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Author	Topic: The Heart of the Jedi -- Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan, JA -- COMPLETE -- 28-Apr-2007
ardavenport Registered: Dec '04	Date Posted: 1/30/07 7:13pm Subject: RE: The Heart of the Jedi -- Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan, JA -- Parts 1-2 -- 26-Jan-2007 - Date Edited: 2/19/07 7:42pm (6 edits total) Edited By: ardavenport
	Oh, the joy of installing a new graphics card that works! I think I'll post a day earlier than I was planning..... ///o\\\’///o\\\’///o\\\’///o\\\’///o\\\’///o\\\ - - - Part 3 Obi-Wan Kenobi smoothed down the new tabards over his new tunic. His old clothes had not been badly damaged on Zunus, but they were getting small on him and he got new ones from the supply droids while Qui-Gon replaced his robe which had been torn by the ravenous mazivs that chased him. While he changed, Qui-Gon went to a grooming room. Obi-Wan found him there, in a chair on the far end of the room. A gray droid trimmed the ends of Qui-Gon’s long hair hanging down his back. It whirred softly as one spindly arm cut while another vacuumed away the bits of hair. He turned as Obi-Wan approached. Obi-Wan saw Qui-Gon raise his eyebrows at him, but otherwise said nothing. Obi-Wan blushed, wondering if choosing clothes that were styled like Qui-Gon's made him look too obsequious, too eager to please his Master. But when the droid had asked him what he wanted, all he could think of was that he did not want to continue wearing the same clothes that he had as an Initiate. Obi-Wan slid into the chair next to Qui-Gon and a second droid took its position behind him. He stared forward at a mirror and then at the mirror before his Master’s chair, but Qui-Gon didn’t seem to notice. He was too busy considering his toenails, which the droid had apparently trimmed and cleaned. He pulled one leg up to put a sock on. Obi-Wan sighed, acknowledging that Qui-Gon may not be a very traditional Jedi Master. There was no requirement in the Jedi Order that Masters give their Padawans a braid. That would have been impossible. There were many species that didn’t have hair at all. But Masters usually gave their Padawans something, some visible, tangible mark or badge of apprenticeship. Obi-Wan had been avoiding having his hair cut since he began his probation for leaving the Jedi Order. It was now long enough to cover his neck, for the bangs to sometimes fall over his eyes and otherwise be a nuisance. He preferred it short, but it was now just barely long enough to begin a braid. Obi-Wan had silently hoped, but Qui-Gon had said nothing about a braid during the preparation for their last mission, their first serious one since his probation had ended. And Obi-Wan had not wanted to appear to be more concerned with his hair than the gravity of their mission. Obi-Wan asked the droid to cut his hair short. The droid nodded its long, thin head; it’s eye sensors blinked on and off. It replied that it would do so. . . . within his Master’s specifications. Obi-Wan stared back at the machine. Next to him, Qui-Gon had a somewhat satisfied expression on his face. Obi-Wan was surprised. He had always heard that a Master would cut a Padawan's hair and tie the braid. Qui-Gon nodded to the droid, which approached and began combing his bangs down in front of his face. "You have a question, Obi-Wan?" Qui-Gon asked, obviously aware of his apprehension. Obi-Wan didn't know what to say. It seemed so disrespectful for him to be disappointed. "I . . . . though you would do it," he finally admitted, hoping Qui-Gon would not be offended. "Aaaaah." He didn't sound unhappy with him, and he still looked pleased as Obi-Wan peeked under the curtain of light brown hair that SS9 had combed down. "A Master ties a Padawan's braid, the first time, but unless you wish to look like at shaggy nerf, I would recommend having SS9 cut the rest of it." Obi-Wan grinned back. SS9 swiftly snipped and trimmed and sucked up all the excess long hair, and Obi-Wan was glad to be rid of it. Qui-Gon paid almost no attention to the hair-cutting while he put his boots on and then another droid cleaned and trimmed the nails on his hands. Finally, only one long tail of hair remained behind Obi-Wan's right ear. It was just barely long enough to start a Padawan's braid. SS9 stood back. Qui-Gon finished with the other droid and got up out of his chair. Obi-Wan forced himself not to tense up as Qui-Gon positioned himself behind him. In the mirror his Master tilted his head to the side, his fingers brushing the long ends of the light brown hair. Then Obi-Wan started as Qui-Gon firmly grasped a lock of hair at the back his head. Obviously amused by the surprise, Qui-Gon tied the tail lock. Obi-Wan grimaced. He has been so focused on the braid that he had completely forgotten about the tail lock, and he hadn't noticed that the droid had left one. Just as the braid was optional, depending on the Master's wishes and the Padawan's ability to grow hair, so was the tail lock. Obi-Wan watched in the mirror as Qui-Gon finished and turned his attention to the braid. His hands gathered up the strands of hair. Qui-Gon's expression had become serious as both his large hands combed the hair out and tied it with a white band. He split the hair and then began to braid it. He only paused to produce another band, a green one, to tie it off. "For skill and loyalty, my Padawan," he said very softly. When he finished, Qui-Gon bowed his head, touching Obi-Wan's, eyes closed. Obi-Wan stared forward at the image in the mirror and blinked, unable to speak. He could feel the warm rain of the Force flowing down through him. A year ago, he had despaired of this ever happening. Less than a year ago, he had recklessly cast the chance of it aside, wounding Qui-Gon with his betrayal. Qui-Gon's hand squeezed his shoulder and he straightened again. Wordlessly, he got up and followed his Master out of the room. ///o\\\’///o\\\’///o\\\’///o\\\’///o\\\’///o\\\ - - - Master Qui-Gon Jinn led his apprentice through the great halls of the Jedi Temple. Simulated sunlight streamed down from the 'windows' above. He hadn't said where they were going, but he was quite sure the Obi-Wan had figured out that they were heading for the workrooms where Obi-Wan would begin his new lightsaber. Glancing down at his young apprentice, he reflected that he was out of practice in tying a Padawan's braid. Obi-Wan's hair was much thicker than he had expected and it had a life of its own. The new braid stuck straight out from his head, gravity only partially bowing it downward. He had realized it was going badly only after it was tied, and then it had been too late to fix without clumsily undoing it and re-braiding. That would have diminished the moment much more than having the braid look terrible at the end. Obi-Wan did not seem to have noticed that, yet. Obi-Wan had been affected by that moment of ceremonial closeness as much as he. He sensed it strongly from him, through their bond. They reached the end of the enormous hall and passed an entryway into a wide corridor. Ilum, Qui-gon thought. He would take Obi-Wan to Ilum. They passed through an open archway and a wall sign with glowing lettering, 'Lightsaber Crafting.' Doors lined one side of a very plain, stone hallway. The largest door, black with a huge sliver Jedi emblem on it, slid open for them when Qui-Gon touched the panel on the wall next to it. The dimly lit room they entered was large, but crowded with rows of shelves, tables and chairs, all unused except for the lights over the few occupied work areas among them. Qui-Gon walked down a central aisle to a long, wide window on the far wall. A service droid in the window greeted them politely. "My Padawan needs to replace his lightsaber," Qui-Gon told it. They had already recorded the events of the mission and the loss of the saber at the Archives immediately after reporting to the Council. The droid noted the Archives record, assigned a work area to Obi-Wan and politely reminded them that they could return to the window for any supplies or tools they needed. "You are free to choose any reasonable design that you feel is right, but we will need to review it together, before testing any assembly. The design will change as the assembly proceeds," he warned. "Lightsabers rarely end up as they were originally planned." He smiled but Obi-Wan only nodded solemnly in agreement. Taking a seat, Obi-Wan activated the illuminating light above as soon as they arrived at the work area. The other work areas in the row were dark and empty. Obi-Wan activated the computer, tapping out his task on the input panel. Qui-Gon watched two screens light up. One for a new design, the second displayed the saved record of the lightsaber that had been lost, the first lightsaber that Obi-Wan Kenobi had built for himself. He just had not done it with Qui-Gon. Usually, Masters guided their Padawans in designing and building their first lightsaber. Then they took them to Illum to choose the focusing crystals in the caves of the hidden Temple there. But Initiates who had reached the age of twelve, who had not been selected by a Master, were instructed by the Creche Masters in the construction of a lightsaber and taken to the interior of the Temple to finish their work. Each Initiate entered a circular room with a doomed ceiling, the Crystal Chamber. In it were the usable crystals from the lightsabers of Jedi who had passed on to the Force. There were thousands of them, sparkling blue and green, the accumulation of an Order many thousands of years old. There, the Force guided the Initiates, each one alone, to choose and then complete their lightsaber. As solemn as it was, the Crystal Chamber was still somewhat less than the intense vision quest of Illum, where a Padawan, or Jedi Knight, found their crystal among the natural deposits there. . . .and often more than that. Qui-Gon watched Obi-Wan initialize the design for the new saber, his advice for where to begin unspoken. The sharing of the first lightsaber was. . . . . . . .already lost for him and Obi-Wan. Qui-Gon recalled his previous two Padawans attentively listening to his instructions about the design. Xanatos, his apprentice before Obi-Wan, had been especially eager. Qui-Gon forced himself not to shrink from the memory. Though Xanatos had fallen to evil and was dead now by his own actions, after trying to kill both him and Obi-Wan, the building that first lightsaber was still a good memory. Qui-Gon had ceased to allow Xanatos to hurt him; he would not banish any reminders of the promising young Jedi that he had once been. The screen images had not changed, the ready signal on the glowing initialization blinked yellow. Qui-Gon turned his head. His blue-gray eyes all questions, Obi-Wan sat looking up at him, waiting for him to speak. A gentle smile on his lips, Qui-Gon turned back to the new design. "Do you wish to rebuild the original one, as it was?" he asked. Obi-Wan stopped to think a moment. "I don't know. I. . . . was wondering what you thought of it." "Hmmm." Qui-Gon looked over the design; it was plain and functional, reliable and sturdy. The creche Masters did not seem to encourage creativity in lightsaber design. Qui-Gon supposed that this was sensible instruction for Initiates who may not be chosen to be Jedi, or if they were, might have Masters who had their own opinions about their Padawans' lightsabers. Qui-Gon had absolutely no opinion, good or bad, about the design on the screen before him, except that he would never build one like it. And he hoped Obi-Wan would create one with more. . . . personality. "It is. . . . practical," he stated with a shrug. "But the choice of lightsaber must be determined by you." He nodded toward Obi-Wan. "A lightsaber is not just a tool of a Jedi's power. You feel the Force through the blade; it is part of you. And the Force and the lightsaber choose the Jedi as much as the Jedi chooses them." Qui-Gon laid his fingers on the bottom of the display. "Do you feel as if this lightsaber chose you?" Obi-Wan's eyes looked toward the glowing screen, yellow lines on black diagramed the interior next to the display of the saber's exterior. "No," he finally answered. He looked embarrassed. Qui-Gon gave him a reassuring smile and laid his hand on his shoulder. "Just because you do not feel it now does not mean that you did not before; I saw that you did. A Jedi changes, but lightsabers tend to be static. As you learn and grow, Obi-Wan, the lightsaber that chose you may lose its voice over time. You must expect this." Qui-Gon drew a finger down the length of the image. "This one was destroyed, so the need for replacement is easy to see. But will you recognize that need if the time comes to simply lay it aside and built a new one?" Eyes wide, Obi-Wan clearly had not considered this. "How will I know?" "You will learn to feel it," Qui-Gon replied solemnly. He reached for the display controls. Obi-Wan's saber disappeared and a new image replaced it. A line of lightsabers appeared; as soon as one finished forming the lines of a new one began next to it. Then another row of them started. Obi-Wan leaned forward to look. There were finally nine. The last one was identical to the lightsaber clipped to Qui-Gon's belt. "A few of them were damaged beyond repair. One was lost," Qui-Gon admitted. "And probably destroyed," he amended. "But the others became. . . . unsuitable. Or I did. And I built new ones. You will as well, Obi-Wan." Every one of them, Qui-Gon knew, had been assembled with his own hands, guided by the Force with new crystals, on Illum. Qui-Gon got up from his seat. "We will review what lightsaber might chose you, my Padawan, tomorrow morning when we train. In the meantime, I have some things to attend to. I presume you can review whatever technical choices you might prefer on your own?" "Yes, Master." Qui-Gon nodded his head. "Then I will see you at first meal." He turned around and left, walking down the row of darkened workstations to the end of the row and then to the door. I will take Obi-Wan to Illum. ///o\\\’///o\\\’///o\\\’///o\\\’///o\\\’///o\\\ - - - As soon as he was certain that Qui-Gon had left the room, Obi-Wan put his hand to the side of his head. It didn't hurt, but his new Padawan's braid pulled in odd ways, especially if he moved his head quickly. It felt more like a short stump of hair than a braid. Looking about the workstation, he found a shiny shielding plate and held it up to his face. Obi-Wan started back when he saw the brown stalk sticking out from behind his right ear. A bristle of hairs stuck out from the green band at the end. He shook his head. It wiggled. Still holding up the plate, he tried to loosen it at the base. That helped and when he was finished it was pointed more downward than outward, but he winced when he accidentally yanked a few hairs out. Sighing, Obi-Wan accepted that he would simply have to wait for it to grow longer on its own before it stopped looking like a weird appendage. If he uttered one word of impatience about it, he knew that Qui-Gon and any other Jedi Master in the Temple within hearing range would admonish him for his impatience. Putting the plate aside, Obi-Wan looked down again at Qui-Gon's lightsabers. He saw immediately at the bottom of the screen that his Master had added a second name to the authorized users for the file, his own, Obi-Wan Kenobi. He swallowed, recognizing the trust that had again been placed in him. He reverently began to study the array of lightsabers that had chosen Qui-Gon Jinn. --- tbc --- -----signature----- Links to all fics -- http://boards.theforce.net/Message.aspx?topic=25405090&brd=10304&start=26223917 The Heart of the Jedi -- http://boards.theforce.net/b/b1/26013327 ---- Qui-Gon, Obi-Wan, JA and everything you wanted to know about lightsabers
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NabooPop Registered: Jun '00	Date Posted: 1/30/07 7:32pm Subject: RE: The Heart of the Jedi -- Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan, JA -- Parts 1-3 -- 30-Jan-2007
	Fantastic stuff, ardavenport! Keep up the good work! -----signature----- Don't blame me, I voted for Valorum.
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Valairy_Scot Title: PT Rewrite Winner Registered: Sep '05	Date Posted: 1/30/07 10:13pm Subject: RE: The Heart of the Jedi -- Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan, JA -- Parts 1-3 -- 30-Jan-2007
	oh, so very much nice stuff in this chapter. Loved the whole thing about the braiding - especially the awkwardness of the finished product. "For skill and loyalty, my Padawan," he said very softly. When he finished, Qui-Gon bowed his head, touching Obi-Wan's, eyes closed. Obi-Wan stared forward at the image in the mirror and blinked, unable to speak. He could feel the warm rain of the Force flowing down through him. A year ago, he had despaired of this ever happening. Less than a year ago, he had recklessly cast the chance of it aside, wounding Qui-Gon with his betrayal. Qui-Gon's hand squeezed his shoulder and he straightened again. Wordlessly, he got up and followed his Master out of the room. Putting the plate aside, Obi-Wan looked down again at Qui-Gon's lightsabers. He saw immediately at the bottom of the screen that his Master had added a second name to the authorized users for the file, his own, Obi-Wan Kenobi. He swallowed, recognizing the trust that had again been placed in him. He reverently began to study the array of lightsabers that had chosen Qui-Gon Jinn. -----signature----- http://boards.theforce.net/fan_fiction_resource/b10304/25405090/p3/?52 Prolific Author thread: list & links there. Muse fueled by coffee. Often AWOL despite frequent sipping. Writes on inspiration, not a schedule. Proud master of several padawans
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judsta36 Registered: Jun '05	Date Posted: 1/30/07 11:37pm Subject: RE: The Heart of the Jedi -- Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan, JA -- Parts 1-3 -- 30-Jan-2007
	Just started reading the fic and it's got me so interested, especially about the braiding - I've always found that to be one of the most special rituals within the Jedi world. Thank you and add me to the pm list! -----signature----- I luv Obi-Wan's lightsabre twirls Occupation: Jedi Religion: The Force Keep Truckin'!
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Fifilla Registered: Mar '06	Date Posted: 1/30/07 11:50pm Subject: RE: The Heart of the Jedi -- Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan, JA -- Parts 1-3 -- 30-Jan-2007
	"For skill and loyalty, my Padawan," he said very softly. When he finished, Qui-Gon bowed his head, touching Obi-Wan's, eyes closed. Obi-Wan stared forward at the image in the mirror and blinked, unable to speak. He could feel the warm rain of the Force flowing down through him. A year ago, he had despaired of this ever happening. Less than a year ago, he had recklessly cast the chance of it aside, wounding Qui-Gon with his betrayal. Very, very cute! Will we read about the trip to Ilum? That would be interesting! -----signature----- "There's always a bigger fish." Fear Of Failure - young Qui-Gon (WIP) > http://boards.theforce.net/before_the_saga/b10475/27642896 Padawan to Valairy_Scot
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Princess_Arulmozhi Registered: Nov '04	Date Posted: 1/31/07 3:51am Subject: RE: The Heart of the Jedi -- Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan, JA -- Parts 1-3 -- 30-Jan-2007
	Bravo. The whole chapter was lovely. -----signature----- Perceptions (Xanatos/Obi/Qui/Anakin) AU:http://boards.theforce.net/the_saga/b10476/25276178/p1/?7 - vignette Stones (Li'l Obi/Qui) - http://boards.theforce.net/before_the_saga/b10475/23371821/p1/ Best Author, WFFA (BtS) 05/06 Lore-Master to 7
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LuvEwan Registered: Mar '02	Date Posted: 1/31/07 8:15am Subject: RE: The Heart of the Jedi -- Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan, JA -- Parts 1-3 -- 30-Jan-2007
	What a beautiful moment between Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon. It was sad that Qui-Gon realized that he had lost that 'first' with Obi-Wan, of building the lightsabre, but perhaps they'll share experiences that will make up for that. I really liked the way you described the grooming room, and the room for lightsaber building. Great post. -----signature----- So it was Anakin's butt after all. He supposed he might take a modicum of comfort from that. -Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith, by Matthew Stover
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dianethx Registered: Mar '02	Date Posted: 1/31/07 9:10am Subject: RE: The Heart of the Jedi -- Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan, JA -- Parts 1-3 -- 30-Jan-2007
	Loved that the braid was sticking out but that Qui-Gon didn't want to redo it and diminish the moment. It was funny when Obi-Wan tried to fix it a bit - I could just picture him doing that. Loved this part Qui-Gon had absolutely no opinion, good or bad, about the design on the screen before him, except that he would never build one like it. And he hoped Obi-Wan would create one with more. . . . personality. "It is. . . . practical," he stated with a shrug. "But the choice of lightsaber must be determined by you." He nodded toward Obi-Wan. "A lightsaber is not just a tool of a Jedi's power. You feel the Force through the blade; it is part of you. And the Force and the lightsaber choose the Jedi as much as the Jedi chooses them." Luckily, Obi's lightsaber eventually has more personality. Good job. Looking forward to more -----signature----- Betrayal - http://boards.theforce.net/s/b1/10935143 updated 9/22/08 Fragments of Illusion- http://boards.theforce.net/bts/b10475/28456473 updated 8/16/08 Freeze frame - http://boards.theforce.net/s/b10476/27820434 Master to jedidas3 Impeach Bush!
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earlybird-obi-wan Registered: Aug '06	Date Posted: 1/31/07 9:22am Subject: RE: The Heart of the Jedi -- Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan, JA -- Parts 1-3 -- 30-Jan-2007
	another great update "to grow longer on it's own before it stopped looking like a weird appendage." loved that -----signature----- writer and Star Wars fan FANART [link=http://boards.theforce.net/fan_art/b10020/25793899]fanart[/link] stories in my bio
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Veloz Registered: Aug '04	Date Posted: 2/1/07 12:24pm Subject: RE: The Heart of the Jedi -- Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan, JA -- Parts 1-3 -- 30-Jan-2007
	I just saw this and i'm loving it I've always wondered what such moments as building a lightsaber or getting a braid would be like, and i think ur descriptions are quite fitting for this, great job! .. i particularly loved Obi Wan staring at his braid and trying to fix it Please add me to ur pm list, i look forward to what happens next... hopefully Qui Gon will take Obi Wan to Ilum -----signature----- "Hello there!" "Remember the Force will be with you..always" - Obi Wan Kenobi, ANH "Who's the more foolish...the fool or the fool who follows him?"- Obi Wan Kenobi, ANH
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Gkilkenny Registered: Mar '04	Date Posted: 2/1/07 8:24pm Subject: RE: The Heart of the Jedi -- Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan, JA -- Parts 1-3 -- 30-Jan-2007
	Qui-Gon feels comfortable around Obi-Wan, although I sense Obi-Wan still feels out of place. If he uttered one word of impatience about it, he knew that Qui-Gon and any other Jedi Master in the Temple within hearing range would admonish him for his impatience. It appears he is still not sure if he has been accepted. He needs confidence and Love. If no one wants to give him some. I WILL!! Brilliant story can I be added to your PM list please. -----signature----- Padawan to p_stotts Peace over anger - honour over hate - Strength over fear. Links to Stories in my Bio. Obi-Wan forever.
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ardavenport Registered: Dec '04	Date Posted: 2/5/07 7:53pm Subject: RE: The Heart of the Jedi -- Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan, JA -- Parts 1-3 -- 30-Jan-2007
	NabooPop: Thank you! Valairy_Scot: I'm very glad you liked it! Oh, I've got more stuff in the upcoming chapters. judsta36: Thanks for reading! I knew I wanted to try doing something with the braiding; it is special to the Jedi, but I always thought that starting the braid might be a little clumsy while the hair is still short. Fifilla: Thanks! Well, since I've brought up Illum, it would be a bit of a disappointment if they didn't go in the story, but that happens a bit later. Princess_Arulmozhi: Thank you! LuvEwan: Oh, yes, they will have some experiences to make up for what they missed. Thanks for the reply! dianethx: Thanks! It was fun putting in the detail about Obi-Wan's first braid not going right. Oh, there will be much more about building lightsabers. earlybird-obi-wan: Thank-you! Veloz: Thanks! Glad you're enjoying the story. Gkilkenny: Thanks for reading! Aaaaah, that would be such a long line of people wanting to give Obi-Wan a little love. -----signature----- Links to all fics -- http://boards.theforce.net/Message.aspx?topic=25405090&brd=10304&start=26223917 The Heart of the Jedi -- http://boards.theforce.net/b/b1/26013327 ---- Qui-Gon, Obi-Wan, JA and everything you wanted to know about lightsabers
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ardavenport Registered: Dec '04	Date Posted: 2/5/07 7:58pm Subject: RE: The Heart of the Jedi -- Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan, JA -- Parts 1-3 -- 30-Jan-2007 - Date Edited: 2/19/07 7:46pm (4 edits total) Edited By: ardavenport
	///o\\\’///o\\\’///o\\\’///o\\\’///o\\\’///o\\\ - - - Part 4 Qui-Gon walked next to Master Zamtoe down a high ceilinged corridor. Deep inside the Jedi Temple, soft pale yellow lights illuminated the ancient walls and patterned floor. A few long worn tapestries in muted colors and curling lines and shapes hung between the recesses of light. No daylight or simulated outside lights ever reached these cave-like passages. Stopping, Qui-Gon waited for Zamtoe to cross before him to a dull bronze door on their right. Zamtoe tapped the key code into the panel inset in the wall next to it. The large, broad door silently slid aside. Pale aqua light, highlighted by faint splotches of blue and green, spilled on the floor. Zamtoe's blue skin, once grayish and dull in the dim corridor, seemed rejuvenated in the reflected light from the room. He bowed to Qui-Gon. "You may stay as long as you wish. There are no demands for the Chamber today." Qui-Gon bowed in return and entered. Qui-Gon Jinn stood in the arched entryway of the Crystal Chamber. The door silently closed behind him as he stepped forward. White lights, deliberately chosen for their similarity to the lighting in the caves of Illum, shone upward from the flat shelves of the upper tiers along the walls. Piles of blue and green crystals painted that light with their living color. They filled recesses in the wall, covered the steps on either side of the room and a few spilled out on the floor. A single, plain lighting panel, bright like reflecting snow, dominated the opposite wall like a window into nothing. Mindful of any stray crystals, Qui-Gon slowly walked down the steps to the center of the room. He slid onto the wide meditation platform at its center. He turned his head, looking all around at the circle of his silent audience of inactive crystals, veterans of many, many thousands of lightsabers over thousands of years of Jedi history. He inhaled deeply. Then again. Qui-Gon Jinn rarely went to the Crystal Chamber. He always expected to feel the Force more strongly when he entered, but he usually did not. The room felt crowded but still distant to him. Its cold light was only an illusion. There was no real chill in the temperate, filtered air. There was nothing rough and dangerous in this room, heavy only with history. But he wondered if his Padawan had be similarly unimpressed. Without the experience of Illum to compare it to, would the Crystal Chamber be as mysterious and wondrous to his young apprentice, then still an Initiate, hoping to be chosen? Qui-Gon closed his eyes and thought of Obi-Wan, alone, clearing his mind to find that one crystal that called to him, to fill the empty space in the plain, utilitarian lightsaber before him. Hoping to mirror that moment, he sat motionless for a long time, but an impression of Obi-Wan's past personal quest came to him only fleetingly. He found it underneath many, many other Initiates and Jedi seeking to complete their lightsabers from crystals with their own pasts. They swamped his impression of Obi-Wan with their numbers, layers and layers of obscuring people searching through the millennia. Looking for a focus though the multi-faceted fog, he took his own lightsaber from his belt. Qui-Gon's hands twisted the pommel, disengaging the power core. With no need to look, his fingers slid along the edges of the emitter end until they found a knob that when pressed released the outer casing. The power core and the rest of inner workings slid out from the pommel end into his lap. His fingertips prodded the exposed crystals inside and extracted them from the housing. His hand closed over them. The hard edges of the crystals pressed into his palm. He remembered seeing them, for the first time, embedded in a dark cave wall with others just like it. There had been something different about their green glint that attracted him. He had pressed his face close to them, staring deeply into each one. He had felt as if he could see out from them through a gleaming haze of deep, intense green. They came away from the wall, into his hand as soon as he touched them. Though that sojourn into the hidden Temple on Illum had been relatively short, his then Padawan, Xanatos had complained about having to wait outside in the cold. He had only asked about his Master's experience when they had returned to their ship and he had turned up the heating unit. Even then, Xanatos seemed only interested in the lightsaber itself, not in anything else that had happened. The memory came to him now with the clarity of the Force, including his own delight in Xanatos's awe at the new lightsaber. He had hardly noticed at the time that nothing else interested his apprentice, but the memory now seemed scarred by what was missing from it. There had been no real sharing between them when their should have been, at least, none that went very deep. Qui-Gon opened his eyes. His own crystals floated before him. He didn't remember releasing them. The Force now flowed strongly through them, as if they were focusing his lightsaber blade. The other crystals in the room seemed to echo this as if they remembered earlier times. All around him, they rose up in the air. He felt the power of the Force from them, flowing through him to his own crystals. Again, he felt as if he were seeing out from them, something that had not happened since that first day, when he had found them. He looked up through the green light at the glints of green and blue, little fragments of the Temple on Illum. They had all reassembled into their own Temple now, with him at its center. The air, no longer stale with history, was alive with the Force. Qui-Gon lifted his arms up, exposing as much of his body as he could to it. For a long time, he felt a thirst, deep within him filled to overflowing. He saw a glint, in the emerald depths before him. A crack? A flaw? Some tiny fissure that would grow? He lifted his hand to touch it. The glint flashed bright, hot green. Qui-Gon flung his arms up, protecting his face and fell back away from it. The room filled with a clattering sound, like a rattling applause. Small stones pelted his whole body. A few last fragments rattled into silence. Qui-Gon slowly pulled his arms away from his head. The crystals were gone. He stared up at the domed ceiling above. It was decorated with a twining pattern of blue and green on gray stone. He had never really studied it before, hardly ever looking up in this room. He pushed himself up. Crystals fell away from him as he rose. They rolled off him, some falling off the platform to bounce on the floor. They were everywhere. With no proper receptacles for the mounds of crystals in it, the Crystal Chamber was never very tidy, but now every bit of floor, every free surface was covered with sparkling blue and green. The heavy pieces of his lightsaber slid down into the center of his lap. Qui-Gon picked them up. There were several crystals in his lap as well and dozens and dozens of them all around him on the padded meditation platform. None of them were his. Breathing deeply, Qui-Gon straightened and extended his hand, drawing those two, special crystals back to him. Nothing happened. Qui-Gon's eyes snapped open. There was nothing more disconcerting for any Jedi than to reach for the Force and touch nothing in return. Sometimes it happened. Sometimes the Force spoke with silence. His heart beating a little faster than it had been, he climbed down off of the meditation platform. Crystals fell away from him with every motion. He slid his feet on the floor, making space for himself to stand. He was a large man, but even his weight wouldn't break any crystals unless they were already cracked, but he did not want to trip on them either. Head down, he turned around, hoping that his eye would catch a familiar glint. There were subtle differences in shades. A very few blue ones glinted pale, almost white, while a very few others shone purple. Some green ones were tinted a deep, dark color, or a bright, sunny one. But the huge majority of the carpet of crystals around him were the familiar green or blue. They all looked the same, except for their color, which meant that he could safely eliminate the blue ones, leaving only half of the thousands and thousands of crystals remaining that might be his. Qui-Gon lifted his head, forcing himself to stop looking. His crystal was gone because it was no longer his. I will have to go to Illum. He sagged. This was not the revelation he had come for. He had been hoping for guidance, some flash of insight that he could pass on to Obi-Wan to fulfill his quest. Now it seemed that his guidance would be to build his own lightsaber with his Padawan. Qui-Gon let the thought settle in his mind. It felt right. He reassembled his lightsaber without the crystal, carefully leaving the power core disengaged. Then he held it up, regretting that its time with him was gone. The grip still felt right in his hand and he would at least salvage parts of it for the new one. Turning around again, Qui-Gon felt drained. He was suddenly aware that hours had passed since he had entered the room. A glance at the small chrono by the door confirmed this. Revelations had no sense of time. Sliding his feet through the masses of crystals, he moved toward the door. They bounced and clattered down when he ascended the steps. He swept his hand in the direction of the panel by the door. It clicked and the door slid open for him. A few crystals, kicked forward by his feet, stopped at the clawed toes of Master Yoda, who was sitting just outside in the corridor, in the center of the doorway. Qui-Gon stared down at the large green eyes and thought that the blue-green light really made the ancient Jedi Council member look younger. He continued to stare as Yoda stood and aided by his walking stick made his way around him. With a full view of the whole Crystal Chamber, Master Yoda slowly turned his head to look at it. Then he settled down in place again, using his stick to clear a space for himself. Smiling, he looked up at Qui-Gon. The crystals on the floor were ankle deep for the tiny Jedi Master. "Much thinking have you done, Master Qui-Gon," he commented, his uneven tones high and clearly amused. Senior Jedi Master though he was, Qui-Gon Jinn suddenly felt like a six-year old Initiate who had failed to clean his sleeping space. Knowing that Yoda would see behind his pretense, Qui-Gon still folded his arms before him anyway, his expression neutral. "I have Master Yoda." He inclined his head. "And now I have more things to consider." He turned to leave. "Go you must, but your friends must stay." Qui-Gon stopped. What did that mean? He looked down again. Still smiling, Yoda got up and hobbled toward Qui-Gon's feet. With his stick, he tapped the top of one boot that was at his eye level. Suddenly feeling something there, Qui-Gon bent over. He pried out a flattish blue crystal from the top of his boot. Shocked, he began checking himself, his boots, his belt, his robe. One was inside the folds of the collar of his robe. Taking the robe off, he found three more inside the hood and another one that had slipped into a concealed pocket. He tossed the robe out into the corridor behind him when he was sure it was free of any other hitchhikers, but he knelt to put the crystals down on the floor with the others. He patted himself one more time and found one last green crystal hiding inside his tunic. Hoping for a moment, he held it up. It felt familiar, but it only mutely glinted back at him, just like all the others. "Leaving friends behind, you are, Master Qui-Gon." Yoda's tone was low and even, with no high pitches of amusement this time. Unable to speak, Qui-Gon nodded. It wasn't his anymore. It never really had been his. Jedi had no possessions. Yoda held out his rough three-fingered hand. Qui-Gon carefully placed it there. Yoda's claws closed over it; he took it and hobbled back into the room. He bend down and reverently laid it with the other crystals where it belonged. --- tbc --- -----signature----- Links to all fics -- http://boards.theforce.net/Message.aspx?topic=25405090&brd=10304&start=26223917 The Heart of the Jedi -- http://boards.theforce.net/b/b1/26013327 ---- Qui-Gon, Obi-Wan, JA and everything you wanted to know about lightsabers
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Valairy_Scot Title: PT Rewrite Winner Registered: Sep '05	Date Posted: 2/5/07 9:07pm Subject: RE: The Heart of the Jedi -- Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan, JA -- Parts 1-4 -- 5-Feb-2007
	What an insightful chapter in the relationship between a Jedi and a lightsaber. Loved the hitchhikers! -----signature----- http://boards.theforce.net/fan_fiction_resource/b10304/25405090/p3/?52 Prolific Author thread: list & links there. Muse fueled by coffee. Often AWOL despite frequent sipping. Writes on inspiration, not a schedule. Proud master of several padawans
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Gkilkenny Registered: Mar '04	Date Posted: 2/5/07 10:19pm Subject: RE: The Heart of the Jedi -- Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan, JA -- Parts 1-4 -- 5-Feb-2007
	Wonderful description of the Chamber of crystals. Was it the force's way of making sure both Master and Apprentice begin their journey anew. Obi-Wan in need of a new crystal and now Qui-Gon as well. Both to go to Illum to find their crystals. Leaving all other memories behind. Lovely chapter. -----signature----- Padawan to p_stotts Peace over anger - honour over hate - Strength over fear. Links to Stories in my Bio. Obi-Wan forever.
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