yanked.
"Mrrr... Qui-Gon?" Eliana said, lifting her head a little. "What are you doing up?"
Qui-Gon released her hair from his chubby fist and began yanking at her hand, as if trying to drag her off the bed. "Hurry!" he whimpered. "Fire... burn... Daddee..."
Eliana groaned and shoved the covers away, scooping him up and walking to the window where he pointed. It would be best, she thought, to put his fears to rest once and for all.
As a piece of burning tile fell inches from her face, she changed her mind.
Eliana tried to contain a horrified gasp as she heard the sound, what she had thought was the recent rain, coming from the ceiling above. The building was on fire. Embers were burning through the area above where she had lain only moments before, and where her sleeping spouse lay even now. Qui-Gon had his armed locked around her shoulder in a death grip, terrified but showing control remarkable for a child his age.
"Ra-Han!" she shouted, running to the bed and slapping him on the shoulder. Her husband awoke, sitting up in confusion. "Fire!"
A timber collapsed, sending burning shards raining down. Eliana let out a shriek as Ra-Han leapt out of the bed and threw her and Qui-Gon into the hallway. The sheets caught the licking flames, somehow undeterred by the rain that was still pelting down.
Ra-Han, clad only in a pair of leggings, was on his feet in an instant, hammering on Tan-Ri's door and shouting something Eliana couldn't make out. Doors down the hallways opened. The twins, Tara, and Ya-Rin emerged at the commotion, all wearing nightwear of varying types. Tan-Ri opened the door, then vanished again and reemerged brandishing a fire extinguisher.
Eliana dropped to one knee and pried Qui-Gon's small fingers from her throat. She forced herself to stay calm, and look calm. Ra-Han spun towards his wife, eyes wild. "Get out of here!" he shouted, pointing at the emergency exit.
Biting back the pleas to let her stay and help put out the fire that now roiled hellishly in half their home, Eliana swept her maid and her children, excepting Tan-Ri, out the door and into the pouring rain. Through the darkness and wind she heard shouts and alarms sounding.
A twist came to her heart as Qui-Gon wrapped his small arms around her leg and hugged her tightly, as if comforting her.
The next few hours were a tangle of confusion, as neighbors and police swarmed through the wreck of the Jinn home, walls and ceiling burned into ashes and soaked with the rain. Thunderclouds were receding, but the sky was still overcast. Eliana sat in what had been the hallway, cradling her sleeping baby.
Qui-Gon had fallen asleep in her lap, and was now snoring a little. Now that the danger was actually over, Eliana thought with a smile, he was serene and happy. She felt like she could never sleep again.
Ra-Han was speaking to three officials, and Eliana was surprised to see a pair of robed figures amid the police. Jedi Knights, she thought in surprise. Why were the Jedi investigating a house fire?
The taller of the two Jedi broke away from the group and came toward her, drawing back her hood. He was very young, she thought surprisedly. He looked about Tan-Ri's age, with watchful blue eyes and blond hair cropped short, save for a thin braid along his shoulder. As he approached, Qui-Gon's eyes flew open, and he leaned forward a little, staring at the young Jedi.
The Jedi dropped to one knee and smiled at the baby. "Hello," he said in a friendly tone. "I hear you sensed the fire before anyone else?"
Qui-Gon nodded solemnly. Eliana's brow wrinkled a little at the word "sensed." Not "heard," or "saw."
The Jedi's eyes became distant for a moment, then he looked up at Eliana. "Mrs. Jinn, I am Takis, Master Yoda's apprentice." He pointed back at the diminuative creature standing by Ra-Han. The small Jedi nodded in Eliana's direction and cocked his ears, listening to the conversation.
Takis turned back and stood. "Would you mind if I spoke with young Qui-Gon for a few minutes?" he asked, folding his hands into the wide sleeves of his robe.
"He's just a baby. He can't speak very well," Eliana started. For some reason, she felt loath to let her baby near the Jedi, as kind as Takis seemed and as calm as her son was.
"It won't take long," Takis reassured her.
Eliana hesitated, keeping her grip on Qui-Gon's arms tight. Then she slowly released him and set him on the ground. Takis took his hand and led him away, to a secluded spot behind the remains of a sofa. Then he knelt down and drew the baby into his lap, speaking softly.
It went against everything Eliana had ever been taught, but she strained to hear what he was asking Qui-Gon. They were too far away, she thought resignedly.
"How did you know that bad men were coming to burn your house?" Takis whispered, looking into Qui-Gon's eyes. The baby blinked, then said slowly, "Saw it."
"How did you see it? Did you see them up there?"
Qui-Gon blinked again, looking confused. "No."
Takis smiled and ran his hand over the child's head. Then he pulled a small medical clip from a pouch on his belt and held it out to Qui-Gon. "Run your hand over this, please," he said quietly.
Qui-Gon looked at the clip dubiously, then ran his small hand over it. He winced, but not much. "Hurts," he announced in a slightly startled tone, rubbing at his palm.
"It stings a little, does it?" Takis said sympathetically, slipping the chip into a small scanner and checking the readout. "It'll go away in a moment."
Yes, the readings were high, he thought. Very high. The child had a high concentration of midi-chlorians, even for a potential Jedi. So, Takis mused, slipping the scanner into his cloak and picking Qui-Gon up as he rose. Master Yoda had been right, the child's uncanny skills were a result of the Force.
Eliana Jinn was still sitting where she had, looking more queenly than most women could in those circumstances. Despite the odd situation, the baby boy seemed more relaxed than anyone else. The moment Takis put Qui-Gon in his mother's lap, he slumped against her and fell asleep again.
Eliana stroked his back, rocking him back and forth. She could tell from Takis's sympathetic and somewhat embarrassed expression that the news he was about to give her was going to be bad, but she showed no outward sign of it.
Takis sat down cross-legged in front of her and sighed. "Mrs. Jinn... I just ran a test on your son. A certain test to determine a person's potential to become a Jedi."
Eliana, head bowed over Qui-Gon's, froze. "And he has potential?" she asked, keeping her voice carefully neutral.
"Great potential, more than most Jedi," Takis said, talking faster now that the worst part was past. One calloused hand went out and touched Qui-Gon's chubby fist; Eliana had to resist the urge to swat his hand away. "He also seems very calm and self-assured--also good signs."
"Well, he can't become a Jedi now," Eliana said, desperately hoping that it was true. "He's not old enough. He's just a little baby."
Takis smiled a little, amused. "Most children come to the Jedi at an earlier age than Qui-Gon would. I was brought to the Temple when I was only six months old, from the Outer Rim."
Eliana drew back a little, appalled. At the motion, Qui-Gon shifted and yawned but did not wake. "You mean," she hissed, "that you take children from their mothers when they're only babies?"
"We do not 'take,'" Takis said with maddening patience. It would be easier, Eliana thought with a painful wince, if he weren't so kind and likable. "The children are only brought to the Jedi for training if their parents consent. And," he added quickly, "if they pass the Council's tests."
Eliana felt her throat constrict painfully. She hugged her baby to her chest, closing her eyes, while Takis rose from the floor and started to walk away. "I'll discuss it with my husband," she said softly, in a voice she hardly recognized as her own.
Takis nodded respectfully and folded his hands into his sleeves again. "If you decide, just contact me or Master Yoda at the Jedi Temple."
Eliana nodded numbly as he glided away to join his mentor. Her Qui-Gon, a Jedi?
"They want what?" Ra-Han asked, staring incredulously at his wife. Eliana did not look at him as she settled Qui-Gon into the crib in their hotel room. Her hands were shaking a little as she drew the blanket up under his chin.
"We need to think about this very carefully," she murmured, walking over and looking at him. "This is something that we can never give Qui-Gon, and it sounds like there might be very little time left for him to become a Jedi. He'd still be on Coruscant, we could see him whenever we like."
Ra-Han paused, then glanced at his baby boy with gray eyes touched with tears.
Takis returned the next day. The Jedi's simple earthtone robes were a contrast to the ornate hotel suites that the Jinn family was staying at. Tara watched him suspiciously from a corner as Eliana gave her son a brief kiss on the forehead and turned him toward the young Jedi, standing by the door.
Takis knelt down and picked up Qui-Gon. As comfortable with the Jedi apprentice as he was with Tan-Ri, Qui-Gon reached out and tugged at the thin Padawan braid, eliciting a wince and a faint "ow" from Takis. The apprentice gave Qui-Gon's round face a little scrubbing, making him giggle.
"I'll bring him back this evening," Takis promised, stepping out the door.
And then he was gone.
Eliana took a shuddering breath and slumped back in her chair, closing her eyes. She had never felt so alone in her life.
She and Ra-Han had to attend another party that night, this one the reception of the Chancellor's wedding to a Cathian princess, making this impossible for Ra-Han to miss. Eliana smiled and curtseyed and went through all the motions, but her mind and heart were with Qui-Gon and Takis. The vision of her baby failing the tests flashed before her like some taunting premonition.
After congratulating the bride, splendidly arrayed in white silk from head to toe, Eliana graciously made her escape onto a nearby balcony, away from the heat and people in the reception. She sagged against a tree, feeling the tangy night air burn her throat as she watched the transports buzz by.
"Mistress Jinn?" Takis.
Eliana turned around, to find the young Jedi stepping out of the shadows. Right behind him was Qui-Gon... Eliana caught her breath. Qui-Gon was wearing what appeared to be a minature version of the Jedi outfit, beige pants and tunic and small brown boots. His small hand was twined in Takis's, trustingly.
"He passed," Takis said quietly. "He's to be trained as a Jedi."
Eliana couldn't tear her eyes from Qui-Gon. For the first time, intense pride began to swell in her. "May I speak alone with him?" she asked softly.
"Of course," Takis said, pulling his hand from Qui-Gon's and stepping back into the ballroom.
For a long moment, Eliana and Qui-Gon just stared at each other. Then he ran forward and threw himself against her legs, hugging her. "Mama," he said softly.
Eliana had no tears as she bent down and stroked his head. "My little Qui-Gon," she whispered. She gently pulled his arms from her legs and knelt in front of him, looking into his eyes. "Qui-Gon, I want you to become a Jedi. Be the best, kindest, most compassionate Jedi there ever has been."
"Yes, mama," Qui-Gon replied, tears beginning to fall from his large eyes.
Eliana paused, then reached to the nape of her neck and unclasped a thin chain, to a short necklace that held a small family crest, a pendent that her father had given to her upon her marriage. She reached around Qui-Gon's shoulders and clasped it. The child reached to his chest and touched the crest, as if making sure that it was real.
Eliana looked at her son, soon to embark on his new life, and gently hugged him. "And always remember, my son. No matter what happens, I love you."
"I love you too, mama," Qui-Gon Jinn replied softly, hugging his mother.