A Sign of Trust; PG-13; Ch. 10/10 **Complete!**

This one's been around a long, long time. It's one of my first Star Wars stories, and is still just about my favorite of my own fanfics. Since it's a RL crossover, it can't go in the tf.n fanfic archives, so I've finally decided to post it here. Enjoy!


Title: A Sign of Trust
Author: LadyElaine
Archive: Please ask first. I?d like to know where it?s going.
Feedback: ...is my bread and water. dragonlady75069@attbi.com
Disclaimer: Homage is due to Stacey Lee, whose incomparable ?In a Strange Land? (found in the fanfic at www.qui-gonline.org ) was the original inspiration for this. The characters and situations of Star Wars belong to George Lucas and Lucasfilm, Ltd. My only profit is (hopefully) feedback.
Rating: PG to PG-13 for mild language and violence.
Summary: Drama. A jaded woman narrowly escapes a fatal car crash when she?s transported to the Star Wars galaxy. Think it?s a dream come true? Think again.



A Sign of Trust


I. Aurabesh

Week 1, day 4: It was 2:47 on a cloudy Saturday afternoon when that semi hit my little blue Kia. Don?t ask me how or why I got out of that one--I really shouldn?t have. I was looking at the radio, scanning through the different stations, and I buzzed right through the red light. By all rights, I should be dead.

What brought my attention back to the here and now (where it belonged) was the awful sound of a truck driver standing on his brakes. I looked back up, and the genius in me said, ?Gee, I guess things really do move in slow motion when you?re about to die.? Sometimes I amaze even myself.

Oddly enough, the last thing I remember feeling, as I watched the semi barreling toward me, was a profound sense of relief....


Cathleen sighed, and started cracking her knuckles one by one. The sound of it bothered Master Qui-Gon to no end--but after all, it was by his recommendation that the Council had ordered her to transcribe her journal into Aurabesh. She stole a glance over her shoulder at the opposite corner of the cell, belatedly remembering that Qui-Gon was gone. In his place sat a rather dashing young Knight by the name of Nejaa Halcyon. He looked to be deep in meditation.

She sighed again and stretched before resuming her typing.


...When I woke up, I thought I was dead. Well, first I thought I was in a hospital bed--and I was, just not what I expected. The voices around me seemed familiar, but I figured I?d been hearing them before I became lucid.

Coming out of it was like swimming up from a subterranean cave. I?ve seen some incredible photos taken from the mouths of those underwater caverns, and it was as good a mental image as any to use as I tried to wake up. When I finally did open my eyes, it was to the sight of Liam Neeson?s long-lost twin brother. I mean, it obviously wasn?t the actor himself, but he was a dead ringer, anyway. That?s when I thought I had died. Any red-blooded female, waking up to that face, would think she was in heaven.


A chuckle from just behind and above her interrupted Cathleen?s concentration. The Jedi had managed to come up without her noticing, and had been reading over her shoulder. She flushed angrily. ?Hey, don?t you have something better to do than annoy me??

?No, actually, I don?t. I?m supposed to be keeping an eye on you, you know.?

Trust a Corellian, Cathleen thought, to remind me just how untrustworthy I am. She bit her lip and decided to cajole him into shepherding her to the library. It was one of the only parts of the Temple They allowed her to visit.

* * *

?She appeared in the midst of your council, and you are not yet sure of her?? Qui-Gon allowed a hint of frustration to color his voice. The woman had, indeed, popped into existence right in the middle of a Council meeting, sprawled bonelessly on the floor, blood leaking from eyes and ears and nose as if she?d just suffered a massive head injury. Her clothing, too had born signs of trauma, being badly torn and burned.

?Of her presence here

 

II. Surveillance

?May I have word with Cathleen, Knight Halcyon??

Master Qui-Gon?s voice broke her concentration. The title of the book--Secular Morality in the Modern Galaxy--collapsed into so many meaningless symbols again. Cathleen finished downloading it to her portable reader, and turned to face her distraction. Nejaa Halcyon was just walking off.

Qui-Gon took her by the shoulder. ?Pack your things. I?m getting you out of here.?

?What? What are you talking about??

Qui-Gon heaved a sigh. He looked like he had a headache. ?The Council has refused to let you go. There?s nothing more I can do to convince them that you?re not a danger, so I--?

She shrugged his hand off her shoulder. ?What makes you think I want to go? You haven?t said word one to me about this, Master Qui-Gon.?

He gave Cathleen a look that seemed to go right through her. ?I?m trying to get you out of the Temple, Cathleen. I know you?re unhappy being kept in that cell, under constant surveillance.?

She stared at him in disbelief. ?I don?t know whether to kiss you or kick you, Master Qui-Gon. You know, I?m really grateful for your concern, but...I have no intention of leaving the Temple.?

?But you--?

Cathleen cut him off again, shaking her head. ?All I really want are some normal quarters, and freedom to go where I please, without always being watched. I?m perfectly happy to stay.?

It was Qui-Gon?s turn to stare at Cathleen. ?You want to remain in the Temple? You don?t even want to go back to your home planet??

At his mention of Earth, Cathleen?s stomach went hard and cold. ?Look, I have a master?s degree in linguistics. If you like, I can type you up a five-hundred-word essay on the differences between the Latin and Russian genitive cases. I once had dreams of cracking Minoan Linear B. But here I am, a middle aged, middle class, mediocre Spanish teacher with students who just don?t care.

?I?m not married, and I have no children,? she continued. ?The only family I have left--if you could ever call it a family, anyway--couldn?t care less what happens to me. What sane person would want to go back to that, when there?s all this,? the wave of her hand taking in her surroundings, ?to explore??

The Jedi Master pinched the bridge of his chiseled nose. ?I apologize. I may have been--unfocused.? Then he looked back up again, an odd little smile playing over his mouth. ?Perhaps new arrangements may now be made for our guest?? Qui-Gon said in a slightly louder tone.

Master Depa Bilaba glided out from between the aisles of parchment books. ?My apologies, Cathleen. We expected you to take Master Jinn?s offer, you understand.? She smiled serenely. ?The Council simply needed a sign of trust.?

The cold lump in Cathleen?s stomach rematerialized in her throat. How could they! ?I thought this was the Jedi Temple,? she snapped, ?not the setup temple. You could have just asked me!? She pivoted on her heel and stalked out of the library.

* * *

Week 1, day 5: You?d think that suddenly finding yourself in the Star Wars galaxy would be a fan?s dream come true. And it was, for about a day. Then I let on to Master Saesee Tiin, the Iktotchi Jedi who was keeping me company--or so I naively thought--that the Jedi story was a legend from my world that I?d always loved.

Like the twit that I am, I forgot he was telepathic. Yeah, I know, I?m a blonde joke waiting to happen.

The next day, when the healers released me, I was escorted to the Council chamber, and grilled for three hours straight.

What all did I know about the Jedi order? What was this war that Master Tiin had seen flashes of in my mind? How had I come to know about the Sith? What was my purpose here, and was I an agent of the Dark Side? I managed to keep my answers short, civil, and just this side of the truth.

Then I was shown to a one-room cell--well, two, if you count the bathroom--and told that I would be allowed only limited access to the Temple, an

 

Wow! This is great Lady Elaine. Please post more soon.

 

Now that I've seen Episode II, I can say that my mental image of the Temple Library was waaay off...


III. Familiar Strangers

She woke screaming.

When the Jedi Master flew into her room, Cathleen barely even noticed. All she could see was the hideously scarred being who had been trailing her through the mists of her nightmare. It wasn?t until she felt Qui-Gon?s large hands shaking her that she came to her senses.

He?s yelling my name, she realized dimly. ?I?m okay, I?m okay,? she gasped.

?Your nightmare woke me.? His gust of a sigh drew Cathleen?s attention to the fact that he had sat down next to her on the bed, with one arm warm about her shoulders.

?All the way from your own quarters?? she asked, pulling away nervously.

His chuckle was more of a hum. ?It would seem I am becoming better attuned to you than other Jedi who?ve encountered you. Perhaps it has something to do with the nature of my connection to the Living Force.? Even in the dim light, she could see how the lines of age and strain around his eyes softened as he smiled at her. ?Or it may simply be that my dreams took the same path as yours tonight.?

She clutched the blankets in her lap as tightly as she did her guilt. The reason her Force signature was so dim, she knew, was because, like the Yuuzhan Vong of the most recent novels, she wasn?t of this galaxy. But if she admitted that, it would be back to the Council for her, to field another few hundred questions. Mustering up the most innocent smile she knew how to give, Cathleen quietly thanked Qui-Gon. ?I hope I didn?t wake up Obi-Wan, too.?

?It would take a stampede of banthas to wake that one,? he laughed. Then he rose, and gave her a short bow. ?Cathleen, I must apologize for the Council?s treatment of you since you arrived. And for mine, in particular. You were entirely correct, we should have asked you what you wanted before making assumptions about you.?

And just like that, he was gone.

Belatedly, it dawned on her that he?d been clad only in loose drawstring trousers. Too bad her nerves had prevented her from properly admiring him. Then she giggled like a teenager when she looked down at her own thin brown top, something like a cross between a sports bra and a camisole. It was a little cool in here, and she?d been scared. No wonder Qui-Gon had left so suddenly.

The remainder of her dreams left her still blushing in the morning, despite the lingering chill from her nightmare.

* * *

She sat as still as she could manage in the front room of Master Yaddle?s quarters. That the tiny alien was over four hundred years old, but could still sit cross-legged without her knees crackling, irritated Cathleen to no end. The room was as Spartan as she?d once imagined it might be, with low, gray cushions taking the place of couch and chairs, and a single, small table less than a foot high. There were no decorations on the walls. The Master?s only concession to beauty seemed to be an intricately carved bookcase in one corner, built from some sort of golden brown wood.

Cathleen wisely refrained from asking how on earth the diminutive Master reached the books on the top shelves.

There was a long silence after they were both seated. Finally, Master Yaddle began. ?Spoken with me, Master Jinn has.? Her voice was as rough as Yoda?s, but much softer, almost a whisper. ?A scholar of tongues, you are.?

It took her a moment to realize that Yaddle?s comment was actually a question. ?Yes, Master Yaddle. I've studied many of the languages of my homeworld.?

Yaddle harrumphed and fell silent again. Cathleen waited, not wanting to try such long-lived patience. After several endless minutes of nothing, though, she had to shift to keep her legs from falling asleep.

?Thinking you learn quickly, yes??

The confusing question caught her off guard. ?I do pick up other languages pretty easily....?

?Read.? The book Yaddle pushed to her across the table had come out of nowhere. Cathleen suspected that there was now a space o

 

Note: The bug eggs are my own invention. I'm not sure whether or not to be proud of that....


IV. A Sign of Trust

No one remembered who he was. No one knew his name, or the name of his supervisor. Wherever he walked, he went unnoticed. He was a simple Temple worker: one of the nameless, faceless, unremarkable hundreds assigned, temporarily or permanently, to the menial labor on which the Jedi Temple depended.

And then he was not.

No one complained--or even cared--when he left the Temple and his ?shift? early. That was unsurprising, though, since he wasn?t actually on the payroll. But his unassuming air was just one part of a complex disguise that extended even into the Force itself. When infiltrating the sanctum sanctorum of the enemy, one must walk very softly, indeed.

From an inner pocket of his utilitarian garb, he withdrew a vial containing a single hair. His Master had neglected to warn him that another agent was active in the Temple.

* * *

Week 4, day 4: How the hell am I supposed to keep a private journal like this? The writing pad I started out with has--ahem--mysteriously vanished. My only option now is to peck out my words, letter by unfamiliar letter, on this weird keyboard-thing. I suppose I could write all this in Spanish, but I think the Bith language has fried my mental circuits. No verbs, only gerunds. How all these different species manage to communicate with each other is purely beyond me.

Whoever said that Americans take their freedoms for granted was right. I?ve been around the Temple long enough now to know that all private terminals use passwords--except for the one in my quarters. There?s some pretty beefy cyber security here, but as far as I can tell, my files are totally unsecured. So how can I write safely about my thoughts and feelings--about when I?m happy, or annoyed...or utterly scared out of my mind?...


She?d never kept a journal before now, but Cathleen decided she liked it. It was a good way to release the day?s tensions--except for the times when she didn?t dare put down what had really happened to her.


...This morning, I asked the Ithorian librarian (and just try saying that three times fast!) if she?d seen a Zabrak in the Library lately. She gave me the Ithorian version of a blank stare and told me--in stereo, no less--that Jedi Master Eeth Koth hadn?t visited the Library in almost two weeks. Then she reminded me rather pointedly not to forget to turn off my speed-learning headset when I was done with it. I haven?t even had to use the damn thing in four days. I guess every species must have its jerks.


There she was, cracking her knuckles again. It was a nervous habit. She forced her hands into fists, but found her foot tapping.

* * *

It was almost two weeks after what she?d privately dubbed ?the Zabrak incident,? and Cathleen had almost succeeded in convincing herself she?d imagined it. She wasn?t exactly used to telling one alien being from another here--for all she knew, all Zabrak of that particular race looked like him.

She saved her latest journal entry, rubbed her eyes, and collapsed back onto the couch in the main room of her quarters. Her stomach growled, and she looked wearily at the wall chrono. It was close enough to the dinner hour, so she gave her short hair a quick brush, and headed to the Library level?s cafeteria. Most of the food here was similar to what she was used to, but the few times she?d run into something exotic had given her pause. Add to that the fact that she herself had never been more than a marginal cook, and Cathleen felt safest trusting her digestive system to the relatively tame cafeteria on this level.

Of course, she made sure before she ate what everything was. The last time she?d eaten something unfamiliar--small, sweet brown globes called grunkstl--she had learned too late that the ?dessert? was actually the eggs of a large insect native to Sernpidal. Her spine still crawled every time she thought about it.

Upo

 

This chapter gets a hint of the grim in it. I thought it would be a good thing to contrast the "real world" of Star Wars with the peaceful Temple.

V. Paradoxes and Other Difficult Positions

?I find myself in a difficult position, Master.? Obi-Wan held his stance until Qui-Gon nodded once, satisfied. Then the young man burst into motion again, his body spinning and lunging through the blue afterimage the lightsaber framed about him.

?Hold.? Qui-Gon made a tiny correction in his apprentice?s grip. ?What do you mean??

?I understand that everything we?ve done has been to gain a better understanding of this stranger, but--? At the older Jedi?s nod, he sprang into the kata again. The dance of blade and body was a more eloquent expression than his words. At the close of the exercise, Obi-Wan came to rest in the final position. His chest was heaving with more than just exertion. ?But I sympathize with her.? A flick of his thumb, and the humming blade vanished. ?I know what it is to not be trusted.?

?The Council would tell you that sympathy is a dangerous emotion.?

? ?There is no emotion, there is peace.? ? Obi-Wan?s impish voice was muffled by the small towel he was wiping his sweaty face with.

?From a certain point of view,? Qui-Gon chuckled. ?But sympathy has its place, Padawan. As peace and patience are doorways to the Unifying Force, sympathy and empathy are of the Living Force. Too many Jedi have forgotten that personal connections form the beating heart of the Republic.?

* * *

Today was a rest day, and Cathleen decided to use it, for once. The previous rest days, she had either been in the infirmary, or simply too anxious to sit back and relax. She hadn?t even touched her quarters? vidscreen yet--though even at home, Cathleen had never been all that attached to the television. Her off-time consisted mostly of reading (she did more than enough of that here) and sketching (but her writing pad was gone, along with her drawings.)

But today was a rest day, and she wanted to indulge herself. When she activated the vidscreen, it was turned to a news service. All I need now, Cathleen thought with a smile, is Dan Rather. The anchor, however, was a gray-furred Gotal.

?...but the Stombannin family representative refused to comment,? he was saying. ?In a related story, a Selonian colony, which emigrated ten standard years ago to the planet Ubezhdat, was massacred yesterday by the Ubezhdi Liberation Front.? The picture on screen changed to show what was presumably the burnt-out remains of the colony. ?The ULF is a terrorist organization made up of xenophobic Ubezhdi aborigines. It has long been dedicated to driving out or exterminating all non-native peoples, but this marks the first ULF attack against other nonhumans.? The scene changed again, now showing human recovery workers carrying stretchers into a central clearing in the rubble.

Cathleen?s heart contracted at the all-too-familiar images. This is the Star Wars galaxy, damn it! This isn?t supposed to happen here! She was shocked to realize that she was crying.

?Ubezhdat?s Coronin Elenus has vowed harsh retaliation,? the anchor went on emotionlessly, ?but Senator Domas Mansche has urged the Coronin to delay any action until a team of Jedi can be dispatched.?

This is why I hardly ever watched TV back on Earth, Cathleen thought. But she couldn?t tear herself away from the news of the galaxy. She watched all day long, with an increasingly heavy heart.

During trade talks, Massaduan religious zealots had beaten a Caamasi ambassador to death. The Caamasi, true to their peaceful, patient nature, simply sent another envoy.

Two Jedi Knights had been seriously injured on Petrad III, where a planetary civil war had been brewing for over a year.

The notorious Stombannin family, long suspected of being involved in pirate activities along the Corellian Trade Spine, was embroiled in a bloody land dispute on Selonia.

Three men and two women on Coruscant had slain their families, the

 

VI. The Finer Points

Master Qui-Gon Jinn stood patiently before the Jedi Council?s questions. He was used to being in this position.

?And does she know that her quarters were entered?? Mace Windu was saying.

?Not to my knowledge. According to my apprentice, though, she is aware that she is still being watched, and is not pleased.? Obi-Wan had described her reaction as scathingly angry--but he was still young enough, and sensitive to mistrust, that such a reaction would affect him. Qui-Gon wondered, then, why he was likewise affected.

?Gain her trust, you must, Qui-Gon,? Master Yoda said gruffly. ?Gained it long since, you should have.?

* * *

Week 6, Day 4: A 5,000-year-old peace treaty isn?t an easy thing to translate, even on my better days--but I could barely concentrate enough to remember what language it was written in. I?m 36 years old, damn it. I have had more than my share of dates, flings, and relationships.

So why the hell have I spent most of the day pacing and talking to myself?

Because of the note I found inside--inside!--my quarters yesterday evening. The fact that my rooms aren?t as lockable as I assumed they were really ought to piss me off more than this, except that the note was from Master Qui-Gon. He asked me to join him for dinner. In his quarters. Tonight. Put ?Qui-Gon? and ?dinner? in the same sentence, and my imagination goes into overdrive.

I know, I know, nothing?s going to happen. I don?t think fulfilling women?s fantasies fits in the Jedi Code. But I?m still going to dress nicely.

* * *

?Please, come in, Cathleen.? Master Qui-Gon ushered her into the main room of his and Obi-Wan?s spacious quarters, smiling at the light blue Alderaanian dress she wore belted in silver. ?I see Obi-Wan found time to help you expand your wardrobe.?

?Yes, he did.? She grinned at the memory of the Padawan?s not-so-infinite patience for her hunting through the Temple?s second-hand human clothing. Considering the work most Jedi did, she?d been surprised that so much of it had still been in such good condition. ?Where is Obi-Wan tonight??

Qui-Gon led her into the dining area, still smiling. ?He has his own duties to see to this evening.?

Cathleen resolutely ignored her pounding heart, chiding herself to control her emotions around this particular Jedi Master. It just figures, she thought wryly, that the only Jedi who makes me weak in the knees is also the only one that can sense me getting weak in the knees.

Dinner was already waiting on the table, steam curling enticingly. Qui-Gon pulled a chair out for his guest before seating himself. Cathleen smoothed her skirts underneath her as she sat. Then she noticed one of the side dishes.

?Is that grunkstl??

?Of course. Obi-Wan told me how much you enjoyed it.?

She couldn?t believe that Padawan?s audacity. ?Typical,? Cathleen laughed. ?A sixteen-year-old apprentice with too much time on his hands.? When the Jedi Master?s pleased expression vanished, she explained. ?I don?t do bug eggs.?

His lips quirked in a sly smile. ?Well, in that case, I shall be sure to relay to him how much you relished them tonight.?

Other than a bit of small talk, they ate in companionable silence. Qui-Gon took her share of the offending dessert with a chuckle, while Cathleen savored the warmth of the wine.

* * *

The genetic profile showed the strand of hair to be human, but that was the only thing he could be sure of. The woman?s initial Force absence had reminded him of his Master?s latest allies. As he?d tracked her, though, he came to realize that she did exist in the Force--but in a very different way.

He regretted the necessity of no communications with his Master during this mission. His path, though, was clear. She was monumentally inept, or she was more dangerous than he could imagine. Either way, she was a riddle that had to be solved.

* * *

?I understand Master Yaddle put you to work in the Library. I?ve also heard that the record

 

VII. Greater and Lesser Evils

?Sit. Down. Now.? The Jedi Master?s voice had more than a faint suggestion of the Force in it, but Cathleen wasn?t swayed.

?Where I come from, Master Qui-Gon, privacy is a basic legal right!? She?d almost thrown the small holoprojector across the room when it showed her a view of her own quarters.

Qui-Gon retuned the input, and it shifted to a real-time hologram of his suite?s main room. A tiny version of Cathleen gazed, stricken, at an even tinier holographic hologram. ?We are Jedi,? Qui-Gon tried to explain. ?We are family. Privacy is secondary.?

?I,? Cathleen seethed, ?am not a Jedi.? And before he could stop her, she stormed out of his quarters.

Alone in his rooms, Qui-Gon turned the holoprojector back to the footage he?d tried to show her.

The door to her quarters slid open. No one entered. Her terminal turned itself on, and scrolled slowly through her files before shutting down again. These could have simply been electronic glitches--except that her writing pad shuffled its own pages, then carried itself out.

Someone with a holodisruptor had been in her quarters, without the Council?s knowledge or consent. One would think she would have been more upset at that, than at the presence of a single, innocuous holocam.

He was just reaching for his communicator, meaning to call Obi-Wan, when he saw that Cathleen had left her handbag. One folded edge of flimsiplast peeked out. I am not a Jedi, she?d said. But Qui-Gon Jinn was.

* * *

Cathleen would often joke that running was against her religion. Now, though, she ignored the stitch in her side and the grinding pain in her knees, and made for the nearest portal to the outside air. In all her time here, she?d never felt the slightest desire to leave the Temple. Even when she knew the Council was still keeping a wary eye on her, she had concentrated instead on learning everything she could about her new home. But this was intolerable. She refused to live in a place where she was actively spied upon. Her mind lit on what Qui-Gon had said: privacy is secondary.

Secondary to what?

These days, knowing where all the exits were was a survival skill for high school teachers. Dodging the few berobed figures remaining in the halls at this late hour, she found the nearest outer doorway, and stopped for breath. Most levels of the Temple had several exits. The main one on this floor was a massive set of double doors. She expected them to open slowly, but they sprang apart with a hiss.

Outside, the chill air whipped around her. The dress she wore had been made for the temperate weather of Alderaan, and she was freezing in seconds--but she refused to go crawling back to those bugged quarters for anything warmer. Lurching down the impossibly floating pier, she tried to hide her shock at the surrounding expanse from other beings on the walkway. Within moments, Cathleen was shaking, and not just from the icy wind. Making a grab for the side railing, she firmly told herself that she was not going to go sailing off into space. Her instincts refused to listen.

An air taxi, lit up against the night, pulled up at the end of the walkway. Cathleen didn?t care that she had nothing in the way of fare--she just had to get away. Oddly enough, once the open-air vehicle began moving, her agoraphobia eased. She lay back in relief against the seat, not noticing that the driver hadn?t asked her for a destination.

She came to her senses, though, when they began dropping through level after level of the city. ?Wait a minute, where are we going?? she asked, leaning forward so the driver would hear her over the shriek of wind. At his cold glare, she saw that fare wasn?t going to be the problem.

The man--if he was human at all--looked like something Madame Tusseau would have dreamt up. His hair had the rough look of a wig, and his skin.... With a shudder, she realized he really did look like a wax figure. Her mind flashed back to the Zabrak in the Library. He?d had the sa

 

Nice story from what I have read so far. I like the way you write.

Tayschrenn

 

VIII. Upon Waking

Darsha Assant had heard Obi-Wan?s master bring up Nejaa Halcyon?s name over the communicator. The Knight was one of her own Master?s closest friends. Curious, she went in search of him--and found him quickly enough, sitting near that level?s south-facing entrance. He smiled when he saw her, and made room on the bench for her to join him.

?Did you have something to do with my sparring partner?s disappearance?? she asked playfully. ?I overheard Master Jinn say your name, and then Obi-Wan ran out like he was on fire.?

Nejaa laughed briefly. ?Has your sparring partner mentioned the visitor in the Temple??

She frowned up at him. ?I think he said something about a stranger. A human woman, right??

A curt nod. ?She?s an odd one. Seems she scared half the Council right out of their enlightened minds. She popped out of thin air in the middle of one of their sessions.?

?Come on!? she giggled.

?Hey presto, just like that.? He ruffled her hair affectionately. ?Master Windu?s still tied up in knots over her....?

* * *

?Help me, Obi-Wan!? Qui-Gon roared over the shriek of wind and engine. ?Grab her other hand!?

The noise and light of the aircar split the blackness. Cathleen must have fallen for some distance to have reached this far; but had they not caught her, she would have tumbled uncounted klicks more before hitting bottom. The craft swayed and yawed wildly as she hung, twisting and struggling, from the pair?s hands. Hefting her aboard, Qui-Gon heard a crack, and knew that her shoulder had popped out.

Not caring that blood from her face was smearing over his tunic, Qui-Gon wrapped her close. She clung to him, sobbing and shuddering. Wave after wave of her terror ripped through him. ?It?s all right, it?s all right,? he crooned to her over and over. ?I?ve got you, I won?t let you fall.? Finally, despite the pain of a broken nose and dislocated shoulder, she dropped into a shocked slumber.

?Back to the Temple, Obi-Wan. Take us home.?

* * *

Now that she knew it was there, it was easy to spot the holocam peeking from one corner in the infirmary. Cathleen told herself that she ought to be offended by it; but at present, knowing someone was watching her was comforting.

?Good morning.? She turned her head to see Master Qui-Gon sitting on the other side of her bed.

She smiled at him. ?I feel like I?ve been here before.?

A chuckle was his only response.

?I think I?ve used up my quotient of miracles, Master Qui-Gon. How did you...?? Cathleen shut her eyes, biting her lip, and felt the Jedi Master?s hand close around her own; a swell of calm washed away the sudden panic attack.

?You have a very unique Force signature. Once I learned to feel it, I couldn?t miss it. It radiates on an entirely different level, almost another dimension.?

He was temporizing, she could tell from the way he went on. ?I?m not that original, Qui-Gon.? She looked at him skeptically. ?You could have made a mistake, you know.?

?Of course not,? he declared. ?Jedi Masters never make mistakes.? An old, old grief swam in his eyes, belying his sardonic tone.

She cursed herself for saying exactly the wrong thing.

?Get some sleep, now, Cathleen.?

* * *

Qui-Gon Jinn watched her relax into sleep. This woman had burst into the galaxy, and into his life, already holding a deep affection for him. The Jedi Council had ordered him to do everything necessary to discover her purpose. He doubted that any of them regretted that decision as much as he did now. Oh, he had been as unobtrusive as possible in his investigation after learning of her private nature--and yet....

And yet. The bitter irony was that he had saved her life through an intrusion far more invasive than any holocam.

The generosity of his own character urged him to return her respect, even her affection. As Cathleen slipped deeper into slumber, Qui-Gon reached out through the Force to cushion the inevitable nightmares.

Her presence slipped away. Alarmed, he called the emde

 

I'm really enjoying this story. Keep up the good work and I look forward to seeing what happens next with this character.

 

Obviously, this was written quite a while before I saw Yoda's living room in Ep. 2!

IX. Always in Motion

A young girl of maybe six or seven answered the chime at Yoda?s door. Like the other initiates Cathleen had seen, she wore no Padawan braid. Obi-Wan explained their business, speaking to the girl as if she were his equal. She bowed, and told Cathleen to have a seat inside while she tracked down ?the Master.? Obi-Wan gave her a wink and disappeared. Shrugging, she sat down on a cushion to wait.

Cathleen had thought Yoda?s quarters would be just as bare as Yaddle?s. True, the same nondescript cushions and low table graced the floor, but there the resemblance ended. Where Yaddle?s main room was nearly bare, Yoda?s was thick with greenery. Potted plants grew wherever she looked. Everyone talks about Master Qui-Gon?s connection to the Living Force, she mused. But I think Yoda?s got him beat, hands down.

In one corner stood a blossoming fruit tree that filled the air with its sweet scent. A ch?hala tree grew in another spot, small ripples of color dancing over its trunk at every stray sound. A few feet away stood a water sculpture-cum-aquarium. An antigrav pillar field held free-floating spheres of water; they rose and sank, merged and split, not unlike the ?lava? in a lava lamp. Inside them swam semitransparent fish, migrating from one globule to another each time they connected. The water sculpture was so entrancing that she didn?t hear the Master enter.

A three-fingered hand resting lightly on her shoulder pulled her back out of her reverie. His deep, green eyes seemed to already understand what she had to say.

She took a deep breath, fighting the urge to cry, and told him everything.

* * *

Darsha paused at the Library doors and turned to look at the worker who had just passed her. She was something of a favorite among the Temple workers, since she knew so many of them by name, but she couldn?t remember meeting this man.

A Zabrak in this sector was rare enough--the only one she knew of in the Temple was Master Koth--and they were fairly insular as a species, as well. All the more reason she should have remembered this one. A frisson of warning crawled up her spine. The Zabrak glanced back at her before turning into an adjacent corridor.

Darsha shook herself. She stared at the Library doors, wondering what she had been doing just standing there--Master Bondara was needing those books.

* * *

?Always within us is the Dark Side,? Yoda sighed when she was done. ?Fallen, we are, and with us, the Republic. Once, counted in the millions were the Jedi. Now, only a fraction. Peace, heh? Justice? Hah! Only in hindsight does a golden age exist.? He tapped his gimer stick a couple times, then his voice gentled again. ?Fallen, we are.?

Cathleen shook her head. ?If that?s true, then why am I here? If not to prevent the future from going wrong??

?Wrong, you say?? His ears pricked up in amusement. ?An empty question, this is, mmm. Ask only questions of the Force, only questions will you receive!? He tapped his gimer stick again, a sonic exclamation point. At the crack, little explosions of color detonated over the ch?hala tree?s trunk.

?But then--then nothing will change!? This wasn?t going the way she?d expected. He was supposed to be surprised, dismayed, anything other than this eerie acceptance.

?Oho! So certain, are you?? The long, green ears drooped again. ?For eight hundred years, have I known the ways of the Force. It flows where it will.? His gimer stick tap-tapping at every step, Yoda circled around to stand in front of the water sculpture. He watched it in silence for a moment, then said, ?No one else, will you tell what has been said here.?

 

X. Butterfly Dreaming

Week 7, Day 2: Well, Yoda said not to tell anyone else. But he didn?t say anything about my journal. Still, just to be safe, I?m not mentioning any names.

I think I?ve figured out what?s going on now. When Master Yoda was talking about the decline in Jedi numbers, I started thinking about the Zabrak in the Library. Yeah, that Zabrak. I?ll bet anything he?s been looking up the records of Force-testing they do on children. The Jedi have been in such sharp decline because the Purge is already happening! Somehow, they?re able to do away with Force-sensitive children, maybe even whole families, with no one the wiser. Then again, with the Senate in the state it?s in, it?s no wonder no one knows about it.

I feel like I ought to be more frustrated, knowing who?s behind it, and all, but I?m not. Maybe it?s that famous Jedi serenity rubbing off on me. I know getting it off my chest with Yoda made me feel a whole lot better.

Speaking of feeling better: When I came back to my rooms, the holocam was gone. My computer?s been password secured, too. That blow-up at Master Qui-Gon did some good, at least. Everyone?s been warming up to me lately, in fact. Mace Windu actually (gasp!) smiled at me, when I saw him in the Library the other day.

The only thing still bugging me are those ritually masochistic freaks--what the hell are they doing here? I only saw the one (hey, one was enough, considering that he and his body had parted ways); but where?s there?s one, there?s always more. I had no idea they were here so early in the timeline.

There?s a part of me that actually hopes I get killed in the upcoming...well, mess, so I don?t have to worry about living long enough to see the havoc those goons will bring. I remember what they did--do? will do?--to their captives.


* * *

Cathleen fairly sailed through her morning routine. Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan had asked her to join them that evening for one last dinner before they left for their next mission. Good friends, good company. She wondered how long it had been since she?d had either. She wasn?t worried about them leaving, though--she felt like she was finally beginning to fit in here. Initiates and young Padawans had been giving her shy smiles; even that stiff librarian had started to lighten up; and, wonder of wonders, a fellow translator had actually started flirting with her.

Giddiness is for teenagers, her thirty-something teacher voice chided, but she told it to take a hike.

She was still standing in front of her small closet, trying to decide what to wear that evening, when she realized the time. Oh, no! I?m gonna be late getting to the Library! Telling herself that if she wanted to stay in the good graces of the Jedi, tardiness was not an option, she grabbed her books and ran out to the main room.

She didn?t hear it when those books hit the floor. She didn?t even hear if he said anything before the red blade appeared. There was only her pulse in her ears. The whole room seemed to vibrate with that thundering beat.

* * *

Something inside told him that this woman should meet her destiny with his true face before her. One hand clutching his lightsaber, Darth Maul reached up and touched a spot on his nose. The pain of the masquer?s detachment only served to tighten his focus. Yes: he would honor her strength by giving her a quick and clean death.

The shock as his blade entered her showed plainly in her wide eyes. A gasp, hands clutching his tunics as she began to collapse. Her last breath brushed coolly across his lips.

And then she smiled.

* * *

Darsha Assant?s tenuous grip on her meditation snapped. She?d heard--what? She looked to her Master, but the Twi?lek was still deep inside himself. Trying to calm down enough to resume her exercise was useless; the most she could manage was to shield her agitation from her Master.

Had that animalistic howl of rage been simply a waking dream? A cold premonition told her not--and that someday, she?d kno

 

Very well written. I certainly did not guess the ending...or is it an ending? I guess I'll never know....