Maverick of the Living Force ~~~New Challenge: First Padawan Important Announcement ~~~~

I definitely have this one on my 'to do' list:

32) Qui-Gon cutting Obi-Wan's hair (or other Padawan?)

And I have something close to this to make it work:

21) Qui trying to pick his first padawan

And since you don't say which bed he's getting out of, I can do something with this:

27) Qui-Gon getting out of bed in the morning.

I've already done Qui-Gon at a party, so I'm not sure what I'd do with that, though it could be fun.

 

I'd kind of like to do the hair cut one, or getting out of bed in the morning. I wonder if he's a grouch or a morning person

 

Okay, after Layren and I talked, it's getting out of bed in the morning.

Bed Challenge - The birds are singing, the light is shining, somewhere it's morning... However, Qui-Gon's in bed and it's time to get up. How'd he get there? Where is he? Is anyone with him? Is he a grumpy lump or does he jump out of bed singing? We want to know.

 

I saw the title of the new challenge. Very funny, Layren.

 

Maybe this has been talked to death. If it has, please, please excuse me.

But I was watching ROTS the other night and had an AHA! moment. I wanted to share and discuss (if you're not sick to death of it).

I had always bristled at the idea that if Jinn had lived and trained Anakin, Anakin wouldn't have turned to the dark side. That seemed to put so much of the responsibility for Anakin's turn on Obi-Wan, made Obi-Wan seem inadequate as a Jedi. And I think Obi is a wonderful Jedi. However, I always had a niggling feeling that this theory was true. I mean, why was the PM duel called the Duel of the Fates unless someone's fate were at stake? And whose fate is more central to the story than Anakin's? But (and maybe I'm slow) I never saw anything in the movies to confirm or contradict this--until watching ROTS recently.

This time I studied the dynamics of the relationships. Suddenly it seemed really clear to me. Anakin and Obi were brothers. From their banter and their shared history to the way they fight, they're siblings. This was a tidal shift from AOTC where Anakin told Obi, "You've always been like a father to me." As Anakin progressed in age and as Jedi, their relationship changed. That's not unexpected. They're fairly close in age, genuinely fond of each other, and work together as colleagues.

Then in one of Palpatine's seduction scenes, he called Anakin "Son." It was creepy, but effective manipulation. Palpatine, one of Anakin's father figures from an early age, was now Anakin's only father figure. And that's where Jinn would have been the antidote. He was Anakin's first father figure, and I don't think that would have changed. He was old enough to be easily seen as a father and too old to be taken for a brother. He fully understood the role of a mentor and teacher and would probably have preserved a shadow of those roles even after Anakin was knighted.

So I don't think that Obi-Wan was a terrible master to Anakin or that Jinn would have been a much better master. Jinn would have just been more direct competition to Palpatine. Maybe Palpatine would have changed tactics. He's crafty enough to do that, though.

Ultimately, Lucas hasn't told us, so this is all speculation.

 

Wow, that is a very cool observation. I think that Qui-Gon would have been a powerful father figure for many reasons, but he also was the only person of the Jedi to know first-hand what Shmi meant to Anakin, so he would not have dismissed the need for a familial environment.

 

There was a lovely essay on that very topic

Brothers and sons by Fernwithy (also known as JediGaladriel here).

I think it's a very important distinction. Anakin desperately needed a father figure, even before he left Shmi. Obi-Wan was a wonderful Knight and probably for anyone else, would have had a number of brilliant Jedi Padawans. But Anakin didn't need a brother, he needed Qui-Gon as father. Palpatine was able to exploit that beautifully.

I think that Anakin would have rebelled against Qui-Gon just as much if not more than Obi-Wan but would have been more willing to accept Jinn's guidance. Plus if Obi had stayed around, he might have been the brother to confide in with Anakin. Between the two of them, they might have made enough of a home for Anakin that he might not have fallen. Or maybe not. We'll never know. But it's fun to speculate.

 

Ish, That's a good point about Shmi. Do you have any thoughts about how Qui-Gon would have handled that, had he lived long enough to have the opportunity?

Diane, That is a lovely essay. It's rather nice to know that I'm not totally off-base. Maybe a year late--but on the right road! Ha!

 

I think that Qui-Gon would have probably either found a way to have regular contact with Shmi, regardless of the Council's strictures. He proved in TPM that his priorities were to the individual first and the rules second.

 

I think that Qui-Gon would not have thought it was that important for Anakin to have any contact with Shmi. He wanted Anakin to be trained as a Jedi and from Qui-Gon's perspective (he was also raised as a Jedi with no or minimal family contact) this would have just been part of that. If Anakin had brought up the idea, Qui-Gon would likely have kindly dismissed it and too much of a distraction for him. If Anakin had kept bringing it up then Qui-Gon might have become stubborn about it. And we know Qui-Gon can be subborn.

In the end this may have become a serious point between them, similar to the problems between Anakin and Obi-Wan. Qui-Gon may have become the father figure that Anakin needed, but he also may have been become to Anakin the man who separated him from his mother.

EDIT: I did post something for the bed challenge here, just a short vignette.

 

Um, I was just pondering clothes...where do you think Qui-Gon's poncho came from in TPM? Obivioudly it wasn't his; he and Obi-Wan had just what they were wearing when their ship got blown up by the Treade Federation.

Presumably, the Naboo ship was already prepared for departure, but they didn't get a chance to escape before the Queen was captured. However the poncho does not look like anything that either Queen Amidala or her handmaidens would wear. What was it doing there in that huge mass of royal costumes? If it was something that the handmaidens wore, are there three others in the ship just like it?

 

Maybe it wasn't a poncho...it might originally have been one of Jabba's jockstraps, casually discarded onto the sands of Tatooine, where anyone might have found it...

Talking of which, where did Qui-Gon get that power pack gizmo from, that he gives to Anakin to test the Pod Racer?

Did he 'borrow it' from Watto's workshop?

 

I seem to recall reading that Liam Neeson was wondering where he got the thing too, and Lucas told him "You're a Jedi. Don't worry about it" or something to that effect.

There is something about the idea of Qui-Gon wearing something that belonged to one of the handmaidens that just cracks me up no end. I refuse to think about it having been anywhere near Jabba's personal regions.

 

I likewise would never imagine that Qui-Gon would wear anything that had ever touched any part of a Hutt. But logically, that poncho had to come from whatever wardrobe the queen had on board, unless someone on the ship's crew had it?

Yes, he likely 'liberated' the power gizmo from somewhere. Jedi are very resourceful.

 

I recall reading an interview with Liam later about that in Star Wars insider and George apparently told Liam something to the effect of, "Fans will be wondering where you got that for years."

He's got us all pegged

 

I never really thought about where he got the poncho. And ick, Jabba's Jockstrap is really too disgusting to even think about. *shudders*

But now thinking about it...what if it was already on the ship. You know how cars have emergency kits and stuff? And in Elementary school, we had to bring in earth quake kits? What if it's something like that, something that all ships come with. There's a case/box/whatever with supplies including extra clothing (or at least outer garments) and the GFFA version of a first aid kit and perhaps dried foods and stuff. That way, if the ship does get stranded (like it did), there's theoretically enough provisions and supplies to last the occupants until they get rescued or the ship gets fixed or whatever.


It's been awhile and my memory could have gotten that froma fanfic as well. You know how it all begins to blend in together.

Oh yeah. *grins* That always happens to me, with various fandoms...

 

Bumping for all the Jinners!

 

It's a new month and time for a new challenge.

I'm at work so here's the list from last month.

22) Qui trying to pick his first padawan
23) day in the life (alternate lifestyle for Qui)
24) day in the life of Jedi Qui
25) Undercover Qui
26) Jinn goes native
27) wacky friends of Qui-Gon
28) Can Qui-Gon (or other Jedi) cook?
29) Is there a mission he would walk away from and could he get away with it?
30) Qui-Gon's feet, or boots
31) Qui-Gon at a party
32) Qui-Gon cutting Obi-Wan's hair (or other Padawan?)
33) Qui-Gon's survival skills


I like wacky friends of Qui-Gon or day in the life of Jedi Jinn... what do you think?

 

Hmmmmm, I'm not sure what I'd pick....

22) Qui trying to pick his first padawan

Interesting....definitely needs an OC or six for potential padawans.

23) day in the life (alternate lifestyle for Qui)

Is this automatically AU, or Qui-Gon temporarily living a different lifestyle -- or would that make it 'undercover Qui'?

24) day in the life of Jedi Qui

I like this one....it has plenty of opportunity for obsessing about the architecture of the Jedi Temple.

25) Undercover Qui

See (23).

26) Jinn goes native

This one could go under 'alternate lifestyle' or 'undercover', too. See (23) and (25).

27) wacky friends of Qui-Gon

Defintiely good territory for OCs who could be other Jedi, non-Jedi or just strays that Qui-Gon picks up.

28) Can Qui-Gon (or other Jedi) cook?

This would come in handy on missions, but if Jedi can cook, would they have been taught at the temple? And would they practice regularly? And who would the practice on and with what food types?

29) Is there a mission he would walk away from and could he get away with it?

Highest potential for good drama, but toughest one for thinking of a good plot.

30) Qui-Gon's feet, or boots

He could just have smelly feet, or have to get new boots, or get something stuck on his feet, or get his toenails painted, or have an injury---would Obi-Wan pull a thorn out of his master's foot?

31) Qui-Gon at a party

Hmmmmmm, I think I did one like this....food was thrown.

32) Qui-Gon cutting Obi-Wan's hair (or other Padawan?)

Best potential for mush. Do Jedi have a 'hair cutting ceremony', maybe like a Japanese tea ceremony?

33) Qui-Gon's survival skills

Good mission material here. But right now, all the missions I'd write would look like New Hampshire.

 

Well, I'll give it a day or so and then issue one if there isn't a strong consensus.

 

They all sound good...ardavenport you've given me bunnies with your list!

I'm up for any of them...Surprise me and my sleepy muse!

 

Oooooh, I have plot bunnies. But between the costumes and the family genealogy (oh yes, and work, too) I just need more time to write them. And now I've discovered fan videos online ; something else to eat into my time. I must go floss my teeth now....

 

Just pick one. I'm itching to try a Jinn story and figure a challenge is the easiest way to start?
(of course, I could be really, really wrong.)

But, thats ok.

And Jockstrap....I agree with all above who said that's just nasty