#archivist tahl

[spectral-musette]

@caffineandsugar - as requested, little doodle of Dooku and Jocasta Nu in their younger days

if you go by the ages of the actors, she's just a couple years older than him (and thus probably outranked him at some point), so I was charmed by the idea of Padawan Dooku being enamored with young knight Jocasta, going out of his way to bring back interesting antiquities from missions to try to impress her. (The wink... he thinks he's so smooth!)

Also, many years later - just picturing Qui-Gon and Tahl hurrying out of the archives to be alone together and awkwardly running into Dooku on his way in to pay a visit to Jocasta, space champagne and space roses in hand:

[sanerontheinside]

Was working on fic prompts last night and one got very long and very out of hand and formed another AU because I do that. If I continue working in that AU, I’ll link to this, but for now it works as a standalone, so 

(borrowed a little from @deadcatwithaflamethrower‘s ReEntry, as usual) (also I think this slips into an AU of @doctorwithafryingpan‘s proposed Tahl Lives AU)

Beautiful is the Temple on Alderaan, with its high vaulted ceilings and its carved pillars and walls, with the statues that line its halls. Splashes of brilliant colour dapple its floors where sunlight bursts through the stained glass panels above and falls to the ground in soundless cascades. 

It would be so easy to make this place austere, ascetic as the Jedi are thought to be - aloof and cold, cold as the mountain winters.

But Alderaan is not cold.

Though the Temple sits nestled in the mountains, perched far away, near-inaccessible unless you know precisely how to make your way to it, the Temple is not cold, it is not austere, it is not at all aloof.

It is, however, somewhat abandoned. Many of the old Temples are, for there are far fewer Jedi these days than even a mere century ago.

The first time Qui-Gon Jinn comes to the Alderaanian Temple, he comes with Master Dooku. Master Dooku is the definition of this perfect Jedi, the only definition Qui-Gon knows. He is cool, he is clinical, he is aloof.

Qui-Gon chafes under the weight of his - frankly chilling - ever-evaluating gaze, his unrelenting sternness. His Master’s praise is rare at best, and he is not a demonstrative man. The only contact the boy can expect is the heavy press of a hand on his shoulder to correct an error in his form (and, stars, he can’t stand Form II). Once, he got himself sold into slavery by complete accident, and his Master chided him for it, made him feel a fool and unwanted -

No. Made him feel how acutely he had inconvenienced his Master.

(Qui-Gon does not know this is wrong. All he knows is that he is not enough, and it’s his fault entirely. He’s sometimes tried to explain, but his explanations are inconsequential, so he pulls them into himself and forces them down. It will be years before he realises that his frustrations escape him in other ways, and the skies are blanketed grey, and the clouds grow heavy and his lungs go tight before they spill.)

(And then, for a time, he feels less tense.)

The first time they come to the Alderaanian Temple, Qui-Gon meets an Archivist who is warm and kind and reminds him of Tahl. She smiles and helps him look for the texts he needs for his classwork, sits him down at her table and throws up her feet to the chair beside her, settling in to read, herself. When confusion knots his brow and he’s all but broadcasting his dismay at failing to understand a simple problem, she catches the tense line of his shoulders in the corner of her eye and softly asks him to read it out to her. Qui-Gon does.

He watches, fascinated, as her agile mind bends and twists and turns, fingers skittering over the table between them. She explains herself, backtracks, prompts him, breaks down the question into parts, tells him things he’s never heard before, pulls up old texts as evidence, and through it all she even finds ways to make him laugh. She never once makes him feel lesser for not knowing so much of what she’s said, never chides him for not looking something up before asking.

Predictably, good moods do not last. He’ll forget what it was about, in a week, because all their arguments are one and the same, but for now Qui-Gon feels the sting of his Master’s words keenly, and he takes himself outside to sit on the Temple doorstep. He tries to be still for a moment, shaking not with the cold - then gathers a breath of air in his lungs and slowly counts as he holds and lets it go. It’s cold, but warmer than the day before, and there is no sharp, biting wind. He looks up just as the first of a flurry of snowflakes twirls through the air and some of them settle, lightly prickling, on his skin.

Behind him the Archivist’s already-familiar presence is warm as it draws near. He doesn’t want to be seen, but at the same time, he wants that comfort. He wants someone to see him, really see him. Just someone.

The warmth of that presence seeps into him when she sits down, almost close enough to lean towards him and brush shoulders. “It’s early for snow,” she remarks absently, but says nothing else.

Qui-Gon thinks it must be lonely here, where she is one of a handful of Jedi whom he’s seen, and there are perhaps a handful more in the more distant parts of the Temple. Yet it is warm and peaceful, and he thinks that perhaps she isn’t unhappy even in this small circle.

By dint of a heavy snowstorm, Master Dooku decides to delay their departure a few days. Qui-Gon spends those days mostly sequestered in the Archives.

The second time he comes to the Alderaanian Temple, the Archivist is no longer there. The Temple feels colder, because its walls have stood even nearer to empty in the last decade. It feels almost the way he felt, for much of these last ten years.

And yet, as he brushes his fingers over the old cloth- and leather-bound books, painstakingly cared for and preserved, he catches a hint of that warmth still. In his mind, a new flame burns - a young child he’d been forced (yes, forced, Master Yoda, you gave me no choice in the matter) to take as his Apprentice. They haven’t had an easy time of it, though their difficulties stem from different things.

Obi-Wan learned harsh lessons on Melida/Daan, lessons that Qui-Gon had wanted to shield his Padawan from learning. No matter how you try, no matter if you do everything right, you can still lose in the end - that was what Tahl had said. He couldn’t explain to this brilliant boy that the sacrifices to end their war had to come from the Melida/Daan alone, and not from Jedi. Instead he’d watched his Padawan suffer, thinking he’d failed to protect him - again - that he’d failed as a Master.

That he wasn’t enough. Again.

And yet this child had burrowed into his arms afterwards for almost the entire duration of their flight back to Coruscant, clung to him and wept into his tunics, and would not let go. When they made it back to the Temple, Qui-Gon had taken him straight to the Healers and refused to leave the boy’s side even to make their report until he was released a tenday later.

Those early days, Obi-Wan was restless without the tactile reassurance that Qui-Gon was still there, still with him. When they made their report to the Council, he’d inched closer and closer to his Master’s side without any conscious awareness of it, and Qui-Gon had finally given up all pretenses of serenity or aloofness, pulling his Padawan tight against him. In the privacy of their quarters, Qui-Gon held him for their shared meditations while he guided Obi-Wan’s mind, helped him reach out with the Force to see what his eyes no longer could.

They’d been removed from the active mission roster. Qui-Gon cornered Mace outside the salle once while Tahl watched Obi-Wan as he worked through his warmups, and demanded to know the reason in a low growl. Mace had deliberately brushed him off, but answered, not without sympathy, that Qui-Gon’s missions were always high-pressure diplomatic disputes, and many had a tendency to go to pieces.

“Mace -”

“It’s not an accusation, Qui-Gon. If anything, it’s something of a compliment. We have a tendency to run our best ragged, and we’ve been sending you into situations that, sometimes, should have been left alone entirely.” Like Melida/Daan - the words hung unsaid in the air between them, colouring it with regret.

“Never thought I’d hear you say that,” Qui-Gon grumbled, somewhat mollified.

Mace shrugged. “You didn’t hear it from me. We’re looking for something that has a bit less chance of going to pieces, but at the moment all we have is the Alderaanian Temple -”

“What?” The Force seemed to chime in his ears. “What about the Alderaanian Temple?”

Thus they had found themselves here, in the mountains. Qui-Gon still remembers the convoluted route the guides had taken his Master on, but when his Padawan looks left instead of right and asks, ‘why not that way?’ he listens and lets him lead on. Perhaps unsurprisingly, they find themselves at the Temple steps long before dark, when their expected arrival had been estimated at nightfall.

More and more, Qui-Gon lets himself hang back while his Padawan walks ahead, quite in reverse of tradition where the Padawan follows the Master. Obi-Wan is daring, yes, at times even reckless, but he’s never lead his Master astray.

In the quieter moments, and particularly in the evenings, Obi-Wan prepares tea for them both, almost ritually presents it to his Master, then curls up pressed against Qui-Gon’s side. It’s on one of these nights that Qui-Gon notices how the ache in his chest eases when his Padawan settles beside him. He’s reviewing an inventory list for the Temple - and, gods, if this is the work of the Head of the Coruscant Temple, he quite understands why Mace looks like he has perpetual migraines (because he actually does).

But when Obi-Wan presses close, the threat of a migraine recedes; and moments later, when the rhythm of soft shallow breaths proves that the boy has fallen asleep, Qui-Gon realises he will never, never feel at ease without this. That he has, perhaps, never felt so much wanted and needed in all his life. The feeling almost overwhelms him, constricts his chest and clutches at his throat and dares to steal his breath. He breathes through the sting at the back of his eyes, shuts off the datapad and shoves it away to wrap the small, beloved warm body beside him in a tight embrace.

[gffa]

I have often given Qui-Gon Jinn a hard time because he’s so often used in STAR WARS fandom as a weapon to beat on other characters I love and it makes it difficult to like him, as well as it overshadows who the character himself is. So, to help balance that out some, I wanted to do a set of recs to remind myself–and just share some happiness in!–that I actually do very much like Qui-Gon! He’s a good person who really loved the people around him, he cared very deeply, he had an amazing friendship with Yoda (seriously, that Yoda’s the one he reaches out to when he becomes a Force Ghost, that even after death, Qui-Gon loves his Jedi family, it gives me feelings in my feelings place every single time), and one of my favorite things about Master & Apprentice is that I often got the impression that he knew he was kind of obnoxious sometimes, but he was at peace with it, he was fine with that. That was a straight shot to my heart, I love that dude! So, here have some fics that celebrate that Qui-Gon is actually a really great character. He may not always be the central character, but I remember him being well portrayed in these and they gave me good Qui-Gon feelings! STAR WARS - QUI-GON JINN FIC RECS: ✦ Reprise by Elfpen, obi-wan & qui-gon & anakin & dooku & mace & cast, time travel, 491.1k wip    Ben Kenobi dies aboard the Death Star in the year 0 BBY. He wakes up shortly thereafter in the Jedi temple in the year 41 BBY. Haunted by memories and regret, Ben must forge a new path for himself in the Jedi Order of his youth while navigating the murky waters of time travel. Crafting a better future from bitter experience is hard, but learning to heal is even harder. Major AU. ✦ The Way Back Home by Anakinstopyourpanakin, happygiraffe, obi-wan & qui-gon & bant & tahl, 39.5k wip    He had been missing for nearly four years. How could Obi-Wan be alive? It was too good to be true, and simultaneously too horrifying. What had been done to the innocent child who was currently falling asleep against his shoulder, and did his wounds run too deep for Qui-Gon to mend? ✦ When the world gets too heavy put it on my back by nematoda, obi-wan & anakin & qui-gon, 29.8k    Obi-Wan is different when it comes to relationships. Not in a bad way, just… different. Studies of platonic love in the life of Obi-Wan Kenobi, exploring the master/padawan relationship with Qui-Gon and eventually with Anakin. ✦ Shadows of the Future by stormqueen873, obi-wan & anakin & qui-gon & cast, 129.3k    ObiWan lost the duel on Mustafar, but instead of dying, he finds himself on a ship leaving Tatooine, with his old Master and a familiar young boy. As events begin to unfold, can he stop the future he knows from occuring? ✦ No Galaxy for Good Jedi by Annie_Walker, obi-wan & anakin & padme & qui-gon & dooku & yoda & cast, some obi-wan/satine, sith!qui-gon, 124.8k wip    Obi-Wan Kenobi was only a young padawan when he ran away with three-year old Anakin. He had no choice after his Master, Qui-Gon Jinn, fell to the Dark Side by Master Dooku’s manipulations. ✦ Masters and Padawans: Three Generations by GirlwithCurls98, qui-gon & obi-wan + obi-wan & anakin + anakin & ahsoka, 24.6k    Three generations of incredible bonds. ✦ What Is My Heritage? by Marnie, qui-gon & yoda, 7.7k    Qui-Gon, age 13, tries to find a place to belong. ✦ Coming Home by Marnie, qui-gon & yoda & dooku, 18.1k    A story telling how Qui-Gon comes to be Dooku’s apprentice. ✦ Trust Me by Charmisjess, dooku & qui-gon, 2k    A certain Jedi Master is less than pleased about being laid up with the flu. ✦ Triviality and QuiGon by Charmisjess, dooku & qui-gon, 4.1k    The Council’s infinite cruelty gives Dooku the most brutal of punishments: quality time with the Padawan and his plantlife! ✦ Rainy by Charmisjess, dooku & qui-gon, 26.8k wip    A seemingly easy mission goes horribly wrong for Padawan Qui and Master Dooku as they struggle to battle an insane adversary, poisons and curses, and an awful lot of rain. ✦ The Luckiest Man Alive + Letting Go by Elfpen, obi-wan & qui-gon & dooku & yoda, 7.9k    Yoda, Dooku, and a twenty four year old QuiGon go to the small planet of Omartia to pick up a forcesensitive infant. + Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan go to pick up a Force-sensitive child. On the way back, Qui-Gon is faced with the fact that someday very soon, he will have to let Obi-Wan go. ✦ Lineage by ruth baulding, obi-wan & qui-gon & xanatos & cast, 35.9k    AU!Jedi Apprentice. Book I: In which master and apprentice meet for the first time, enjoy a disastrous adventure courtesy of Xanatos DuCrion, and reap the fruits of patience and fortitude. A fanciful retelling of the original. ��� Lineage II by ruth baulding, obi-wan & qui-gon & cast, 40.9k    A year or so has elapsed since the last time we saw our heroes. BOOK 2: In which master and apprentice investigate an evil brainwashing plot, attend a boisterous wedding, and battle the enemy within. ✦ Lineage III by ruth baulding, obi-wan & qui-gon & dooku & xanatos & bant & cast, 49.4k    AU!Jedi Apprentice. Book III: Master and apprentice face an important rite of passage, grapple with a traitorous plot within the Temple’s walls, and discover the limits of obedience and intuition. Appearances by Bant Eerin, Xanatos DuCrion, Yan Dooku, and others. ✦ Lineage IV by ruth baulding, obi-wan & qui-gon & siri & adi gallia, 39.3k    Master and apprentice endure a stint with the Agri-Corps, and find that trouble has a way of coming home to haunt them. Featuring a pile of bantha poodoo, a tentacled carnivorous plant, a desperate escaped convict, and a highly provocative young woman. ✦ Lineage V by ruth baulding, obi-wan & qui-gon & tahl (& some qui-gon/tahl) & dooku & cast, 50.7k    An evil scientist wreaks havoc when she captures Jedi Knight Tahl Uvain for purposes of obscure research; Qui-Gon Jinn and his Padawan rush to the rescue, only to be embroiled in further trouble; and Master Dooku joins in the hunt with characteristic aplomb. ✦ Lineage VI by ruth baulding, obi-wan & qui-gon & cast, 66.2k    Master and apprentice undertake a risky undercover mission to expose conspiracy in a far-flung sector; a comedy of manners abruptly transforms into a nightmare when their cover is blown; and a desperate escape gambit strikes deep at the foundations of trust. ✦ Lineage VII by ruth baulding, obi-wan & qui-gon & siri & adi gallia & some obi-wan/siri, 74.5k    Sent to the aid of their fellow Jedi on a disastrous mission to New Apsolon, master and apprentice contend with brainwashing, genocide, conspiracy, and the perilous realm of the heart. ✦ Lineage VIII by ruth baulding, obi-wan & qui-gon & cast, 83.4k    Hard on the heels of the mission to Apsolon, master and apprentice find new troubles - in their own backyard. Jenna Zan Arbor faces prosecution for her crimes; the Jedi grapple with the disastrous realities of corruption and personal loss; Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon undertake perilous and disparate quests. ✦ Lineage IX by ruth baulding, obi-wan & qui-gon & dooku & cast, 61k    A year after parting ways, Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon struggle to complete their self-appointed quests for enlightenment and justice. ✦ Lineage X by ruth baulding, obi-wan & qui-gon & dooku, 49.2k    The war-ravaged world Melida-Daan is backdrop to a manhunt, an occult conspiracy, a bitter guerilla conflict, and a test of ultimate loyalties. ✦ Lineage XI by ruth baulding, obi-qan & qui-gon & cast, 56k    The disastrous situation on Melida-Daan takes a turn for the worse; the Jedi dispatch a team to capture a dangerous murderer; and Qui-Gon Jinn and his former apprentice face the consequences of their rebellion. Series finale. ✦ Snakefic by esama, obi-wan & anakin & qui-gon & yoda & cast, 6k    It was only the matter of time before the egg hatched. ✦ Strokes of Colored Grey by Elfpen, obi-wan & qui-gon, 9.5k    ObiWan has been drawing since he was a small youngling, but only a few people know, including his teacher, Vianro Dleka, and the elderly, trustworthy archivist, KinWan Terius. But what happens when his master discovers his secret? ✦ Pies, Books, and Swords, obi-wan & qui-gon/tahl, 1.2k    Qui-Gon Jinn has made quite a good name for himself, as far as holonet cooking shows go. ✦ They Are by Charmisjess, dooku & qui-gon, 1.7k    This is their moment, their eternity. They think its going to be like this forever. ✦ Strongest Stars by Elfpen, obi-wan & qui-gon & chirrut & cast, 2.6k    The Force works in mysterious ways. A few quiet moments in the dark create a touchstone spanning across three generations, two orthodoxies, a war, time, space, and the galaxy. A maverick meets a visionary and listens for a song. Spoilers for Rogue One, sort of? ✦ Anecdotally by Elfpen, obi-wan & qui-gon & cast, 14.6k    The biggest stories are always made up of smaller ones. Here are some of the forgotten moments in the life of Obi-Wan Kenobi. Will feature a wide variety of genres, characters, eras, and AUs. Oneshots from whenever inspiration strikes. ✦ the floor under our feet by FoxGlade, obi-wan & anakin & ahsoka & qui-gon & dooku + background pairings, 4.5k wip    or, the adventures and exploits of Qui-Gon’s three adopted children. ✦ A Long, Long Time Ago by ruth baulding, dooku & qui-gon + qui-gon & obi-wan + obi-wan & anakin + anakin & ahsoka, 5.8k    A wisdom tale handed passed down through the generations poses troublesome questions for a line of masters and Padawans, from Dooku to Ahsoka Tano. ✦ Family by lilyconrad, obi-wan & anakin & qui-gon & darth maul & cast, sith!obi-wan, 6.8k    Seven years after the duel on Naboo, Obi-Wan Kenobi has turned to the dark, Maul has turned to the light, and young Anakin is caught somewhere in-between. Can Qui-Gon rescue his Padawan before it’s too late? ✦ Fountain of Force by esama, qui-gon & cast, final fantasy 7 crossover, 8.9k    In which Qui-Gon Jinn comes from Gaia. ✦ Midwinter Sun by orphan_account, dooku & qui-gon, 4.2k    Padawan Jinn is a rebel and Dooku is very much not ready. ✦ Jedi In Winter by bluedragoninamber, obi-wan & qui-gon & dooku & yoda, 12.3k    In which Yan Dooku understands regret and tries to make things right. Something new will be born from the ashes of the old but exactly what remains to be seen. ✦ A New History by Annie Walker, obi-wan & anakin & qui-gon & dooku & cast, time travel, 533.4k wip    During a heated battle, Dooku escaped into the past! Obi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker follow to stop him, but discover that Dooku went to the past where Obi-Wan is a young padawan to a very much alive Qui-Gon Jinn. Now, the two must go undercover to stop Dooku’s plans from coming to fruition in order to save not only the future, but also young Obi-Wan Kenobi and Qui-Gon Jinn. ✦ In the Heart of the Force by ReneeoftheStars, ahsoka & qui-gon, 1.7k    Ahsoka Tano travels back to the world between world’s. Searching for answers, she comes across a past event that only makes her question the past even more. ✦ Stitches and Time by ladyarcherfan3, obi-wan & anakin & qui-gon & ocs, 4k    Alara Nel is a seamstress who keeps getting an unusually large number of orders for Jedi robes from an Obi-Wan Kenobi. Over the years, she learns why and gets to know the Jedi a little bit better. ✦ The Uses of a Sandwich by Laura Kaye (laurakaye), obi-wan & qui-gon & oc & cast, 17.6k    A few months after being taken as a Padawan, Obi-Wan Kenobi faces a challenge: meeting his Master’s first apprentice. ✦ untitled by elfpen, obi-wan & qui-gon, 3.1k    Anonymous asked: if you’re still accepting prompts: smol padawan obi-wan letting slip his law abiding exterior and letting loose the terrifying intensity beneath it. preferably in defense of qui-gon or something. ✦ The will of the Force by Lysore, obi-wan & yoda & qui-gon, 2.7k    Obi-Wan piqued Yoda’s interest early on, except the Grand Master of the Order had known for just as long that the Initiate was destined to be Qui-Gon Jinn’s Padawan. ✦ I thought I fought this war alone by stonefreeak, obi-wan & qui-gon & cast, time travel, 3.7k    Obi-Wan is thirteen years old, just about to start learning Ataru from his Master. Obi-Wan is sixty-one years old, dead and one with the Force since four years back. Obi-Wan is both, and neither. ✦ The First Trial by Raven_Knight, obi-wan & qui-gon, 2k    Accompanied by his Master, Qui-Gon Jinn, young Obi-Wan Kenobi undergoes his first trial and rite as a Padawan Learner on the frozen planet of Ilum. ✦ Hearts Entwined by KeeperofSeeds, obi-wan & shmi & qui-gon, time travel, 6.5k wip    stolen moments between Padawan Kenobi and Shmi Skywalker, glimpsed by Qui Gon Jinn, and his continued attempts to understand both this strange new addition to the Temple and the unexplained relationship between the pair ✦ The Orchards by Raven_Knight, obi-wan & qui-gon & cast, 3.6k    When young Obi-Wan Kenobi is injured on a previous mission, Qui-Gon Jinn refuses to accept further off-planet missions until his Padawan’s recovery. Yoda assigns the pair an in-Temple mission of utmost importance while Obi-Wan heals. Master and Padawan welcome the change of pace. ✦ The Path of Totality by Raven_Knight, obi-wan & yoda & qui-gon & cast, 1.8k    Before going their separate ways into exile, Obi-Wan Kenobi shares with Yoda a lesson of wisdom he’d learned from his late Master, Qui-Gon Jinn. A lesson of darkness, light, and hope. ✦ Finding Balance by Raven_Knight, qui-gon & dooku & jocasta, 1.4k    Eleven-year-old Padawan Jinn is left behind while his Master goes on a mission off-planet. Qui-Gon is left in the care of Jocasta Nu, and he’s not exactly enthusiastic about it. ✦ Warmth by Tomatosoupful, obi-wan & anakin & qui-gon & xanatos & tahl & shmi & cast, child endangerment, time travel, 59.8k wip    Time Travel AU. Anakin has woken up in the past. Time to say hello to past friends, right? Only problem, Anakin is a walking talking human disaster and makes a lot of stupid decisions. Stealing a Jedi baby from the temple certainly isn’t the smartest thing he’s done. ✦ Abducted by devilinthedetails, obi-wan & qui-gon, 1.6k    In trying to rescue the kidnapped daughter of a planetary leader, Qui-Gon finds himself abducted and in need of Obi-Wan’s rescue. ✦ Trust Fall by devilinthedetails, obi-wan & anakin & qui-gon, 1.4k    Two generations of Masters and Padawans. Two generations of trust falls. ✦ Something Borrowed, Something New by Raven_Knight, qui-gon & dooku/jocasta, 1.6k    Qui-Gon Jinn had only been claimed as Knight Dooku’s Padawan for three weeks before he’d managed to get himself into trouble with his Master. ✦ In Memoriam by ruth baulding, obi-wan & anakin & qui-gon & evan piell, 6.4k    In the midst of a desperate escape from the Citadel, Obi Wan mourns a friendship. A tribute to Jedi Master Evan Piell. ✦ One Day by ruth baulding, obi-wan & qui-gon & mace & shmi & bail/breha & palpatine, 9.9k    A single moment in time, on five different planets. A birth, an election, a discovery, a marriage, and a mission. Because all things are mysteriously united in the Force. ✦ They Are by Charmisjess, dooku & qui-gon, 1.7k    This is their moment, their eternity. They think its going to be like this forever. ✦ The Exchange by MissLearn, obi-wan & anakin & some anakin/padme & ahsoka & qui-gon & rex & cast, time travel, 77k wip    ROTS Obi-Wan and Anakin are swapped with their younger, TPM, selves. It changes things, in both parallels. ✦ Family by lilyconrad, obi-wan & anakin & qui-gon & darth maul & cast, sith!obi-wan, 6.8k    Seven years after the duel on Naboo, Obi-Wan Kenobi has turned to the dark, Maul has turned to the light, and young Anakin is caught somewhere in-between. Can Qui-Gon rescue his Padawan before it’s too late? ✦ Fountain of Force by esama, qui-gon & cast, final fantasy 7 crossover, 8.9k    In which Qui-Gon Jinn comes from Gaia. ✦ Rewrought by esama, obi-wan & qui-gon & maul, time travel, 4.4k    Bit o time travel ✦ Lion Jinn by esama, obi-wan & anakin & qui-gon & cast, 5.7k wip    Qui-Gon Jinn reincarnates as a lion. ✦ Brothers (working title) by Charity_Angel, obi-wan & anakin & qui-gon & padme & shmi & yoda & cast, 17.3k wip    In which Qui-Gon has a very near miss on Naboo, Obi-Wan is very stubborn, and they end up breaking a lot of rules accidentally as a result. All because of that kid they picked up on Tatooine. ✦ untitled by legobiwan, yoda & dooku & qui-gon, 1.5k    Yan Dooku was getting too old for this type of thing. He had rushed into the healer’s ward, Qui-gon’s limp body in his arms. That in itself had been a feat, as the boy’s gangly limbs were everywhere, but somehow the older Jedi Master had been able to deposit his wayward Padawan on a bed before an errant arm took his nose off. ✦ Drifting Starlight by Pandora151, obi-wan & anakin & ahsoka & qui-gon & cast, time travel, 60.3k    Just before the fateful Battle of Naboo, Qui-Gon Jinn is brought to the future, to the Clone Wars. He doesn’t know why or how, but he knows one thing for sure: He never, in a million years, expected the galaxy to end up like this. ✦ Although He Smiles by AutumnChild22, obi-wan & anakin & ahsoka & padme & qui-gon & cast, time travel, 86.9k wip    She’d counted the 750 steps down from the Temple. She’d said her goodbyes, and left Master Anakin standing below the great pillars. What more could the Force want from her? ‘Everything’ sums it up nicely. Waking 13 years in the past, Ahsoka faces a harsh reality. As events begin to unfold, she faces a ticking clock that times a galaxy’s end. ✦ A New History by Annie Walker, obi-wan & anakin & qui-gon & dooku & cast, time travel, 533.4k wip    During a heated battle, Dooku escaped into the past! Obi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker follow to stop him, but discover that Dooku went to the past where Obi-Wan is a young padawan to a very much alive Qui-Gon Jinn. Now, the two must go undercover to stop Dooku’s plans from coming to fruition in order to save not only the future, but also young Obi-Wan Kenobi and Qui-Gon Jinn. ✦ The First Trial by Raven_Knight, obi-wan & qui-gon, 2k    Accompanied by his Master, Qui-Gon Jinn, young Obi-Wan Kenobi undergoes his first trial and rite as a Padawan Learner on the frozen planet of Ilum. ✦ Hearts Entwined by KeeperofSeeds, obi-wan & shmi & qui-gon, time travel, 6.5k wip    stolen moments between Padawan Kenobi and Shmi Skywalker, glimpsed by Qui Gon Jinn, and his continued attempts to understand both this strange new addition to the Temple and the unexplained relationship between the pair ✦ Highly Dissatisfied by Raven_Knight, obi-wan & qui-gon, 1.1k    Obi-Wan enters the quarters he shares with his Master, intending to ask for help in preparation for his exams. Qui-Gon, however, is dealing with a far more urgent matter. ✦ playing yourself like a red three by EclipseMidnight (EternalEclipse), obi-wan & xanatos & qui-gon, 7.7k    As usual, Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon’s mission has gone spectacularly sideways, this time before they even reach the planet they are meant to be helping. Luckily for them, they get some help from an unexpected source. ✦ so far the suns by blackkat, mace & qui-gon, 1.3k    “My old friend,” Qui-Gon tells Mace, quiet, and his presence comes closer. “I fear I made several mistakes in the past weeks, and I would ask you to correct them for me.” ✦ The Cry by batsojopo, obi-wan & qui-gon & xanatos & ocs & cast, 4.2k    This is my version of how Obi-Wan Kenobi arrived at the Jedi Temple. ✦ kybersong by Shadaras, obi-wan & qui-gon, 1.6k    Obi-Wan Kenobi goes in search of his lightsaber’s crystal heart. ✦ What Have We Become by Batsutousai, feemor & qui-gon & obi-wan & anakin & cast, time travel, 43.7k    One of Feemor’s greatest regrets, was that he never had the chance to get to know his brother-padawan, but the Force is willing to give him one more chance. And maybe, if he’s lucky, he can finally make amends with his former master and save them all in the process. ✦ We Start and End With Family by Batsutousai, feemor & qui-gon & obi-wan & yoda & cast, time travel, 8.8k    Qui-Gon had been mostly joking when he’d originally brought up the idea of a lineage dinner, but when his former padawan grabbed for the idea with both hands and a desperation Qui-Gon didn’t understand (and privately hoped he never would), he knew he would never be able to refuse. ✦ turning dust right into gold by blackkat, mace/qui-gon & depa & cast, 1.3k    Mace knows Depa too well. She’s absolutely going to do something terrible, particularly for Mace’s dignity. ✦ A Price to Be Paid by Peach_Bitters (Starf), qui-gon & dooku & cast, 3.1k    Young Qui-Gon learns there’s a price to be paid for his curiosity. ✦ For the Future of the Order by thetorontokid, obi-wan & qui-gon & cast, 3.9k    There are important lessons to be found in the Jedi Temple crèche.

[dalekofchaos]

What if Qui-Gon Jinn lived and trained Anakin?

Much like my what if Mace trained Anakin post, I will be doing it for if Qui-Gon trained Anakin.

First of all, let’s say Qui-Gon did not allow Maul to bump him with the hilt of his lightsaber. Qui-Gon successfully manages to cut Maul in two much like Obi-Wan did on Rebels.

Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan rejoice as the Sith Lord has been vanquished. Qui-Gon knows this isn’t over as the master is still out there.

Obi-Wan will be knighted and Qui-Gon will be allowed to train Anakin despite the Council’s warning.(fuck Yoda tbh)

It's obviously speculation, but I'm going to say that Qui-Gon would have managed to keep Anakin from falling to the Dark Side.

Anakin's core problem was that he wasn't a good fit for the Jedi Code. Anakin was a very passionate person, and he wasn't able to suppress his emotions and remain detached. Despite the teachings of Orthodox Jedi doctrine, it's not true that all emotion leads to the Dark Side - positive emotions such as love and joy belong to the Light. If Anakin could have been taught to sublimate his emotions rather than suppress them, he would have been able to handle his anger and anxieties issue much better. Moreover, if he hadn't felt like he needed to hide his marriage to Padme, he would have been able to go to the other Jedi with his concerns, rather than to Palpatine.

Unfortunately, the prequel-era Jedi Order had become rigid, dogmatic, and arrogant. They were absolutely certain that their way to the Light was the only way, and they kept try to force Anakin to follow a path that he just wasn't suited for. It took twenty years and two civil wars before Anakin was finally able to follow his passions to the Light.

Qui-Gon was known as a maverick Jedi, and I always got the impression that if anyone in the Order could have taught Anakin how to handle his emotions, it was him. Qui-Gon was very much a pragmatic, in-the-moment sort of person, who wouldn't let detachment blind him to the realities in front of him, and the reality was that Anakin simply couldn't do it the Jedi way.

Regarding Anakin’s training. I believe Qui-Gon is the only one who could have saved Anakin from the dark side.

Qui-Gon Jinn was notoriously known as a maverick Jedi. His own master, Count Dooku, was also known to buck commonplace trends of the Jedi Order. Jinn frequently challenged the status quo of the Jedi High Council and was a consummate student of the Living Force.

He did not subscribe to all of the notions within the Jedi Code and sought to find his own answers instead of merely accepting what he was given by his High Council masters.

It was his challenging mindset that ultimately precluded Qui-Gon from becoming a member of the High Council and considering how things eventually developed for the Jedi, being totally decimated by one of their very own, perhaps Qui-Gon Jinn’s ”outside-of-the-box” way of thinking could have prevented that devastation.

In the comic Star Wars: Age of Republic:Qui-Gon Jinn, it showed that Qui-Gon placed his faith in the force over that in the council. The Jedi Master's doubts and true intentions are finally explained. Qui-Gon didn't fail to notice the Dark Side boiling up inside of Anakin Skywalker: he believed that darkness was exactly what was needed to bring balance to The Force. Showing once and for all that Anakin could have brought peace to the galaxy... if Qui-Gon Jinn had trained him. But for all their talk of "balance" the Jedi Order of the Star Wars movies had grown rigid in their prejudice. And in the pages of Star Wars: Age of Republic: Qui-Gon Jinn, the Jedi's crisis of faith long before The Phantom Menace is finally shown. Not to overstate it, but Qui-Gon seems to realize what no other member of the Jedi Council is noticing: that they have lost their vision. And to get his back, he leaps blindly into hyperspace with only The Force to guide him, and accepts the lesson it has to teach him. On an alien world teaming with both life and deadly, "dark" growth, Qui-Gon communes with The Force. Sensing both the life-giving Force and the darkness to balance it, he awakens from his vision to see that the darkness has been driven back. Light triumphed over it, returning true "balance, but through a means beyond conflict." The lesson sticks, and Qui-Gon returns to the Order keeping this knowledge to himself. The Jedi believe the Dark Side to be resisted by any means necessary... but only in the face of darkness can light restore the balance. A principle that clearly occupies Qui-Gon's mind when discovering a small slave boy on a planet called Tatooine. The lesson taught by The Force was clear, so when he, of all possible Jedi, happened across a boy conceivably born of The Force itself, Qui-Gon knew it was no accident. As he tells the Jedi Council in Episode 1, "It was the will of The Force, if that I have no doubt."

Qui-Gon and The Council believe in two different things when it came to “Bring balance to the force”. For the Council, it means The Force has produced a champion to vanquish the darkness, leaving only the light. While Qui-Gon's encounter with The Force has shown "balance" to be the acceptance of darkness, so that light might overcome it. The Council senses the potential for the Dark Side in Anakin, and views it as a threat. Qui-Gon would have sensed the same, but understand Anakin's potential for darkness was the entire point of The Force's lesson (and by extension, the prophecy).

Qui-Gon saw the problem with the Jedi. They stopped serving the force and only served the will of The Republic. Qui-Gon expresses that very concern to Master Yoda (who, despite his wisdom, fails to consider it). After a rescued dignitary wonders why Qui-Gon didn't let his blade do the talking, he realizes just how far the Jedi Order has strayed from their intended mission. Qui-Gon argues that "our actions are a reflection of our purpose." That years spent enforcing have made the Jedi think like enforcers, until even Yoda can not see the danger Qui-Gon does before them: that "violence sows the seeds of the Dark Side. Unchecked, the Jedi could become that which we fight against." Stay blind to this reality too long and it would be possible for the Jedi to, say, march into the office of the democratically appointed head of the Republic to kill him in the name of defeating darkness - giving even a good man reason to think that from his point of view, "it is the Jedi who are lost."

The comic makes it clear that Qui-Gon kept his newfound understanding of The Force and the Dark Side to himself, raising the fact that the Jedi must remain more flexible and open to changing beliefs than their ancient enemies, the Sith. But after meeting resistance from his own Jedi Master, concluding the chat by conceding to Yoda's (Sith-like) absolutes concerning the Dark Side. Just in case anyone needed a bit more proof that Qui-Gon Jinn was the only Jedi who could possibly have understood how to train and educate Anakin in the truth of his power. And, let's not forget, fulfill his destiny as the One to restore balance to the galaxy "through a means beyond conflict."  At least, that's assuming The Force really did create him, imbue him with both light and darkness, and drop him into the lap of the one Jedi Master who could help him truly restore balance, knowing his darkness was to be understood, not branded as bad, wrong, flawed, and to be ignored until it consumed him. Now the only question to consider is how much Darth Sidious may have sensed the will of The Force himself, sending his apprentice Darth Maul to kill Qui-Gon before he could serve his purpose. The death of Qui-Gon Jinn was always heartbreaking for fans, but will be doubly tragic, now that Star Wars fans know The Forces hopes for Anakin Skywalker died along with him.

If Qui-Gon had lived to train Anakin himself, that lesson would almost certainly have proven true. Because by that point, even Qui-Gon had come to realize what Anakin eventually would: that the Jedi had lost their way.

Let’s talk about the Legend of Qui-Gon Jinn. I’ll hit some key points, but you should read his Wookiepedia page sometime. He’s one of the characters that’s filled out more in the Legends material than the movie itself, so there’s quite a few points you might not be aware of:

Apprentice of Dooku, great swordsman, and holdout believer in the philosophy of the Living Force

One of those unfortunate Jedi Masters, along with Mace Windu, who has trained a Padawan that lost it and went Dark

Recognized and reputed for his abilities to teach and train

Trained two Jedi, including one that was arguably too old to be a Padawan anymore (Obi-Wan Kenobi)

Loved another Jedi—A blind Noorian by the name of Tahl who was Head Archivist—but they agreed to decline acting on it despite mutual feelings

Suffered from visions of Tahl’s potential death, just before she goes on a mission and disappears for 3 weeks…

Eventually gets sent after her, finds her captive, and witnesses her death…narrowly too late to save her.

Slips into depression, then almost loses it in rage and desire for revenge…

Sensing a pattern yet? Qui-Gon is just about the only Jedi in the universe that could hear EVERYTHING Anakin went through and honestly say “I understand, and I know how you feel”

Whereas most of the Jedi just tell Anakin his life will be better if he lets go, Qui-Gon would have concrete advice for him and could sympathetically say he’s been through the same situations. They would have bonded over Anakin’s worst emotional moments. They could have had honest conversations about how nebulous those feelings were. Qui-Gon could help the younger boy sort those feelings out and get to the core values behind them. And he’d have been able to help Anakin make the right choices while he was calm, rather than having the wrong choices leak out of him under stress.

He might have also warned Anakin about the possibility of dreams being self-fulfilling prophecies… but also Qui-Gon would’ve given Anakin the idea that doing something about it (other than letting go) is a valid option. When Ahsoka was troubled by the possibility to losing someone close to hear, Yoda tells her meditate on it. with Anakin, it’s all about the dark side. Qui-Gon would’ve heard him out and who knows, Qui-Gon and Anakin would’ve saved Shmi together if Anakin had Qui-Gon to confide in.

Beyond that, I think learning the Living Force would have been important for Anakin, because his natural personality fit its tenants better than the Unifying Force view of the other Jedi:

All living things are connected, and we should be mindful of how we impact one another

“Mom, you said that the biggest problem in the universe is no one helps each other.” — Anakin, in The Phantom Menace

“Why do I have the sense that we’ve picked up another pathetic life form?” — Obi-Wan Kenobi in The Phantom Menace, clearly not thinking like his Master or Anakin does

Qui-Gon is noted in the Legends as constantly annoying people — including his Master Dooku as a Padawan—with his convictions about saving other living creatures from bad situations. So Obi-Wan’s comment wasn’t just referencing Jar-Jar…

Live in the moment, rather than focusing on the future. Be mindful of the future and consequences, but remain focused on the present.

Anakin often worried about the future too much, particularly with his dreams. Even having someone there that could urge him to think about what he could do now, might have helped him calm down.

Rely on your instincts

Skywalker was always instinctive, and it shows in how he pilots. He can learn the controls to almost anything in 5 minutes tops, and he can intuit what’s wrong or off about a machine and adjust for it. Likewise, he’s the same in physical combat — an instinctive natural with a blade. Anytime he stops thinking and just goes, he’s good…

Obi-Wan often tried to get Anakin to avoid acting on his instincts and follow a plan. He called on Anakin to think coherently, and to focus on strategy…Anakin never really took to it very well, and frequently charged in, falling back on instinct when he was stressed.

Qui-Gon would instead have tried to get Anakin to hone his instincts. Double down on your ability to use your senses and listen to them…learn to assess the situation in front of you fully, so that you don’t miss details. Then, be the best YOU can be, and stop worrying about everything else.

Qui-Gon was a Jedi experienced with a Padawan going astray, so he would no doubt have been sober and measured in his approach to training Anakin. But, he lived his life with compassion as a major tenet, so he would have done everything in his power to hear the boy out and not have him feel alone. He also is unafraid to disagree with the Council, so he’d stand up for the boy when he thought the approach they wanted to take was not a good one. Qui-Gon would have been a great influence on Anakin, leading him to believe that you can both disagree with the Council AND still have respect for them.

That, and Anakin’s trust in him, lead me to think he might have confided in QG about some things that he instead took to Palpatine. Can you imagine how differently things go if Anakin talks to Qui-Gon about Padme? In my mind, I see a big scene after Attack of the Clones, where Qui-Gon helps Anakin sort through his needs and wants, and perhaps urges him to leave the Jedi Order and go have his family.

What exactly does Anakin need to be a Jedi for at that point? Go be Lost Jedi #21, and live a happy life. Or, if you still want to fight, take a moment and decide what’s the best path forward for your family. One honest conversation here might have helped Anakin come to some convictions, rather than spinning in a confusing downward spiral later on. He would have felt much less cornered and confused in most of his situations, had he had a father figure in his corner that understood the way he thought and felt about things.

Also, having a few more Living Force thinkers might have helped them realize that the only person who really had anything to gain from both the Naboo Invasion and the Clone Wars WAS Palpatine…he could have garnered much more suspicion early on. Qui-Gon might have noticed how much the Jedi Order was shifting in the midst of the war, and would have actively fought to bring that to people’s attention and urge the Council to do something about it in a productive way.

Look at how much Qui-Gon’s existence messed up Palpatine’s plans in The Phantom Menace. I am firmly convinced that Qui-Gon’s continued existence would have been a major threat to the rest of Palpatine’s plans. He knew how the other Jedi thought. He apparently didn’t have the same read on the sort of tactics Qui-Gon used. Chances are, Palpatine would have to orchestrate a situation to specifically take him out of the picture, or watch large swaths of his plan get foiled.

Now since we take this all into account, let’s go into what would change in canon

Qui-Gon would train Anakin in the Lightsaber Form IV Ataru and Anakin would master it beautifully

Anakin and Obi-Wan would become friends throughout Anakin’s training. 

Qui-Gon and Anakin would’ve saved Shmi from the Tusken Raiders as Qui-Gon would’ve wanted to enact on Anakin’s visions, The Council be damned

Qui-Gon would have complete faith in Anakin protecting Padme, while Qui-Gon would seek the aid of Obi-Wan in investigating Kamino

Qui-Gon would confront his old master, Dooku

As they reach Geonosis, I do believe Qui-Gon would send Obi-Wan back to contact Anakin and The Council about his and Qui-Gon’s findings

Qui-Gon would be captured in Obi-Wan’s place

Qui-Gon would be confronted of his old master, Dooku. He is in disbelief that his master turned to the dark side and tried to have Padme assassinated. He rejects his offer of joining him and the Separatists.

Because of Qui-Gon’s training, Anakin is more calm and less headstrong. Together they would take Dooku. Dooku knows the fight will turn in the Jedi’s favor, so he attacks Anakin’s weak points and uses that against Qui-Gon. So then we have Dooku and Yoda’s fight which remains the same.

As The Clone Wars rages on, Ahsoka would become Obi-Wan’s apprentice

Anakin and Ahsoka would be close friends

Qui-Gon would be trying to stop the war, he would be much like the Padme of the Jedi Order

Qui-Gon would be spending the majority of The Clone Wars to getting to the bottom of the source of The Clone Wars, while helping Anakin

Qui-Gon and Padme are pretty much Palpatine’s biggest thorns in his side, they are fucking his plans up left and right. 

With Qui-Gon by his side, Anakin would not lose his cool against Clovis

Both Qui-Gon and Anakin would believe Ahsoka, when Obi-Wan and the Council have abandoned her

What happened to Ahsoka and Barris betrayal showed Qui-Gon that this war has gone too far and the Jedi have betrayed themselves. He goes to Anakin, Obi-Wan and Padme. With the truth. Palpatine is Darth SIdious, the very man behind everything. He tells them all we must expose him in front of the Senate and “Execute Order 65″ while on Kamino, Qui-Gon learned all there is to know of the contingency orders. And knows this is the only way to bring the Sith down. "In the event of either (i) a majority in the Senate declaring the Supreme Commander (Chancellor) to be unfit to issue orders, or (ii) the Security Council declaring him or her to be unfit to issue orders, and an authenticated order being received by the GAR, commanders shall be authorized to detain the Supreme Commander, with lethal force if necessary, and command of the GAR shall fall to the acting Chancellor until a successor is appointed or alternative authority identified as outlined in Section 6 (iv)."

By ROTS, Anakin and Qui-Gon would faced with Dooku, while Obi-Wan goes to find Grievous. As Anakin cuts his hands off, Qui-Gon wakes up and thanks to his teachings, Anakin would not execute Dooku. Anakin does not see the value of executing the leader of the Separatists and the information he could tell. Qui-Gon would tell how proud he is of his padawan. 

Obi-Wan would’ve killed Grievous on the Invisible Hand. 

At this point Palpatine is shaking in his boots. Qui-Gon Jinn is still alive and dangerously close to exposing the truth. General Grievous is dead. Dooku is held captive. 

This is the plan of Qui-Gon Jinn. Expose Palpatine to the public. He knows the Jedi confronting him directly would be turned against them, the Jedi would be on high alert and be watching for any type of assassin or bounty hunter. Dooku tells the truth to all. Dooku declares “my lord, you have lost” “no, no no YOU HAVE LOST” Palpatine states before executing Dooku with force lightning. Anakin, Qui-Gon, Obi-Wan, Yoda and Mace rush to face Palpatine. As they face the Sith Lord, Padme broadcasts this to every Clone. “Execute Order 65.” Every Clone Trooper would be ordered to arrest or kill Palpatine. Any clone who dares to approach Palpatine is disintegrated by Palpatine’s Force Lightning. In the end it is Anakin and Rex who kill the Sith Lord. The war is over. Balance has been brought to the force and the Empire is over before it can begin

The Council is reformed. They finally see their ways have blinded them and embrace Qui-Gon and Anakin’s way of thinking. They see the value of attachments and admit they were wrong about Anakin

Qui-Gon is at peace knowing he helped train the chosen one and brought balance to the force. Anakin is allowed to have a family and be granted the rank of master. He lives in bliss knowing his visions never came to pass. Luke and Leia are born. The Clone army have disbanded and are allowed a life beyond duty. Padme has become Chancellor of the Republic and will usher in an era of peace and freedom for the Galaxy.  

[crystal-siren]

A Bright Beginning (Obi-Wan x Reader) Pt.2/3

Requested by the lovely @dovies666, hope you like it :) 

Part 1

“There’s a corner of my heart that is yours. And I don’t mean for now, or until I’ve found somebody else, I mean forever. I mean to say that whether I fall in love a thousand times over or once or never again, there’ll always be a small quiet place in my heart that belongs only to you. ~ Beau Taplin || The Corner

The human mind is truly the scariest thing of all and right now Y/N was convinced that her’s was playing tricks on her.

Down in the Archives, Y/N had been sent by her Master to locate and retrieve information on a planetary system called Ryloth. Y/N had never been to the system but Master Tahl had, and unless they were being sent on a mission there, Y/N had no idea as to why her Master would send her down there.

“Ryloth you say?” Jedi Archivist Jocasta Nu cocked her head to the side and narrowed her eyes thoughtfully.

Nodding, Y/N opened her mouth to answer when...

“Y/N you in here?” A familiar voice reached her ears and her eyes widened.

“Obi-Wan?” Y/N’s attention switched to the direction from which his voice came. Turning away from the Archivist, Y/N’s eyes swept the entirety of the Archive hall. “Where are you?” She was confused as to why she had not been notified of his return.

“Y/N, Padawan Kenobi is off-planet.” Master Nu’s voice came from behind her and brought her attention back to her.

“Then why did I hear him ?” Y/N raised her eyebrows in anticipation for a believable answer. “Surely you heard it too.”

“No one but me called you, Padawan Y/L/N,” the Archivist spoke as if to a youngling.

“Are you saying that I imagined it?” Even Y/N was surprised at the challenging tone of her voice.

“It is possible, yes.”

Unable to think of any coherent reply, Y/N bowed quickly to the Jedi Master before hurrying out of the Archives, the requested information forgotten.

~ ~ ~

Obi-Wan could honestly say he was glad to see Tatooine fade behind them as they plotted a course back to the Capital.

His mind wandered back to the brief conversation he had had with his Master about his adversary. What if what Y/N had told him somehow coincided with all this? Obi-Wan shuddered to think of the possibility. Surely they would have at least sensed the return of the Sith, beings as powerful as they could hardly slip under the radar, as it were.

The possibility that his Master’s attacker had been a Sith was daunting enough, let alone the thought they had not seen the last of him. The sooner they arrived back at the Capital, the better.

His thoughts unwittingly turned to Y/N. How was she handling all this? No doubt made harder by what she already knew. She was passionate, and would no doubt keep pushing until someone listened to her and heeded what she was saying.

“You must learn to control your thoughts my young Padawan,” Qui-Gon’s voice pulled him from his thoughts, “lest the Council should catch wind of their nature.”

Choosing not to say anything, Obi-Wan greeted his Master with a slight bow.

“You are right to worry, young Y/N carries a heavy burden,” Qui-Gon moved to stand beside his apprentice. “You must see to it that she does not carry it alone.” If he noticed Obi-Wan’s confused and questioning look, he said nothing.

“What of the Council?” Obi-Wan asked, changing the subject ever-so-slightly. “Will they believe you?”

“There’s no telling of what they will or will not do,” Qui-Gon answered, “but we must have faith that the Force will guide their decision.”

“But Master,” Obi-Wa turned slightly to face Qui-Gon, “what if they simply brush it aside? For surely they would have forewarned us.”

“I cannot speak for the Council, Obi-Wan,” Qui-Gon paused a little before continuing, “but I sense your reluctance to bring this matter to them. Why is that?”

Obi-Wan did not answer right away, but when he did, his voice was quieter than before. “Y/N has already tried, but they would not listen.”

“Ah. Yes.” Qui-Gon sounded thoughtful. He knew, as well as Obi-Wan, what the voices meant. “She has a powerful gift, one that has not been seen or heard of before. It is likely that only a small portion of the Council believes her, but not enough to give her the support she needs.”

“Do you think she knows this?” If not, then Obi-Wan knew that as soon as they reached the Capital, it would be the first thing he would tell her.

“It is unlikely.” Qui-Gon’s answer seemed to end the conversation.

Then, another thought crossed Obi-Wan’s mind. “What of the boy? Anakin. What is to become of him ?”

“He will come with us to the Temple once we reach Coruscant.”

“To be trained?”

Qui-Gon glanced at his apprentice and sighed. “That is for the Council to decide.”

~ ~ ~

Walking alongside her Master, Y/N’s mind wandered back to the incident in the Archives. If Master Tahl knew anything about it, she hadn’t said anything.

Her attention was brought back to the present when she noticed a change in her surroundings. They stood at the entrance to one of the Temple’s numerous training salles. “Master?” She looked up in confusion at the woman next to her.

“It’s been a while since you have had any practice in dueling.” Tahl shrugged off her robe. “Your mind has been elsewhere of late. I need it to be here, in the present.”

Sighing, Y/N slipped her robe off and made to retrieve a training saber when her Master stopped her. “It’s time you trained with a real one.”

Y/N’s eyes widened as she took in what her Master was saying. She may have assembled her own lightsaber but she had never used it. “Master, are you sure this is wise ?”

“Would I suggest it if it were not?” Tahl smiled at her apprentice.

“No,” Y/N returned the expression, “I suppose not.”

Unhooking her saber from her belt, she waited for her Master to do the same.

Y/N was grateful that she and her Master were the only occupants in the salle. Her cheeks were flushed red and she could feel the sweat run down her spine. Her Master had proved to her, once again, that she had a lot to learn.

Deactivating their respective weapons, the pair retrieved their robes.

“You did well, Y/N. If you continue like that, you’ll be competing in the trials in next to no time.”

Y/N felt her cheeks redden even more, if that was at all possible. “Thank you Master, truly, and I apologise.”

Slipping her robe over her tall frame, Tahl looked down at her Padawan, confused. “Whatever for?”

“My state of mind, Master.” Y/N ducked her head and looked down at her feet. “I have been distracted lately. I shall endeavour to exercise more control.”

Tahl smiled down at the young woman. “You need not apologise my young Padawan. You carry the burden of the future. It is not a light one, nor will it ever be. In time you will see that you need not carry it alone.” She lay gentle hand on Y/N’s shoulder.

“Master?” Y/N asked, confused as to her Master’s meaning.

“You have friends Y/N,” Tahl explained. “Let them help you, let me help you. That is why I am here.”

Y/N smiled and nodded. “Thank you Master.”

“You are a good student, Y/N.” Her hand moved to gently cup Y/N’s cheek, “I am so very proud of you. Never forget that.”

Y/N nodded and pulled on her own robe before following her Master out of the salle and into the hallway beyond.

~ ~ ~

Never had Coruscant looked more beautiful. But then again, in Obi-Wan’s view every planet was beautiful compared with the one they had just left.

Disembarking with his Master, Obi-Wan waited patiently while Qui-Gon spoke with the Queen and her Captain.

His thoughts drifted to Y/N and to what her reaction would be once he had told her the good news. Thoughts that were soon interrupted with the return of his Master. His eyes narrowed in confusion as he watched Anakin go with the Queen instead of Qui-Gon.

Contemplating whether or not to address the matter, Obi-Wan followed his Master to the transport that would take them to the Temple.

The journey was a short one.

Climbing the steps to the main entrance, Obi-Wan glanced at his Master and for once in their time together, he wanted to know what he was thinking.

Upon entering the temple, he and Qui-Gon immediately made their way to the turbolift that would take them to the Council chambers.

It was then that he noticed two approaching figures, one distinctly shorter than the other and a small smile soon formed.

Why Master Tahl had insisted they go for a walk, Y/N had not the slightest idea. Her arms and legs were aching from the training session and she was trying hard not to grimace with every step.

“Y/N?”

She froze. Her legs refused to move and her eyes widened as she took in the speaker. Not again, please not again.

Obi-Wan was confused. Why had Y/N stopped as soon as she heard him call to her? Why did she look at him with wide, disbelieving eyes? He hadn’t been gone that long, surely.

Approaching her, he addressed her a second time, “Y/N?”

Y/N squeezed her eyes shut for a split second before opening them again. No, this couldn’t be happening. Casting an apologetic glance her Master’s way, she turned on her heels and walked swiftly the way she had come, not once looking back.

“Come Obi-Wan,” Qui-Gon’s calm voice pulled him from his confused trance. What had gotten into her?

Shaking his head to clear it, he followed his Master into the turbolift.

~ ~ ~

Obi-Wan stood silently beside his Master as their mission so far was reported to the Council. He looked at each of the Council members in turn as his Master spoke, he studied them as a distraction. Y/N’s behaviour upon seeing him disturbed him more than he cared to admit.

His attention was pulled back to the present when he heard his Master describe their situation on Tatooine and in particular, his mysterious attacker.

“He had all the lightsaber fighting capabilities and the moves of the Jedi, only faster and more aggressive. My only conclusion... is that it was a Sith Lord.”

Sith. So Y/N was right. Was this what she had heard his Master say? Was this what had led her to believe that something dark was on the horizon?

“Impossible! The Sith are extinct! They have been for nearly a millenium.” One of the Council members, Ki-Adi-Mundi spoke up.

“I agree. The Sith would not have returned without us sensing it.” Obi-Wan’s attention was drawn to the second speaker, the Korun Jedi Master, Mace Windu.

This is how he imagined it must have gone when Y/N would have spoken to them about what she had heard. Denial and dismissing.

His thoughts were interrupted when at last, Yoda spoke, “Hard to see, the dark side is. We must investigate further before drawing a conclusion to the identity of your adversary.” His words gave the young Padawan hope that perhaps Master Yoda was among the few that believed Y/N.

Taking these words as a dismissal, Obi-Wan bowed and turned to leave but soon noticed that his Master had not moved, it seemed as though he had more to say, about what, Obi-Wan had a suspicion.

It seemed the Council noticed this too. Master Yoda spoke up, perhaps voicing the thoughts of his fellow Council Members. “Master Qui-Gon. More to say have you ?”

His Master nodded and folded his hands within the wide sleeves of his robe. “With your permission, my Master, I have encountered a vergence in the Force.”

Obi-Wan’s apprehension turned into curiosity at how this situation would turn out.

“A vergence, you say?” It seemed that Qui-Gon had indeed snagged their attention.

Even that of Master Windu, who lent forward ever-so-slightly. “Located around a person?”

Encouraged by their questions, Qui-Gon continued, “ A boy. His cells have the highest concentration of midi-chlorians I have seen in a life-form. It was possible he was concieved by the midi-chlorians.“

His statement was met with silence and Obi-Wan held his breath.

At last Master Windu broke the heavy silence, “you refer to the prophecy of The One who will bring balance to the Force. You believe it's this boy?”

Obi-Wan glanced between the two Masters, what answer would his Master give that wouldn’t sound too much like a presumption?

“I don’t presume-” Qui-Gon was cut off by Master Yoda.

“But you do. Revealed your opinion is.”

“I request the boy be tested Master.”

It was all Obi-Wan could do from openly staring at his Master in shock. What was he thinking?

His panicked thoughts were interrupted by Master Yoda addressing his Master. “Oh. Trained as a Jedi, you request for him, hmm?”

Despite being put on the spot, as it were, Qui-Gon remained as calm as ever. His answer was evidence of that, “finding him was the will of the Force, I have no doubt of that.”

Silence answered him for a short while as the Council seemed to come to a decision. Master Windu spoke for them, “bring him before us then.” He sounded somewhat resigned.

Eyeing his Master, Obi-Wan waited until he had bowed before following him from the Council chamber.

~ ~ ~

Y/N ran as far and fast as she could, not giving any thought as to how she appeared. How could her mind do this to her? How dare it!

Knowing that it would be too obvious if she went to her quarters, Y/N headed in the direction of one of the more isolated gardens within the temple. Being around nature often helped her clear her head and to think.

All but collapsing on the nearest bench, Y/N attempted to calm herself. Nothing seemed to work, she kept hearing his voice in her head as if on repeat. In any other circumstance she would have been overjoyed to see him.

~ ~ ~ 

Both Jedi took a lungful of the cool early-evening air. They now stood on one of the Temple’s many balconies, overlooking the planet-wide city, the rays of the setting sun reflecting off the many glass surfaces.

“The boy will not pass the Council’s test Master,” Obi-Wan kept his gaze on city-scape before him, his voice steady and certain. “He is too old.”

Qui-Gon was undeterred by his Padawan’s words. “Anakin will become a Jedi,” he too was certain, perhaps even more so. “I promise you.”

Groaning inwardly, Obi-Wan turned slightly to face his Master. “Do not defy the Council, Master. Not again.” Qui-Gon could have very well been on the Council by now, had it not been for obvious reasons.

“I shall do what I must Obi-Wan,” the tell-tale calmness was still there, as well as the certainty. “As must you.”

“Me?” Confusion coloured his tone.

“Do you think me blind my young Padawan?” Qui-Gon’s lips quirked up in a slight smile. “I do not know her as well as you, but I believe that one does not greet friends as she did.”

Obi-Wan’s eyes widened as he took his Master’s meaning. Quickly schooling his expression and reigning in his thoughts, he looked up at his Master. “I believe she was just surprised.”

“Surprised enough to freeze up and then take off in the opposite direction?”

“What is this all about Master?”

Qui-Gon paused before answering. “During the briefing with the Council, you were the most distracted I’ve seen in a long time, if at all.”

Obi-Wan said nothing.

“Find her. Set things straight. You never know when you might get the chance again.”

Obi-Wan was at war with himself. Should he go and enquire after her? Or should he leave it be and wait for her to explain things?

“Go. Obi-Wan,” it was as though Qui-Gon read his thoughts, which he sometimes did.

Without a word, he bowed respectfully to his Master before leaving the balcony and going in search of her. Worry for her seeped into his thoughts, what could possibly have happened that made her react like that?

He tried not to seem too desperate in his search, but he could not find her anywhere, even her Master did not know her location.

It was then that he remembered something she had told him years before. Something about nature. Nature. That was it. Having narrowed down his search somewhat, he tried not to appear too eager.

~ ~ ~

The cool night air washed over Y/N as she sat beneath a small tree. She had finally managed to get her thoughts in some kind of order. She could almost laugh at the irony of her situation. The one person that usually helped her focus was the reason for her not being able to do so.

“Well that’s just typical isn’t it?” She murmured to herself and sighed heavily.

“What is?”

In an instant she was on her feet. Taking on a defensive stance, she backed away from him and shook her head. “No. This isn’t happening. It isn’t real.”

Obi-Wan didn’t think it was possible for him to get even more confused. “Why wouldn’t it be?” He asked her.

“You’re not really here. You’re off-world. I saw you off myself.” She spoke quickly, something she never did unless she was particularly nervous or frightened. 

“I’ve come back,” he spoke slowly and moved cautiously towards her.

“Don’t do that,” she backed away the more he advanced. “Don’t try and convince me you’re real.”

“But I am.”

Y/N glanced nervously at the entrance to the garden, as though someone lurked there, listening.

Not knowing what else to do, he reached out and gently took one of her hands in his own. He expected her to recoil, but she simply stood there and slowly moved her eyes down until they rested on their joined hands.

Y/N’s lips moved as though she was speaking, but no sound came out. Her eyes moved from their hands and up to his face. Narrowing her eyes, she seemed to assess him. “If you are what you say you are, how did, how did you find me?”

“I asked everyone I came across, even Master Tahl. But she knew not where you were. I then remembered something you told me long ago,” a small smile accompanied his next words. “You said, ‘I can only ever truly clear my mind and focus my thoughts if I am around nature in its purest form’. That helped me to narrow my search.”

Y/N felt the unfamiliar sting of tears. “You remember that?” For her it was always a surprise when anyone remembered anything about her.

“Of course I do,” Obi-Wan nodded and gently squeezed her hand. “The things you say are often hard to forget.”

This seemed to convince her. Letting go of his hand, Y/N threw her arms around his neck and pulled him close. “You came back.” Her voice was muffled and her tears soaked into the thick material of his robes.

Ignoring his loyalty to the Code for just this once, Obi-Wan gently wrapped both arms around her waist and simply held her. “Of course I came back. I promised didn’t I?”

To be continued...

Part 3

[inkognito97]

can we have tahl and jocasta meet in the Dracula au with them bonding over their mutual love of reading?

@mostie01

Includes the following prompts:

In the Dracula au can we have jocasta complete her transformation but with her being mad that dooku used his powers on her when she was human m. - anonymous

In the Dracula au can we have Vampire quigon and vampire tahl decide to have a family dinner after their um love making? With obiwan being happy for his parents and dooku showing up with Jocasta who drinks the wine spiked with his blood.  - anonymous

In the Dracula au can we have jocasta fully transform into a vampire after drinking wine spiked with his blood in the bedroom after um sex. - anonymous

In the Dracula au can we have tahl meet jocasta with her being amused that this human Jedi has caught his attention. - anonymous

Tahl looked softly down at her ginger haired brat, who was happily walking between her and her husband. Speaking of which, the older vampire shot her a loving look, it was full of longing and she could easily spot the pain he had suffered through since her death. She looked again at the boy, who had taken her hand, as well as his fathers. Tahl had not said it out aloud, but she knew that Qui-Gon would have gone mad had it had not been for the little ray of sunshine walking between them.

The trio entered the dining area as one and as expected, was Yan already seated at the table and he was in company of a female human. Tahl could immediately tell that she was the female Jedi her husband had told her about. Despite everything that had happened, or perhaps because of it, the honey skinned female found it very funny that her father in law had developed an interest in such a person. No wonder Qui-Gon was so grumpy about it.

Yan’s eyes widened for the briefest of seconds, but he quickly hid the surprise behind the usual mask he put on. If the Jedi noticed anything, she did not let it show.

Tahl sat down across the human, with Obi-Wan seating himself next to her and Qui-Gon next to him. This way, they could easily hold hands on their son’s lap, who did not mind at all. 

“I don’t think we have met yet,” the honey skinned vampire’s smile was genuinely. She wanted to observe before making a decision. “Tahl Jinn, pleased to make your aquaintance.”

Jocasta inwardly winced. It was already bad enough to be surrounded by three vampires, now it were four. Not to forget that the oldest of the bloodsuckers at actually managed to get under her skin. “Jocasta Nu, head archivist in the Jedi temple,” she introduced herself nevertheless.

Gold-green striped eyes found the almost unnoticeable red marks on the woman’s skin. A smile threatened to appear on her features. So her father in law had already made his move. There was no need to fear the human. Now she just needed to make Qui-Gon see it her way… and Obi-Wan as well, if the evil glares he shot the mortal were any indicator. Yes, Obi-Wan was definitely his father’s son, there was no denying it. And just as the long haired vampire, he would break a lot of hearts one day.

A servant with a large bottle of wine entered. The young male bowed and showed the bottle to Yan, who nodded his approval. There was a gleam in his eyes and both Qui-Gon and Tahl knew exactly what that meant. The smell of blood that was only noticeable if you were a vampire, was the final hint. The vampire couple exchanged an amused look over ginger locks. The wine was spiked with the count’s blood.

Meanwhile Obi-Wan was chewing happily on the piece of meat before him. He had noticed the hint of his grandfather’s blood in the wine as well and he was not stupid. He knew the female Jedi would soon be a vampire and part of their family, but she would not be for him. He narrowed his eyes. There was no way that he would call a Jedi family, no way.

Jocasta felt funny. She felt as if she was about to lose the content of her stomach every minute now, but even for that kind of activity was too much for her body. It was as if a whole herd of banthas had trampled over him, leaving bruises and broken bones. 

If she did not know better, she would say that her body was shifting. Her eyes became wide in realization and she curled in on the soft bed she was resting on, as another wave of pain ran through her form. 

“That bastard,” she grit out, already planning a way how she could get out of this situation and desperately hoping that there was one to begin with.

[inkognito97]

Does obiwan keep sifo as his first ghoul? Does obiwan use sifo to care for tahl and tahl enjoys her new present and how it lures prey to her. and is quigon so proud because creating a ghoul takes power and his little boy is growing up?

@mostie01

Includes the following prompts:

In the Dracula au what happens in the gardens does jocasta to get to know dooku with him getting to know her. With her telling dooku about the library she cares for at the temple and how she adores helping people learn. With him telling her about how he found quigon when he was younger and adopting him.

And

In the Dracula au what do jocasta and dooku chat about in the gardens?

For years Obi-Wan had tried to created his first ghoul, ever since he had seen his father make one. It had been his long time goal, his incentive to learn and study. And in the end, all his anxieties had been for naught, because the one time he had not wanted to create one, but just wished to help his mother, it worked. Life was ironic, his grandfather had told him that very early in his life, but up until now, he had not understood what it meant. Now, he did, more clearly than ever. 

The young vampire watched the mindless zombie move with mixed feelings. The fact that the former Jedi obeyed his every command could be very useful indeed, but he had to be extremely careful as well. Should the wrong person see his ghoul and recognize the Jedi, he and his whole family would be in big trouble. In fact, should the female Jedi his grandfather fancied, see the turned human, it could get very ugly indeed. 

“Obi-Wan?” his mother’s voice brought him out of his thoughts.

“Yes mother,” he immediately turned his full attention to the awakened vampire.

“It is getting cold, could you hand me another blanket?” Tahl asked softly.

“Certainly,” the word was not fully out of his mouth and Obi-Wan was already jumping into action, when the ghoul beat him to it. Without having verbally ordered him, the former Jedi moved towards the pile of blankets and set one more on the female.

“I see that you have already mastered your ghoul,” there was so much pride in her voice. Obi-Wan could only smile, He had truly done it and the best part of it, he had made his mother proud and smile.

After his ill mother had fallen asleep again, Obi-Wan intended to quietly leave. To his dismay, the ghoul followed him and no matter what he said or thought, the zombie would follow close by. The young vampire gritted his teeth. This wasn’t good, he could not even leave the coffinroom this way, not with the danger of the female Jedi spotting his newest slave. With an annoyed sigh did the ginger haired male let himself fall onto his coffin. He could only wait until his father would come, perhaps Qui-Gon would know what to do.

Qui-Gon’s first instinct told him to dash forward and kill the Jedi in cold blood and right on the spot he was standing on. Thankfully, he hesitated for only a second and this mere second, was enough to make him realize that there was no danger to his son. 

The older vampire let out a breath he did not know he was holding and then turned his attention back to the clearly dead Jedi in front of him. There was a visible puncture wound at the side of his neck, a few drops of blood had escaped the wound and had left trails on the man’s pale skin. The dead Jedi’s eyes had lost all their color, only a sickly grey remained behind and there was a dumb and emotionless expression on his features. Also, he looked deadly pale.

“Dad!”, even the smaller body of his boy colliding with his own, did not turn Qui-Gon’s attention from the ghoul he was seeing right in front of him.

“Obi-Wan… is he… yours?” it was a stupid question. The long haired vampire knew that his own father could not have done it, he had been in the garden after all. That and Qui-Gon knew that his son was the last person in the Jedi’s company. Still, he could not quite believe it. 

“Yes,” the answer was tinged by annoyance. 

A full smile appeared on his bearded features - something that happened only rarely since Tahl had been taken away from him - and the corners of his eyes wrinkled while he looked down at the grimacing boy. “Obi, my little Obi,” he cooed and leaned down to pick the boy up, so that he was able to place a proper kiss on freckled cheeks. Qui-Gon had always found it highly hilarious that his sun hating boy had freckles.

“He keeps following me everywhere,” Obi-Wan complained, not catching on to his father’s changed mood.

Qui-Gon chuckled. “Well, this is normal, my little fang. A newly turned ghoul will stay with his master until their bond is fully developed, only then, he and his master can be apart quite a distance.” There was a brief moment of silence that the ginger haired bloodsucker used to comprehend his elder’s words. “I’m so proud of you, my moonshine.” 

In all honesty, Qui-Gon was a little bit overwhelmed. Creating a ghoul was often a tedious and very exhausting task, yet here was his pride, content within his father’s arms and completely oblivious to what he had done. His boy was growing up and it wouldn’t be too long until Obi-Wan would not allow himself to be carried like a child. For now it was still alright, but soon the ginger haired vampire would be an adult, a man. 

“I love you,” Qui-Gon suddenly said. He had a feeling as if it needed to be mentioned.

“I love you too Dad,” he put his head on the taller male’s shoulder, already planning on what to do with his new pet. He could make it catch prey for his mother and he could make it take care of her as well. It sounded like a plan and Obi-Wan was pretty sure that his mother would not say ‘no’, quite the opposite in fact.

(meanwhile in the garden)

“You seem troubled, my dear,” Yan was guiding his willing companion through the flower fields. If she was truly that willing, was debatable. After all, he had used an ancient hypnosis technique on her. 

“Do I?” the dark haired female looked confused.

The vampire had to hide a small smile at that. He still had not lost his touch after all. He hummed. 

“Perhaps it is just the stress of my latest mission.”

Yan nodded, looking sideways at the female at his side. “I understand that the work of a Jedi can be exhausting and quite tedious,” he let the sentence trail off. 

“You have no idea,” she laughed, but it was a joyless laugh. “But… but then again, I am not a ‘normal’ Jedi. Most Jedi are field workers, diplomats and and some even warrior. Then there are the healers, who sometimes are sent on missions as well and there are also the archivist. I am one of the latter. We usually do not leave the walls of the temple and hadn’t it been for Sifo, I would still be in my library, helping my fellow Jedi to find the information they needed for a successful mission.”

“An important joy, no doubt. But it guess, it is hardly recognized.” He tried for a soft tone.

“No, no it isn’t,” her eyes turned sad and distant.

“Often the smallest of actions, are the most important,” the male vampire said, turning so that they were facing the pond again.

Jocasta hummed in agreement. “You sound as if you know that feeling very well.”

“For a fact, I do. You see, my son was an orphan when I found him. Poor thing was half starved and so small and fragile. I took him under my wing of course, gave him something to eat and a roof over his head. I gave him security, I loved him - still do, mind you - and I raised him into the man he is today. It is hardly worth mentioning, a lot of people take orphans into their homes and lives, but still…” he left it at that. 

“I think,” Jocasta said after a while, her blue eyes locking with Yan’s, “you have done much good by it.”

[sanerontheinside]

Stained glass above radicals, for the title prompt

@obaewankenope, @kyberpunk, @meabhair, @lilyrose225writes, @maawi, @eclipsemidnight So remember when I said I was working on title prompts, and one got away from me? That was this one. Honestly, this title is so beautiful, I just – !!! So the first piece, the one that I’ve linked, it hit the Stained Glass part of the title, but not the Radicals, so now - here, have the Radicals.(honestly I added like… 4 paragraphs in maybe 10 minutes? just now? and all the rest had been written before??? I’d just realised I didn’t have enough of crèchemaster Anakin and for some odd reason it took me A MONTH??! to add that in, sorry!, brain funnies)More from the Tahl Lives AU (aka the Blind!Obi-Wan AU also):

One day, not long into Qui-Gon’s newest nightmare of running the Alderaanian Temple, Tahl arrives in a whirlwind of activity and roughly jabs a finger into Qui-Gon’s sternum. 

“You,” she declares, “need an Archivist. Your record-keeping is horrid.” 

Qui-Gon raises his hands and backs away, shamelessly placing his Padawan between them. Obi-Wan takes this in good humour, but he also takes every opportunity to tease his Master afterwards. Qui-Gon does not mind. His Padawan can tease as much as he likes, but he’ll always protect his poor old Master. 

Tahl’s appearance does make things much easier. And it’s not really Qui-Gon’s record-keeping that’s appalling, as it turns out. It’s that the systems in place in this Temple are outdated. Tahl tucks Obi-Wan under her arm and vanishes for three days straight, living on nothing but tea and biscuits – a programmer’s lifestyle that Qui-Gon, frankly, does not approve of. 

“You’re very attached to your Padawan, Qui,” Tahl teases him. 

“Don’t you start,” he grumbles, curling around the same sleeping Padawan protectively on her couch. 

But by then things are already running more smoothly. At least now when they send out messages, there’s a chance someone will hear them. 

They start to take missions again. Once, Qui-Gon had taken missions for Finis, sometimes by personal request. These days, he occasionally does so by request of Bail Antilles. 

Some of the missions do, in fact, go to pieces. 

Obi-Wan does not. Qui-Gon Jinn’s Padawan, his pride, is Knighted at the age of nineteen. He would have been ready a year ago, it just takes them that long to get to Coruscant because – ‘predictably,’ Obi-Wan says, ‘Qui-Gon found a way to get into trouble.’ 

‘Such cheek,’ Qui-Gon sniffs, while hiding a chuckle and tugging at his Padawan’s braid. He’ll cut that soon, he’ll take every chance to tug it affectionately now. (He gets in another soft tug at the ceremony.)

Years later, there’s talk of uneasy rumblings in the Senate, a gradual reshuffling. Two Jedi just barely save the Queen of Naboo from an assassination – or worse, internment in one of the camps – and bring her to Coruscant. They bring a child with them to Coruscant, a boy who burns bright as the stars. 

The boy will not be trained, the Council says. Quinlan, sighing and shaking his head, paces down to the balcony to watch the Coruscant sunset while he sulks. Aayla says nothing, wanders off to find Master Tholme for a spar, and, maybe, advice on how to work around the Council. He’s only been doing it for years. 

Tahl, who happens to be on Coruscant to set Micah’s brain back in order for getting himself injured on a mission, takes the opportunity to report on the progress of Alderaan’s Temple to the Council in person. She finds Quin on her way out of the chambers. Anger almost visibly colours the air around him, so Tahl stops to ask what’s wrong. 

I have to send a slave-child back to Tatooine, apparently, Quin tells her, cynicism cutting sharply into his tone. 

Banthashit, Tahl snaps, to his intense surprise, and offers to give the boy another option. 

When Tahl returns to Alderaan with Quin and Aayla in tow and a boy who burns like a star going nova, Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon exchange incredulous glances – or, well, Qui-Gon glances. Obi-Wan’s jaw fell open the moment he sensed this flare in the Force, and he hasn’t been looking anywhere so much as he’s been looking everywhere else. In the last eight years he’s been so acutely sensitised to the merest brush-strokes of Force signatures, traces of hands left hours or years ago – Anakin is almost blinding to him, he burns. 

It takes some time to get used to. Obi-Wan is unsurprisingly skittish at first, but when Anakin finally asks why Obi-Wan has been avoiding him, a hurt note in his voice, Obi-Wan sighs and sinks to his knees and does his best to explain. Qui-Gon watches, and thinks he’ll finally see a Grandpadawan trained. 

Obi-Wan, however, is the same cunning imp as he always was. Qui-Gon isn’t quite sure how, but somehow they both end up Anakin’s Masters. With so few Jedi at the Temple, and effectively only two Padawans (three, before Bant’s Knighting) the rules and the Code sometimes seem a bit – arbitrary. Besides, having two Masters was never, strictly speaking, against any rules. 

But there is a growing unease in the galaxy. Sometimes, when Bail comes to the Temple with a request, it’s not one that guarantees safety during the mission. But Alderaan has always organised relief efforts for planets in need of them, and Naboo is currently very much in need. 

Naboo’s Queen had taken one look at the Senate, and regally taken her leave. This haughty dismissiveness held in the face of the Senate’s haughty bickering, where they passed over her claims and concerns and selfishly dredged up their own – completely misplaced – insult. Queen Amidala returned to her planet, made peace with the Gungans, and led her attack. She didn’t regain control, and for a long dirty year she’s been fighting a war from the brush, taking camps when possible, saving resources. 

Against his far better judgement, Qui-Gon agrees to help Bail Antilles, and accompanies Bail to Naboo with his Knight partner and their Padawan. They are there to protect the cargo, to distribute supplies to those in need, but Amidala asks them for help. 

Anakin seems ready to promise her anything, but his Masters wisely forestall him. The Jedi are peacekeepers, Qui-Gon tells her. But, Obi-Wan argues, they keep peace among people – not droids programmed to kill. Qui-Gon turns his sighted eyes heavenward, draws on his hard-won serenity, and does not Force-swat his former Padawan. 

They help the Queen retake her city. Anakin tangles with a starfighter while trying to figure out how it works, and Artoo takes him on a wild ride – during which he takes out the Trade Federation’s blockade. (His Masters are not entirely pleased.) 

The Alderaanian Temple seems less empty after that, somehow. Some of the refugees, the survivors of the Naboo camps, chose to leave with the Alderaanian ships, and the Jedi welcomed them in the Temple. Suddenly they have younglings in the crèche, their Healer’s Halls are near full to capacity, and there’s even Temple staff. Many of them are not Force Sensitive, and yet they bring with them a sense of warmth and family that no one on Alderaan had ever realised they’d been missing. 

Of course, with that warmth comes the demand of supplying, outfitting, and supporting so many new people. Qui-Gon’s migraines have returned full-force. “We’re not equipped for this,” he grumbles, complaining to Tahl. Tahl is busy laughing at the younglings, who are crawling over Obi-Wan and Anakin like they’re the best playthings they’ve seen in months. 

But then Tahl turns around and comms the Council, simply drops the problem in their lap. Just to inform you, the Temple on Alderaan has taken twenty Force-Sensitive children from Naboo into the crèche, and one hundred refugees – what’s that? You’re breaking up – yes – connection’s a bit rough, I’m afraid. 

The Coruscant Temple reroutes a few Healers and Knights, and even a few of the Masters. They also eventually send a swearing Mace Windu, but by then the Temple at least looks presentable, if covered in green paint in the oddest places. 

Mace spends the next month meditating in the gardens. With Skywalker laughing at him as children use him for climbing practice. Not the Skywalker can laugh, when he’s rather in the same situation, toddlers clinging to his tunic sleeves and hugging his knees wherever he goes. He’s quite tall already, and the taller he gets, the happier the crèchelings are – the more of them fit on their favourite Padawan. But, as the saying goes, misery loves company, and Skywalker is only too happy to have the Head of the Order share in his lot in life. 

Mace is quite content, even so. Now that Qui-Gon has the migraines, his seem to have mysteriously left him, fluttered off into the ether, while he’s on this well-deserved vacation from being pompous Head of the Order with a stick up his –

Master Windu’s return to Coruscant is closely followed by an influx of still more Knights and Masters, most of whom had been running difficult missions almost without reprieve for the last few years. 

“We’re, apparently, being considered a resort,” Obi-Wan remarks at that. 

Qui-Gon snorts. “Not if they all help.” 

The Coruscant Temple has rotations for teaching classes and taking missions. The Alderaanian Temple requires everyone, mission roster or no, to take part in Temple life. He puts their guests to work. Mace made a wonderful crèchemaster, even left with a new Padawan of his own. The more Knights and Masters take children with them when they leave, the greater the number of victories Qui-Gon will tally for himself. 

(The less mouths to feed on overstretched funds. Generous as Bail Antilles and Padmé Amidala have been, the reality of their situation is still quite harsh. Jedi aren’t ascetic entirely by choice.)

If, the first time Qui-Gon had set foot in this Temple, it had been quiet and content, now it is bursting, teeming with life. He insists that he cannot say which version he favours, the peace and quiet or this bustling wildness. But Obi-Wan, pressed against his former Master’s side like he’d never left it, knows this to be the slight unruly spark of lingering annoyance at the noise. His Master thrives on the bustle around him, on the close-knit, familial affection, like a plant reaching out for the sun. 

When the war comes, when the Confederacy forms, when the Jedi are called upon to fight by the Senate, it’s easier for Alderaan to refuse that it would be for Coruscant. Largely because some overzealous reporter asked Alderaanian Jedi first, and Qui-Gon answered as any logical person would. 

The Coruscant Temple lives by the whims of the Senate, and not by logic. 

That, unfortunately, throws hurtful words into the air – ‘Mavericks’, ‘Schism’, ‘Radicals’. Master Plo Koon, by virtue of being on Alderaan while the rest of the Council was not, becomes one of the ‘Radical Jedi Sect hiding out in the Alderaanian mountains’. 

Alderaan is considered a precedent for Coruscant’s refusal, and Jedi on Coruscant are suddenly openly despised. Feared, but despised nonetheless. 

Qui-Gon eyes the headlines with patient bemusement at first, expecting them to stop. To his consternation, they do not stop. 

“This may be for the best,” Mace tells them later. 

“Best?” Qui-Gon’s jaw drops. “No,” he says, “don’t you dare – don’t you even think of making me Head of my own Order, Mace! Mace, do not –” 

Mace chuckles, but it’s thin humour in times like these. There are bruises under his eyes that the holostream fails to hide. Within months, more Knights, more Masters, more children arrive. If they didn’t have help, they’d be overwhelmed and overrun. This is not a welcome thought. 

Much like Alderaan, Naboo has declared its neutrality. Under pressure from Padmé, Mina Bonteri of Onderon does the same, and then Rodia and Corellia follow suit. It’s a trend that picks up momentum quickly, and soon, unable to hold together a Temple bursting with life, Qui-Gon begins to encourage them to split up and choose other planets to move to. Understandably, his suggestion is met with uproar at first. For all that they cannot handle the Temple’s current volume, splitting up is dangerous. What if their planets choose to pick sides, ended up against each other? 

Qui-Gon refuses to think of those possibilities. He refused the very idea of Jedi having any part in the war, because the Jedi had settled disputes on Republic worlds for years, and that includes the Confederate Systems. Neutrality was the only logical response. 

Qui-Gon pointedly tells the Knights and Masters not to make enemies of each other, throwing them a quelling look much like one he might shoot at the crèche children. They quiet instantly, make arrangements and choose their new homes. 

The headlines continue to call it a ‘Schism’, they still call the Alderaanian Temple a Temple of ‘Radicals’. The ‘Rebel Jedi’ are stationed there, and yet, they are the furthest thing from active warriors. It seems to escape everyone’s notice that Alderaan is perhaps the safest Temple, that it has the greatest number of children in its crèche. Anakin isn’t very happy about it – he insists that he can only just barely keep up with the demands of being a crèchemaster! And only just Knighted, too! 

But secretly, Qui-Gon couldn’t be happier that the media downplays this fact. Over the last few years, he’s taken pains to follow the windings of the Temple deeper into the Mountains, discovered yet more Archives and rooms, training salles. With funds enough to expand the livable space in the Temple, he’s equally grateful that they have a place to retreat, if the worst should happen. The children, he thinks, will be safe. 

The clones, though – the army that the Jedi supposedly commissioned the Kaminoans for – are decidedly not inactive. They act in the defence of their chosen Temples, at least, and not in the defence of the Republic. 

The Coruscant Temple is nearly empty, all but for a skeleton crew. 

The Force is with them, for better or for worse. The Jedi on Naboo and Onderon have already been forced to rise in defense of their homes, yet Alderaan, thanks in no small part to the efforts of Bail and Breha, remains quiet. 

Qui-Gon can feel that quiet itching under Obi-Wan’s skin, and he can’t help but want to do the same. This whole war feels drawn-out, artificial, like a lure. But he holds his former Padawan close to him as they sit outside on the steps at night, staring up at the stars. 

“Where do you think this path will lead?” Obi-Wan asks him. 

Qui-Gon sighs and presses his lips to the Knight’s temple. “I cannot say,” he answers truthfully. He sends a prayer to the Force, to the night sky, to whatever gods might be listening, that their path will be a safe one, in the end.