Star Wars fic: A Galaxy Not Their Own (3/33)
Star Wars: A Galaxy Not Their Own (3/33)
Rating: T for teen, involves canon level of violence
Spoilers: Spoilers for the movies and some minor EU references.
Summary: Stranded in the future, Obi-Wan, Anakin and Qui-Gon struggle with each other as much as the mission given to them by the New Republic.
[Included Pairings]Obi-Wan/OFC, if you squint hints of Anakin/Obi-Wan pre-slash
Disclaimer: Most of the Star Wars universe belongs to George Lucas and Twentieth Century Fox - except for the Ekash. If George Lucas wants to borrow the Ekash, he may. Anybody else has to ask first. This author uses these works without permission and for non-profit purposes.
Chapter 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn stood by the window, the landscape of Coruscant familiar enough to make the changes all the more disturbing. The capital of the New Republic was still the planet on which he had grown up but he’d missed more than four decades of its history, including a great deal of war and upheaval. There were new buildings where he looked for the familiar and old ones to jar him out of the new horizon. He still could not overcome the urge to scan for the silhouette of the Jedi Temple.
Below him a landing pad extended from the building, several people scurrying about to prepare the small spacecraft Fahren for launch. The pace of life on Coruscant was one of the things that certainly hadn’t changed. Two young men in Jedi robes stood restlessly by the Fahren, directing the workcrews and frequently breaking off to consult one another. As Qui-Gon watched, one of the young men gestured to the workcrews with his arm. He was Obi-Wan Kenobi and had been Qui-Gon’s apprentice since he was thirteen. At twenty-five, Obi-Wan was nearing the end of his apprenticeship; or had been before they had been transported through time. There was no Jedi Order in this future, let alone a High Council to award a Knighthood. Qui-Gon had no way of knowing what this meant for his apprentice’s future and he found the uncertainty unsettling.
Down below, Obi-Wan froze with his arm outstretched as his taller companion spoke up. His companion was Anakin Skywalker, an intense young apprentice with the potential to become more powerful than any other Jedi Qui-Gon had ever met. He was a cocky twenty year old but had a directness that Qui-Gon appreciated. Anakin had come from ten years into Qui-Gon’s future, which still meant he had experienced a jump of thirty-four years to arrive in the current time period. Obi-Wan dropped his arm and tilted his head to the side as he and Anakin discussed something intently. The workcrews paused at the halt in the flow of directions, exchanging glances. Qui-Gon smiled to himself as the workcrews moved as one to resume their duties, the two apprentices too distracted by their discussion to notice.
The door behind Qui-Gon slid open and he turned to see Leia Organa-Solo paused in the doorway. His smile was genuine as he recognised her. Less than half Qui-Gon’s age, she already possessed a formidable range of talents; war veteran, aristocrat, senator, ambassador, wife and mother. Qui-Gon had known her less than a month before she had been elected as the New Republic’s Chief of State. Once she had assumed her new duties, he had seen very little of her.
“Master Jinn,” she said politely, inclining her head in greeting.
She looked tired, dark circles marring the skin beneath her eyes.
“Your Excellency,” he said, bowing. “We didn’t think you would find the time to see us off.”
“I’m afraid I can’t,” she said, crossing into the room. “I only have a minute to spare from my schedule. C3-PO’s waiting outside to let me know when my time is up.”
“Would you like me to call Anakin up?” asked Qui-Gon.
Leia hesitated, folding her hands together in front of her.
“No, there won’t be enough time,” said Leia. “We said our farewells earlier.”
Leia moved to stand beside him, looking down at the landing platform where Anakin and Obi-Wan had only just noticed that the workcrews had nearly finished prepping the Fahren for launch. They watched in silence for a moment as Obi-Wan and Anakin bent their heads close once again to decide what to do about the workcrews. Qui-Gon couldn’t help but notice that Leia’s gaze was drawn to Anakin, as it always was. Leia had been careful and considered in the information she had shared with them. She had told them some of the history they had missed, but had withheld other things from them. She had asked that they trust her judgement and Qui-Gon had complied.
“Actually,” said Leia, her perfectly composed face at odds with the rising apprehension Qui-Gon sensed. “There was a matter I wanted to discuss with you before you leave.”
She turned away from the window to face him, studying him carefully. Qui-Gon resisted the urge to prompt her. She pursed her lips and glanced out the window again before turning back to him.
“I’m not sure I should mention this,” she said. “But I fear the consequences of not speaking of it just as much. When you leave on this mission, I won’t be there to advise you.”
“You’re afraid we’ll damage the timeline?” asked Qui-Gon. “We have already been here a year and have been exposed to quite a bit of the future already, accidentally and deliberately. Is there anything you can tell us that we aren’t likely to find out ourselves, eventually?”
Leia smiled softly, “Not everything is general knowledge. We have kept some personal and private details from you.”
“You must do what you think is right, of course,” said Qui-Gon evenly, beginning to feel the stirrings of curiosity.
“I’m worried about the timeline and events that happened before,” said Leia. “I’m worried that if I say anything I may accidentally influence the situation and bring about the very thing I am attempting to avoid.”
“This is starting to sound like quite the dilemma,” said Qui-Gon. “The only piece of advice I can offer is to trust your instincts.”
Leia smiled, “That is why I have come to talk to you. I am... concerned for Anakin and his future as a Jedi.”
“And you don’t want to talk to Anakin or Ben about this?”
Leia looked out the window, watching Anakin scowl as Obi-Wan joked with the workcrews. She reached out a hand towards the glass, as if to reach Anakin himself but jerked it back when she realised what she was doing.
“Master Jinn,” she said. “I know that Anakin already has Ben for a Master but... He’s young and naïve. He would be... easily swayed by outside influences.”
Leia’s voice had turned brittle and it was clear that she was tempted to say a lot more than she was. It was also clear that she was scared she had said too much.
Qui-Gon frowned and looked down to see Anakin smiling reluctantly at Obi-Wan. Anakin’s connection to the Force blazed and flowed effortlessly through his every action. Qui-Gon felt a shudder ran through him. He did not like to contemplate what kind of outside influences might find such a powerful apprentice useful.
“I will do my best to watch out for him,” said Qui-Gon, laying a hand gently on Leia’s shoulder. “You have my word.”
She released a breath and nodded. She stood a little taller, relaxing with the comfort of one who knows that at least one of her burdens has been relieved.
“Thank you,” she said, resting her own hand on Qui-Gon’s shoulder. “And may the Force be with you. All of you.”
“And also with you.”
She inclined her head and departed, leaving Qui-Gon alone again at the window.
He watched with his arms folded as the rest of his party gathered by the Fahren. They had been offered a mission by the New Republic Senate and had accepted, primarily for the opportunity to leave Coruscant. Luke Skywalker had offered them a place at his new Jedi Academy but the suggestion had grated and Qui-Gon could not bring himself to accept it.
“There is another possibility,” Luke had said, an boyish eagerness lighting up in his normally serious face. “You would be welcome at the Jedi Academy.”
Qui-Gon could not help the laughter that burst from him, his mind freely supplying images of younglings crowding around his feet and tripping him over. His laughter died as he remembered that many of Luke’s students would not be Temple Initiates raised to the Jedi way since childhood. Instead they would be a motley collection of Force-sensitive adults, gathered together in the forlorn hope that they could recreate what had been destroyed so thoroughly by the Sith. Qui-Gon shuddered.
“Train an entire Jedi Order?” Qui-Gon asked. “At this point, I'm questioning my own purpose. No, I would not be a good teacher and anyway, Obi-Wan must be my priority until he is knighted.”
Luke had looked disappointed but not surprised at his decision. He had reluctantly agreed with Qui-Gon’s feeling that the time was not right. Qui-Gon had not voiced the thought that it might never be the right time.
Qui-Gon turned away from the window and headed down to join his companions on the landing platform. He had very little idea of where they might eventually end up but the prospect of a mission and of being on the move again called to him. There was a transformed galaxy awaiting them and he had every intention of being up to the challenge.
Chapter 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
Rating: T for teen, involves canon level of violence
Spoilers: Spoilers for the movies and some minor EU references.
Summary: Stranded in the future, Obi-Wan, Anakin and Qui-Gon struggle with each other as much as the mission given to them by the New Republic.
[Included Pairings]Obi-Wan/OFC, if you squint hints of Anakin/Obi-Wan pre-slash
Disclaimer: Most of the Star Wars universe belongs to George Lucas and Twentieth Century Fox - except for the Ekash. If George Lucas wants to borrow the Ekash, he may. Anybody else has to ask first. This author uses these works without permission and for non-profit purposes.
Chapter 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn stood by the window, the landscape of Coruscant familiar enough to make the changes all the more disturbing. The capital of the New Republic was still the planet on which he had grown up but he’d missed more than four decades of its history, including a great deal of war and upheaval. There were new buildings where he looked for the familiar and old ones to jar him out of the new horizon. He still could not overcome the urge to scan for the silhouette of the Jedi Temple.
Below him a landing pad extended from the building, several people scurrying about to prepare the small spacecraft Fahren for launch. The pace of life on Coruscant was one of the things that certainly hadn’t changed. Two young men in Jedi robes stood restlessly by the Fahren, directing the workcrews and frequently breaking off to consult one another. As Qui-Gon watched, one of the young men gestured to the workcrews with his arm. He was Obi-Wan Kenobi and had been Qui-Gon’s apprentice since he was thirteen. At twenty-five, Obi-Wan was nearing the end of his apprenticeship; or had been before they had been transported through time. There was no Jedi Order in this future, let alone a High Council to award a Knighthood. Qui-Gon had no way of knowing what this meant for his apprentice’s future and he found the uncertainty unsettling.
Down below, Obi-Wan froze with his arm outstretched as his taller companion spoke up. His companion was Anakin Skywalker, an intense young apprentice with the potential to become more powerful than any other Jedi Qui-Gon had ever met. He was a cocky twenty year old but had a directness that Qui-Gon appreciated. Anakin had come from ten years into Qui-Gon’s future, which still meant he had experienced a jump of thirty-four years to arrive in the current time period. Obi-Wan dropped his arm and tilted his head to the side as he and Anakin discussed something intently. The workcrews paused at the halt in the flow of directions, exchanging glances. Qui-Gon smiled to himself as the workcrews moved as one to resume their duties, the two apprentices too distracted by their discussion to notice.
The door behind Qui-Gon slid open and he turned to see Leia Organa-Solo paused in the doorway. His smile was genuine as he recognised her. Less than half Qui-Gon’s age, she already possessed a formidable range of talents; war veteran, aristocrat, senator, ambassador, wife and mother. Qui-Gon had known her less than a month before she had been elected as the New Republic’s Chief of State. Once she had assumed her new duties, he had seen very little of her.
“Master Jinn,” she said politely, inclining her head in greeting.
She looked tired, dark circles marring the skin beneath her eyes.
“Your Excellency,” he said, bowing. “We didn’t think you would find the time to see us off.”
“I’m afraid I can’t,” she said, crossing into the room. “I only have a minute to spare from my schedule. C3-PO’s waiting outside to let me know when my time is up.”
“Would you like me to call Anakin up?” asked Qui-Gon.
Leia hesitated, folding her hands together in front of her.
“No, there won’t be enough time,” said Leia. “We said our farewells earlier.”
Leia moved to stand beside him, looking down at the landing platform where Anakin and Obi-Wan had only just noticed that the workcrews had nearly finished prepping the Fahren for launch. They watched in silence for a moment as Obi-Wan and Anakin bent their heads close once again to decide what to do about the workcrews. Qui-Gon couldn’t help but notice that Leia’s gaze was drawn to Anakin, as it always was. Leia had been careful and considered in the information she had shared with them. She had told them some of the history they had missed, but had withheld other things from them. She had asked that they trust her judgement and Qui-Gon had complied.
“Actually,” said Leia, her perfectly composed face at odds with the rising apprehension Qui-Gon sensed. “There was a matter I wanted to discuss with you before you leave.”
She turned away from the window to face him, studying him carefully. Qui-Gon resisted the urge to prompt her. She pursed her lips and glanced out the window again before turning back to him.
“I’m not sure I should mention this,” she said. “But I fear the consequences of not speaking of it just as much. When you leave on this mission, I won’t be there to advise you.”
“You’re afraid we’ll damage the timeline?” asked Qui-Gon. “We have already been here a year and have been exposed to quite a bit of the future already, accidentally and deliberately. Is there anything you can tell us that we aren’t likely to find out ourselves, eventually?”
Leia smiled softly, “Not everything is general knowledge. We have kept some personal and private details from you.”
“You must do what you think is right, of course,” said Qui-Gon evenly, beginning to feel the stirrings of curiosity.
“I’m worried about the timeline and events that happened before,” said Leia. “I’m worried that if I say anything I may accidentally influence the situation and bring about the very thing I am attempting to avoid.”
“This is starting to sound like quite the dilemma,” said Qui-Gon. “The only piece of advice I can offer is to trust your instincts.”
Leia smiled, “That is why I have come to talk to you. I am... concerned for Anakin and his future as a Jedi.”
“And you don’t want to talk to Anakin or Ben about this?”
Leia looked out the window, watching Anakin scowl as Obi-Wan joked with the workcrews. She reached out a hand towards the glass, as if to reach Anakin himself but jerked it back when she realised what she was doing.
“Master Jinn,” she said. “I know that Anakin already has Ben for a Master but... He’s young and naïve. He would be... easily swayed by outside influences.”
Leia’s voice had turned brittle and it was clear that she was tempted to say a lot more than she was. It was also clear that she was scared she had said too much.
Qui-Gon frowned and looked down to see Anakin smiling reluctantly at Obi-Wan. Anakin’s connection to the Force blazed and flowed effortlessly through his every action. Qui-Gon felt a shudder ran through him. He did not like to contemplate what kind of outside influences might find such a powerful apprentice useful.
“I will do my best to watch out for him,” said Qui-Gon, laying a hand gently on Leia’s shoulder. “You have my word.”
She released a breath and nodded. She stood a little taller, relaxing with the comfort of one who knows that at least one of her burdens has been relieved.
“Thank you,” she said, resting her own hand on Qui-Gon’s shoulder. “And may the Force be with you. All of you.”
“And also with you.”
She inclined her head and departed, leaving Qui-Gon alone again at the window.
He watched with his arms folded as the rest of his party gathered by the Fahren. They had been offered a mission by the New Republic Senate and had accepted, primarily for the opportunity to leave Coruscant. Luke Skywalker had offered them a place at his new Jedi Academy but the suggestion had grated and Qui-Gon could not bring himself to accept it.
“There is another possibility,” Luke had said, an boyish eagerness lighting up in his normally serious face. “You would be welcome at the Jedi Academy.”
Qui-Gon could not help the laughter that burst from him, his mind freely supplying images of younglings crowding around his feet and tripping him over. His laughter died as he remembered that many of Luke’s students would not be Temple Initiates raised to the Jedi way since childhood. Instead they would be a motley collection of Force-sensitive adults, gathered together in the forlorn hope that they could recreate what had been destroyed so thoroughly by the Sith. Qui-Gon shuddered.
“Train an entire Jedi Order?” Qui-Gon asked. “At this point, I'm questioning my own purpose. No, I would not be a good teacher and anyway, Obi-Wan must be my priority until he is knighted.”
Luke had looked disappointed but not surprised at his decision. He had reluctantly agreed with Qui-Gon’s feeling that the time was not right. Qui-Gon had not voiced the thought that it might never be the right time.
Qui-Gon turned away from the window and headed down to join his companions on the landing platform. He had very little idea of where they might eventually end up but the prospect of a mission and of being on the move again called to him. There was a transformed galaxy awaiting them and he had every intention of being up to the challenge.
Chapter 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |