#qui gon/obi wan | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

david-talks-sw · 2 years

Text

Analyzing Qui-Gon Jinn

As I already covered here, I don't think Qui-Gon is meant to be this "'True Jedi' who's ahead of the curb and who would've prevented Anakin from joining the Dark Side had he lived". He's not "the father figure Anakin should've had". To me, that's fanon extrapolation combined with now-non-canon EU material. I can't find any evidence in any of the (many) George Lucas quotes I've read to support the idea that this interpretation of the character was the "intended narrative".

Instead, I'd argue Qui-Gon's character has three purposes.

1) Out-of-universe, functional purposes:

SHOWING THE JEDI ARE MORTALS.

In every draft of The Phantom Menace, Qui-Gon dies at the end. This mirrors Ben's death in A New Hope... but not quite. When Qui-Gon dies, his body doesn't disappear. He dies like a regular person would.

There's a reason for this.

"I wanted to convey the idea that Jedi are all very powerful, but they’re also vulnerable — which is why I wanted to kill Qui-Gon. That is to say, “Hey, these guys aren’t Superman.” These guys are people who are vulnerable, just like every other person." - George Lucas, The Phantom Menace Commentary, 1999

Qui-Gon's character is there to show the audience that - albeit being very powerful - the Jedi have limits, they have weaknesses, they can't fight a war on their own. They're not superheroes, they can be killed.

DELIVERING EXPOSITION.

Originally, Qui-Gon came in much later in The Phantom Menace.

In the first draft of the script, up until the moment when the Queen gets to Coruscant, it was just Obi-Wan, alone, on the Trade Federation ship...

... meeting Jar Jar, saving the Queen, finding and freeing Anakin and presenting him to the Council.

But it became clear to George that - especially at the beginning - the dialog was gonna be tricky because Obi-Wan alone didn’t have much to react to. Like, he'd either be completely quiet or he'd only be talking to himself.

So, when Lucas rewrote the script...

... instead of having Qui-Gon enter the story waaay later (when the gang arrives on Coruscant), George put him in the film from the start. Now Obi-Wan, has a sounding board and some of the complexities of the galaxy in the time of the Prequels can be explained as he and Qui-Gon interact.

And it's an interesting dynamic too.

Qui-Gon acts on instinct. He is wise, yet can also be reckless. He's always on the move, but sometimes that leads him into danger.

Obi-Wan acts on logic. He is very skilled and prudent... but being too prudent will lead him to being a stickler for the rules.

They complement each other perfectly, yet they both still have much to learn. Which brings me to my next point:

2) Qui-Gon is what Obi-Wan will grow beyond.

Qui-Gon says it himself.

Simply put, Qui-Gon is...

THE MENTOR'S MENTOR.

"Liam Neeson is a master Jedi, the center of the movie — just like Alec Guinness was in the first movie. When you start to cast a character like this, you think, ‘Where are we going to find another Alec Guinness? Where are we going to find someone with that kind of nobility, that kind of strength, and that kind of center?" - George Lucas, The Making of The Phantom Menace, 1999

Ben Kenobi is a new, better and improved Qui-Gon.

Thanks to the latter's teachings, Obi-Wan will learn from Qui-Gon's qualities, such as acting on instinct...

... but also from his flaws, like his tendency to rush into danger.

He even takes on some of Qui-Gon's rebelliousness, instead of always being so by-the-book.

"In the beginning, Obi-Wan is at odds with Qui-Gon, who rebels against the Jedi rules. But by the end of the film, he has become Qui-Gon by taking on his rebellious personality and responsibilities." - George Lucas, The Making of The Phantom Menace, 1999

When Qui-Gon learns the secret of transcending death, he's not able to appear physically, as his training isn't complete.

"We never see the ghost of Qui-Gon; he's not that accomplished. He's able to retain his personality, but he's not able to become a corporeal ghost.” - George Lucas, The Art of Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith, 2005, page 40

But he's able to teach Yoda, who teaches Obi-Wan... both of whom are able to show themselves.

Even with the recent changes in the Canon continuity, with Qui-Gon being able to manifest himself physically too...

... the point still stands: what took him about a decade to accomplish, Obi-Wan will eventually be able to accomplish instantly. And it's thanks to Qui-Gon's training.

So when it comes to the argument "Obi-Wan wasn't a suitable mentor for Anakin"... I'd say he was, because - for better or for worse - he studied under Qui-Gon, who acted as...

THE TRAINING WHEELS FOR ANAKIN'S TRAINING.

Here's what George had to say about Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan...

"[Qui-Gon] is very independent, always testing the rules. And we meet young Obi-Wan, who is constantly frustrated by his Master’s refusal to go along with the program." - George Lucas, The Making of The Phantom Menace, 1999

Here's what George had to say about Obi-Wan and Anakin...

"Even though he’s the stern taskmaster and mentor [Obi-Wan] still cares about Anakin [but he's] frustrated with their relationship and Anakin’s unwillingness to go along with the rules." - George Lucas, Attack of the Clones commentary, 2002

The wording is almost the same.

In training Anakin, Obi-Wan finds himself in same situation he was in with Qui-Gon... but this time he's more prepared to take on the challenge. After all: Obi-Wan's had a lot of experience dealing with this sort of personality, he's been keeping Qui-Gon from flying off the handle for over a decade.

"One of the primary issues between this relationship between Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon is that this is establishing Obi-Wan as the kind of straight arrow, the center of the movie, and Qui-Gon as the rebel, as the one who’s constantly sort of pushing the envelope. Which will switch itself in the next movie when, rather than having his master be the rebel, he has his Padawan learner become the rebel. I’m using Obi-Wan as sort of this centering device through all these movies, even as we get in with Luke and everybody else later on." - George Lucas, The Phantom Menace Commentary, 1999

3) Qui-Gon is who Anakin could've become if everything turned out okay.

I noticed this thing the other day, in The Phantom Menace, fight between Qui-Gon and Darth Maul:

Qui-Gon is pushing Maul back, he's rushing ahead... and Maul is completely in control. It's almost like he's luring Qui-Gon toward the reactor shaft and Qui-Gon is too taken by the fight to realize he's being led by the nose.

Of course, later on, Qui-Gon meditates, clears his mind, and goes back on the offensive so efficiently that Darth Maul needs to play dirty to land a blow. But that initial part? Where he's just aggressively pressuring the opponent who keeps controlling the fight by giving ground...?

That's a classic Anakin move.

A few months ago, I wrote that, as a character: Dooku is who Anakin might become if he strays from the right path.

Imma take it further and argue that, conversely: Qui-Gon is who Anakin could be if he stays on the right path.

Just like he does with Dooku, Anakin has a bunch of similar traits and parallels with Qui-Gon, and they're clearly intentional.

VISUAL PARALLELS:

From simple stuff like the length of their hair...

"George wanted Anakin to look more like Qui-Gon Jinn, to show that he was going beyond what Obi-Wan was teaching him -- hence the long hair." - Iain McCaig, The Art of Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith, 2005, page 45

... or the fact that Anakin and Qui-Gon are aggressive fighters who'll punch opponents in the face during a lightsaber duel...

"There's a line of training through Darth Tyranus and Qui-Gon, Obi-Wan and Anakin. You can follow that line, and there's an aggressive fault in that line. Mace isn't of that line, and that allows you to give him unique talents." - Nick Gillard, StarWars.com, Homing Beacon #126, 2004

... even their funerals are the same.

"The end of [Return of the Jedi] is Anakin at a funeral pyre, just like Qui-Gon is [in] here. So I wanted to keep those motifs— again, things to harken back to things that had been going on in the movie. We then have this moment, which is very important, where Obi-Wan commits, and tells Anakin that he’s going to train him, because that’s where the rest of the movie go." - George Lucas, The Phantom Menace Commentary, 1999

SIMILAR CHARACTERIZATIONS:

As mentioned in the previous section, they're both rebellious and have trouble following the rules... which can put them at odds with the Council, at times.

They're not perfect, sometimes they can be rash and impulsive. For example, George describes Qui-Gon's decision to have Anakin be trained as "controversial", "wrong" and "dangerous."

But unlike Anakin, Qui-Gon's rebellious nature isn't motivated by arrogance, like Anakin in Episode II, but by a drive to help as many people as possible. Qui-Gon is selfless, goes with the flow, trusts the Will of the Force, whereas Anakin has trouble letting go of his selfish desires and is determined to impose his will on the natural cycle of life and death.

Also, Qui-Gon is usually able to re-center himself when he slips. There's a peace and calm to him that Anakin still needs to acquire.

To be fair, Qui-Gon is a trained Jedi Master. Whereas Anakin's training was sabotaged by a Sith Lord almost every step of the way.

But the fact remains that if Anakin learned to let go of his attachments, if he can face the mirror and conquer his inner demons... he'd be what Qui-Gon is:

An incorruptible Jedi who follows the Light for the simple reason that it is the Light, no matter what.

A street-wise, kind man with a talent for spotting diamonds in the rough and listening to the mythological "Guide" archetypes.

A ferocious but extremely talented lightsaber duelist with the ability to center himself and stay on target. More quick on the draw than your average Jedi, but for all the right reasons.

Someone with a special connection to the Force, someone with the gift of foresight, who feels rather than thinking.

So that's who Qui-Gon really is. He is what Anakin could be.

And that's where Obi-Wan and Palpatine come back in (the good father figure and the bad father figure, the man who kept Qui-Gon grounded and the man who corrupted Dooku)... depending on whose guidance Anakin listens to the most, he'll either be the next Qui-Gon or the next Dooku.

#qui-gon jinn #meta #george lucas #anakin skywalker #jedi order #star wars #obi-wan kenobi #sw meta #jedi #qui-gon #qui gon/obi wan #anakin #sw #dooku #disaster lineage #lucas quotes #collection of quotes #long post #analysis

511 notes · View notes

yourneighborhoodporg · 5 months

Text

The Guardian

Chapter 4: Arrival (Part 2)

Obi-Wan Kenobi x Reader

Warnings: Mention of slavery, mention of canon character death, near-death experience (kinda), angst, fluff, banter, flying, grief, Reader & Anakin making questionable decisions, oh and poor sad Ani :(

Summary: To cut loose, you and Anakin visit one of Coruscant's largest garbage pits, known for a famously exhilarating, dangerous, and illegal sport— pit racing. Time spent in the planet's underworld is always ripe with nearly lethal encounters and moments to bare your soul.

Song Inspo: Dog Days Are Over — Florence + The Machine

Words: 4.3k

A/n: Y'all fill me with so much joy with every like, comment, and reblog. Keep 'em coming :D (and lmk if you wanna join the lovely, growing taglist)

Previous Chapter | Next Chapter

Series Masterlist

Crying does not indicate that you are weak. Since birth, it has always been a sign that you are alive — Charlotte Brontë

Your nose crinkled as the rising fumes of rancid waste, rotting meat, and rusting metal invaded your nostrils. At least in your mind, the virulent smell of artificial manure, which coated the air, had a more defined, less convoluted source. The garbage worms— genetically engineered creatures capable of processing billions of pounds of organic and inorganic debris into tiny, yet smelly, pellets.

You rolled your shoulders in alternating circles, hoping to release the back tension inflamed by your malodorous surroundings. You stared out as far as your eyes could take you, into the barely lit darkness of the Coruscanti night in what Anakin called the Wicko District, home to one of the planet’s largest garbage pits.

You stood just behind the cavernous pit’s edge, its two-kilometer-long path dotted by the luminous glow of lane lights stationed every 250 meters on either side of the trench. The structure’s mechanical whirring echoed off the walls with the essence of a credit falling down a deep well, clinking across the stones in its long descent. From the trough’s middle, a garbage pod instantaneously shot up from blackened obscurity with the speed of a lightning bolt. Your eyes tracked it upwards, watching it leave the atmosphere in mere seconds. Dropping your head down toward the cavern once more, you rested your eyelids, hoping to sense an estimation of the trench’s depth.

“Found another one!” Anakin cried from your rear as you sensed him toss a large, hefty object.

You swiveled on your heels in time to catch the winged glider.

Once more you faced the other thrill seekers who were scattered behind you, either in the process of tinkering with their own pit racers, wagering rather large bets on some of the more experienced racers, or actively diving into the cavernous pit. Out of your peripheral, a dark purple pouch hung from the extended index finger of a hooded Handler who carried a particularly devious smirk. He was collecting credits from a number of excited beings, dressed in athletic gear and forming a semi-circle around him, likely for some unofficial competition that was to take place soon.

You examined the contraption as Anakin stuck his arm through his own glider, noticing its loose flimsisteel composition. The rickety shoulder straps and stiff handles that stuck out on each side did not fuel your confidence in the parawing’s stability

Another throw from Anakin.

“Your optical cup!” He vocalized as the device rolled into the air, gently landing in your outstretched palm, which you extended easily.

You continued to examine the vehicle’s mechanisms.

“You know, Anakin.” You began as you turned back toward the trench to shrug on the pit racer. “This isn’t exactly what I’d consider, leisurely.”

“Trust me.” He swore as you heard his optical device click into place and whir to life. “You’re about to have the most fun of your life.”

You approached the cocky Jedi. “That’s not hard to do.” You nudged the man with your elbow as your stance rested beside him.

Similarly activating your cup, you sealed it to your eye with a slight twist to initiate the suction. “Anything beats living in the excitement graveyard that is Hoth.”

Another dauntless glider charged the cliff’s edge from your right. You felt the wind of his movements brush against your cheek as he launched down into the depths. The whistling cry of the racer disappeared into the cloud of darkness below as fast as his straightened legs vanished over the edge.

“Like I said.” He smirked, studying you out of the corner of his eye as he leaned into your ear.

“The most fun of your life.” He whispered.

“Alright, wise guy.” You lightly palmed his warm cheek, pushing his encroaching nose to the side as he chuckled. “I’m holding you to that promise.”

“I wouldn’t expect any less.” He assured with a grin. “Now remember, there’s no engine on these things, so use the tractor field boosters for lift. The person to collect the most worm scales wins.”

“Got it.” You said as the two of you approached the cliffside. “I’ll see you on the other side.”

You stilled, feeling as if you could almost curl your toes over the edge.

“Oh!” He glanced down at you once more. “Don’t forget to avoid the rocketing garbage pods around those gun machines. Or else you’ll join the space junk.”

You laughed, gripping the racer’s handles firmly, feeling its connection to the glider’s wings.

Your eyes twinkled at the taller man in teasing anticipation. “May the best Jedi win.”

Anakin scoffed. “Being a Jedi has nothing to…”

And with a thrust from the Force in place of a running start, you leapt.

The wind struck your face with the strength of a violent tornado, the blend of foul stenches emanating from the cavern absorbed you into its noxious, blackened haze.

“Hey!” Anakin yelled from the skirt before hastily springing after you.

You bursted into a fit of laughter, stuck in carefree stitches as you descended deeper into the trench. Grappling with each mirthful breath, you simultaneously endeavored to focus on the rapidly developing path ahead.

You manipulated the racer’s handles to maneuver yourself around the luminescent maze of unpredictably intersecting conveyor belts, carrying raw waste or garbage pods throughout the cavern’s complicated mechanical system. As you descended further, the inner workings of the garbage pit came into view. Where debris was roughly compacted into transferable pods, and hundreds of meters ahead, where the neatly packaged waste was launched into the depths of the galaxy.

At the bottom of the pit, flourishing around these nuts and bolts, dwelled your prized amber garbage worms, slinking through their endless food supply in mindless satisfaction, squirming at the size of a Land Cruiser.

As you scanned the array, you spotted a particularly large worm chomping away at an old cerise hovercraft. You noticed the creature’s advanced age, apparent from the stark molting of its superficial scales and fading tinge.

Target acquired, you thought inwardly.

You continued your rapid dive, spotting a field booster in your left peripheral just as it sent another garbage pod down a conveyor belt. Tilting your glider, you graced the booster the instant it became vacant, taking in the momentary lift to steady the racer’s downward trajectory toward the old, plump worm ahead.

Your speed increased in the final stretch, blowing your hair like a whirlwind behind you. Your optical guide read a speed of ten meters a second, signaling you to slowly free a hand in preparation.

Nearly on top of the worm, you squinted, reaching out to grab a particularly glittering scale that hung loose, fluttering like a stuck leaf on its back.

You were close enough to practically taste the musty worm, fingers inches from the slimy scale when a metal arm swooped in, grabbing the flake with a fist before departing with great haste.

“Come on!” You complained as Anakin caught the drift of another field booster to expedite his escape.

“I thought we were playing dirty!” He hollered over his shoulder, waiving the scale at you with a victorious grin.

Your jaw dropped, eyes goggling in levity at his absolute gall as you slanted to gain lift from the same booster. It launched you toward the retreating Jedi at breakneck speed while he aligned himself to dive at another distracted worm.

“Okay, smarty!” You exclaimed as you gained ground. “You asked for it!”

You flew parallel to him, using the opportunity to gently tilt the tip of his left wing with your own from underneath, causing his glider to spin off-course like loose space debris.

“That’s illegal!” He shouted as he attempted to regain control.

Using the booster he fumbled toward, Anakin halted his rotations and steadied his flight upwards.

You tightly kept his original trajectory, easily permitting you to peel off a flaky scale from the curious worm he’d earmarked below, before hijacking a nearby tractor field.

“Now you’re worried about things being illegal?!” You scoffed. “This whole game is illegal!”

You glanced at him, catching his narrowed eyebrows and challenging stare.

“Oh.” He chucked darkly with a cunning simper. “You’re on.”

The two of you continued to twist and weave throughout the dark, stench-filled abyss. Kicking garbage pods off conveyor belts in front of each other to force a change in course. Driving one another into a booster to knock one of you into a completely obscure direction. Even shattering the scarce power relays with a carefully thrown pod, plunging you both into darkness and startling the worms’ stagnation.

As you stretched a hand toward another rapidly approaching scale, you felt the wing of your glider capsize from the flick of Anakin’s force-wielding fist, sending you into a spin.

Inwardly groaning, you attempted to straighten your racer, but to no avail. Your glider wasn’t responding to the handles’ commands. You’d pull to the right, yet the racer would barely react, as if you only tapped the wing’s tip.

Suddenly, you were met with a powerful blast from an unexpected tractor field, vibrating your brain against your skull and simultaneously sending you into dangerous territory.

The impact dizzied your senses as you lost all perception of your surroundings.

A high-pitched beeping rang in your ear. It took you a moment to register the eye cup as the source as it warned you of your hazardously accelerating rotational frequency.

Out of the blurry corner of a lulling eye, you narrowly recognized Anakin’s face, etched with concern. He had seemingly long forgotten the worm he was trying to usurp.

Still, you failed to stabilize the parawing.

“You’re about to cross an acceleration shield!” He called out urgently.

You gritted your teeth in concentration as you careened toward the gun machine.

“I know!”

You continued to try readjusting your flight, desperately pulling at the handles to steady the glider, but it wouldn’t budge. Briskly, you peered over your shoulder at the contraption as a wave of nausea overcame your senses from the endless spinning. Immediately, you noticed a large opening in one of the wings.

“Well, that explains in.” You mumbled under your breath.

How something could have penetrated the glider’s flimsisteel was anyone’s guess.

No time to theorize— you were beginning to feel increasingly woozy as your gyrations accelerated. You needed to use whatever was left of your mind to come up with a plan before losing consciousness.

“There’s a hole…in my racer!” You endeavored to yell.

“What?!” Anakin exclaimed.

You needed to think fast.

If you let go of the glider, you weren’t sure you’d be able to calibrate your surroundings fast enough to cushion your fall into the pit below. Then again, if you continued on this path, you would meet a comparably deadly fate in the cold arms of space.

Make a decision, now!

Looking up, you noticed that the garbage pit’s end was only 50 meters away.

And that’s when it clicked.

You glanced at Anakin, registering his predicated path, displayed by a dotted red line through your optical guide as it continued its shrill blare.

“Stay on your trajectory!” You called out as you continued to spin. “I have a plan!”

“Does it involve a deadly shoot-you-into-space machine?” Anakin quipped, unease lacing his voice. “Because if so, I don’t like it.”

“Have faith, Chosen One.” You gasped, trying to lighten both your spirits as dark spots splotched your sight in the unending rotations. “My plans usually work.”

And with that, you let the final flips of your glider lead you into the all-controlling hands of the acceleration shield while it prepped a launch. As its large spring pulled back, you removed each arm from the racer’s control, triggering another set of vocal alarms in your optical sensor, before letting the contraption fall into the pit in a crumpled heap. You heard the repeated call of WARNING WARNING from the female voice ringing from the optical cup in your dive toward the acceleration shield. Using the Force, you bounded into the gun’s path as the machine released with a bang.

You were hit with the force of a thousand Wampas as you flew up, catching the remnant power of the apparatus behind the garbage pod. As your careening self neared Anakin’s passing glider, you put your plan into action. The moment his racer cleared the gun’s trajectory, you harvested any remaining energy to drive a soaring escape from the shield’s trapping energy, launching yourself toward him.

In a millisecond, you were close enough to clasp onto one of his straps. Using it as a handle to swing your other arm around him, you tightly gripped the other side. The dead hang lasted only a moment as you found the momentum to thrust your legs upwards, lodging each foot behind his ankles.

You dangled parallel to him, chests nearly touching.

“See?” You exclaimed out of breath as you watched his bewildered eyes connect with yours. “Piece of cake.”

Anakin’s brows furrowed in disbelief.

“Don’t fall.”

“Wasn’t planning on it.”

The two of you swiftly reached the cavern’s end, allowing you to demount with a skip as Anakin’s feet met the edge. You dusted off your knees before turning to your companion who was in the process of relieving himself from the racer’s grasp.

“Now that.” You breathed deeply as you continued to steady your breath. “Was awesome!”

“See?” Anakin emphasized as he dropped the glider to the side before twirling on his heel to fall to the ground in exhaustion. “What did I say? The most fun of your life.”

You chuckled as you approached the tuckered-out Jedi, kneeling down to sit beside him as his chest rose and fell freely. “Yeah, you weren’t kidding.”

Your words seemed to spark a flare of anxiety in Anakin as he shot up beside you to send a very deliberate look.

“Remember.” He began with a pointed finger while he recuperated. “This is our little secret. Obi-Wan cannot know we were here.”

“Yeah, I get it now.” You sighed as you relaxed, hugging your knees and peering out into the distance.

Other pit racers continued to weave throughout the garbage labyrinth, catching the occasional ray of golden light as they catapulted upwards, only to dive back down into the trough’s bowels.

“You almost killed me. Imagine explaining that one to Obi-Wan.”

Anakin watched you, unimpressed. “Like I said.” He bumped your shoulder with his own. “Our little secret. I’d be the dead one if Obi-Wan ever found out I took you here. Can’t kill The Guardian only days after finding them.”

You both relaxed into the cool night’s air.

For some reason, the garbage pit’s rising stench was less potent on this side of the trench, permitting you to take in the other essences of Coruscanti city life.

Even from the lower levels, the energy you sensed around you was immense. As you felt beyond the trough, you could almost see the thousands of beings living in towering, dark gray structures that connected from the level’s floor to the ceiling like stalagmites, stretched similarly to Tepasi taffy. Some shorter, rounded structures filled the spaces in between, all dotted with little orange and white glows in the blackness of nighttime. You stared up at The Hole, acting as an aperture of light for various speeders and land vehicles that descended and ascended in slow hovers. Other smaller openings from the floor above resembled the pockets of storm clouds, acting as an additional source of illumination to the main pathway to the lower levels.

You rested your chin on a knee, taking a deep breath to blow a stream of fog into the cold air.

“How are you feeling?” You asked.

Your gaze locked on a distant speeder, dodging surrounding vehicles to continue its whirlwind dash through one of Wicko’s primary skylanes.

You listened as the uncharacteristically hushed Jedi sighed beside you. “Honestly? I don’t know.”

A breathy laugh dripped from your lips. “Same here.”

You tightened each arm around your bundled legs, taking in the sudden breeze.

The sound of distant sirens from a police skimmer rolled into the atmosphere before just as swiftly fading in the city’s background noise. You sensed Anakin peer at you timidly from the ground, encouraging your own gaze to meet his over your shoulder.

“This is all…just so…very, strange.” He expressed earnestly as he sat up, crossing his legs.

“You’re telling me.” You huffed in a jocular cadence. “Here I was, thinking I’d trained all my life to meet and protect a grand, wise, and humble Chosen One.” You held your arms wide as if hugging the world.

“Okay, okay.” He lightly flicked your outstretched arm, causing you to giggle while you gently slapped his hand away.

He stared back out into the distance. “Message received.”

As your laughter died down, you eased further into your loosened muscles, stretching out your legs and leaning back on the palms of your hands while staring out at the beyond once more

“Honestly?” You exhaled. “I’m pretty nervous.”

You glanced at Anakin almost immediately, watching as he visibly calmed.

“Same here.”

His eyes softened as he twisted back toward you. “I just… never thought that I’d be sharing this prophecy with someone else.”

Seeming to notice your distant stare, Anakin gently touched your arm, turning you toward himself. “And to be perfectly clear, I wasn’t super happy when I learned about you at first. I just…don’t like the idea of putting my fate in someone else’s hands.”

You stayed carefully silent as you stared at Anakin, soberly. It felt as if his words had grabbed you by the chest, holding it in limbo while sending a chill down your spine that felt colder than Hoth’s worst days.

Holding your breath, you patiently waited for him to continue.

“But talking to you a bit more these past few days, thinking more about what your destiny means, it’s challenged my thinking.” He shrugged. “Maybe it’s good to have another person on my side. And from what I’ve seen so far, I’m thinking that I couldn’t have asked for a better Guardian.”

You beamed at his words ever so briefly. Then, your gaze dropped subtly, a hint of embarrassment ticking at your cheeks. You could feel him eyeing you curiously, witnessing a deep sigh escape your mouth. Even you felt the air of insecurity that swirled around your being.

“That’s kind of you to say, but to be perfectly open with you, Anakin, I don’t know if Qui-Gon spent enough time with me. Even if the Force brought us together. Even if my eyes have changed, and my path has begun. I just don’t know if I’m fully prepared for this journey.”

“Hey.” He said softly, tapping your chin upwards with a knuckle, thrusting your vision toward him.

“Qui-Gon was originally supposed to train me too. Yet I turned out fine.” He reassured.

You smiled to yourself, thinking about your late Master once more. He could have opened up a private school for Jedi with the number of Padawans he tried to take on.

“He saved me from a life of slavery on Tatooine,” Anakin revealed as his eyes drifted to the side.

A wave of sympathy washed over you for the solemn Jedi.

You had no idea.

“That must have been very difficult for you.” You spoke.

“It was.” He admitted. “But the hardest part was leaving my mother behind.” He avoided your gaze.

Your compassionate eyes scanned his hunched figure. “Is she still there?”

Rather coldly, Anakin answered.

“She died.”

You paused for a moment, before tenderly placing a hand on his warm shoulder, squeezing gently.

“I’m sorry.” You murmured.

For a brief instant, his carefully constructed display of indifference cracked under the pressure, coercing a deep-rooted rage to ooze from his being.

“You know.” You started, eyes glued to the back of his skull. “It’s okay to be angry.”

Anakin’s head whipped toward you with the expression of a dugar caught in a tractor beam.

You smiled reassuringly. “It’s true! It’s normal.”

Your head bobbed to either side in rumination.

”Frankly, I’d be concerned if you weren’t feeling some sort of fury.”

Anakin’s brows furrowed toward his feet, lips creased. He was seemingly unconvinced of your words. You watched as he started to nervously pick at an index finger with his thumb.

So you snatched his hands, drawing them in between the two of you and forcing his stoic stare to once again raise and meet yours.

“Anakin, words cannot describe how livid I am. How betrayed I feel, since learning of my Master’s death. I’m angry at the galaxy, at myself, and even at Qui-Gon. He left me stranded on a barren planet for a decade, Anakin. It wasn’t his fault, but I still blame him. But feeling these things doesn’t mean I’m any less a person, or any less a Jedi. It means I’m human.”

You closed your eyes, taking in a deep breath to try to calm your thoughts before releasing them open as you exhaled. You pressed your thumbs into his sweaty palms in a comforting manner, his unwavering gaze piercing your very soul.

“Tragedy is a part of life. And emotion is a part of tragedy. It’s how you face those parts of yourself that will determine your ability to move forward. Not just for yourself, but for the people around you.”

Anakin stayed very still, searching your eyes like he was scanning for any quiver of doubt, any inkling of a catch. A complication. But you were unwavering, only offering a dulcet countenance to support the simplicity of your words.

His features remained steadfast, except for the slight flicker of hope that kindled behind his irises like a budding flame.

“How do you deal with it?” He barely uttered, gaze dropping to the floor.

You thought carefully, exhaling the bubbling emotions that this conversation had meticulously simmered. Your words seemed to be of some importance to him, and you wanted to present your thoughts in the most helpful way possible, as clear as possible, and not tainted by your own internal conflicts.

You opened your mouth to answer when a mechanical whistle buzzed through the cold, decaying breeze. It jolted the two of you from your quiet conversation, signaling Anakin to release your hands into the chillier atmosphere as he reached to address his flashing wrist comm.

He tapped the answering button. “Anakin here.” His voice slightly croaked from the weight of your hushed conversation.

“Anakin! Good, where are you?” Obi-Wan’s voice fizzled through the speaker. “I checked the refractory and your quarters but you weren’t there. Ahsoka didn’t know where you were either. I also cannot find our new companion.”

“Everything’s fine, Master,” Anakin assured, placing a hand confidently on his hip. “Silvey and I decided to leave The Temple. We’re exploring Coruscant.”

You shot him a glare for his steadfast use of that unimaginative nickname. His self-assured grin shut you down.

“I need to meet with you both urgently.” Obi-Wan projected. “Where are you?”

“Uh.” Anakin eyes shifted toward you in minute panic. “We’re in the Uscru District.” He blurted out with flimsy confidence.

Your brows furrowed. “Uscru District?” You mouthed in a questioning manner.

Anakin placed a finger on his lips, pleading for your silence as he focused on the comm link.

“Anakin…” Obi-Wan chided. “Where exactly are you?”

He was apparently unconvinced by that answer.

“In the Outlander Club. Can’t get enough of those nerf burgers…” Anakin trailed off before chuckling nervously.

He glanced at you again, doe-eyed for silent support.

You rolled your eyes, collapsing backward onto the firm, cold ground, arms sprawled out in defeat. Lifting an arm lazily, you gave him a big thumbs down to formally protest this terrible plan. Anakin was going to keep digging himself into a deeper hole and all you could do was watch and listen.

Well, at this point, it was too hard to watch. So you instead distracted yourself with the passing land vehicles that soared above you in perfect harmony.

“You’re going to the wrong place for nerf burgers.” Obi-Wan challenged.

You could envision the bearded Jedi crossing his arms while peering at the comm skeptically from the tone of his voice.

“And why of all places did you decide to take them there?!”

“Because it’s a great first taste of society! You can’t find a better place to watch intergalactic pod racing matches.”

You barely heard Obi-Wan’s audible, yet defeated sigh through the crackling speaker.

“I see.” He conceded. “Stay where you are. I’ll be there soon.”

And with that, the call ended with a click.

“Alright, get up!” Anakin exclaimed as his mechanical hand extended into your vision.

You grasped the steely limb tightly, letting him tug you upwards with a start. As soon as your feet touched the ground, Anakin took off in a jog toward the Coruscanti Hole, briefly yanking you along before dropping his arm from yours as he hastened.

You caught up with the Jedi, matching his dash.

“Where is the Uscru District?”

“It’s somewhat close.” He puffed.

“Then why are we running?”

He glanced at you with a meager grimace.

“Because The Temple is closer.”

You groaned. “Well, how many?”

“Huh.” He glanced at you quizzically.

You stuck a hand into your pocket as you continued your sprint, rummaging around to collect the worm scales with your fingers before pulling them out and counting them silently.

“I got five.” You peered at his rushing figure. “How about you?”

Anakin’s gaze locked with yours. Seeing your indomitable stare, he did the same. Extracting the scales from his robe, he counted them once, twice, then three times in the palm of his hand before letting out a defeated huff.

“Five.”

“Ha ha!” You exclaimed victoriously before taunting him again.

“Look at that. We balance each other out.”

Taglist

@js-favnanadoongi

@panandinpain0

@randomwriter435

29 notes · View notes