Breaking the Code

Qui-Gon and the Gungan JarJar exit the ship to head into town and you run after them with Padme close behind. "Queen Amidala has requested that my handmaiden and I come with you to explore this planet" you call after them.

"No more commands from her highness today, m'lady. The spaceport is not going to be pleasant" the master Jedi retorts.

You take a step toward him, not ready to back down. "I don't think you understand how this works. I'm coming no matter what, I don't need your protection. Either we go together or I go alone"

He continues to express his concerns, but eventually relents and allows you to come along. As you wander through the market, the memories of your father flood your brain. Each language seems as familiar as it was when you learned them. He had taught you that as a Jedi, communication is important, so fluency in the most common languages was part of your training.

You all head into a junk shop to find the necessary parts for your ship. A pudgy toydarian flies up and starts speaking in what you recognize as Huttese.

"Jee-jee need parchee che do j-type 327 nubian" you tell him and everyone looks at you surprised except Padme. She rolls her eyes at you showing off. Watto, the owner, takes Qui-Gon to the junkyard, but you stay back and talk to Padme. "Something's wrong, I can feel it" You take her hands in yours, "I don't know what it is, but you could be in danger"

She squeezes your hands and begins to respond when JarJar disturbs a pit droid and they get into a fight. You jump up and hit the droid on the nose before it or the gungan can cause any more damage. Qui-Gon returns empty handed and your little group leaves the shop.

As the wind picks up, you're warned of a sandstorm on its way and a young boy from the junk shop named Anakin offers you shelter. As he shows Padme around his room, you stay with Qui-Gon to hear the news from Obi-Wan.

"A distress call? No, absolutely not. She must not reply" You snap, having seen right through the trap just as they had.

"That decision is not yours to make" the Padawan replies. "Even if it's the same one we made" he mumbles, annoyed to be agreeing with you. If only he knew that you're more skilled than he.

Anakin's mother generously takes you all in and provides dinner for everyone. At the table, the boy, asks Qui-Gon about being a Jedi.

"No one can kill a Jedi Knight." He so confidently informs you all. Your grip tightens as you take a sip of your drink and Padme's the only one to notice. She places a gentle hand on your thigh under the table, helping you keep your emotions in check.

"I wish that were so," he says, looking directly at you. Once everyone has left the table, Qui-Gon pulls you aside. "Your father is Trevon-Li Anek, isn't he?"

There's a sharp pang in your chest and you nod softly. It's been a long time since you've heard that name. "Was. He was my father" A tear rolls down your cheek as you respond and you move part of your top to reveal your father's lightsaber.

"Still the purple kyber crystal?" He asks with a solemn smile and you nod. He was so fond of his purple lightsaber, matching with one of his closest friends. "Your secret is safe with me, though the Jedi order would be lucky to have you."

. ⋅ ˚̣- : ✧ : – ⭒ ⊹ ⭒ – : ✧ : -˚̣⋅ .

Early in the morning, the group goes to watch Anakin work on his pod racer. While everyone is focused on the boy, you notice a black droid fly by. It's unlike any droid you've ever seen so you follow it. The strange sphere weaves in and out of the marketplace in Mos Espa. You stay a few paces behind to look at least a little less suspicious. It finally enters the open space of the desert and it's much easier to keep track of. With your hand on your lightsaber, you approach what the droid has led you to.

It's a small black ship, only large enough for one person. You hide behind it, saber now in your hand ready to defend yourself. A man in a dark robe comes into view. Sand flies up with each of his steps only making it harder for you to see. He converses with the droid for a moment before straightening up as if on high alert. The hood of his robe falls revealing a Zabrak with horns atop his head and a harsh, red and black patterned face that is now staring directly at you. He brandishes his double-sided lightsaber and stalks toward you.

The purple glow of your saber illuminates your face causing the man to hesitate, clearly taken aback by your age. "Where's your master, young padawan?"

"I am no padawan" you scoff and twirl your lightsaber in your hand.

He takes a swing at you and you easily block it following with a swipe at his side. You continue like this, neither getting too close to the other until you have gained a good sense of each other's ability. Your sabers collide with each other and he pushes back against you. With his build, he is much stronger than you. You have to back off so he doesn't hit you. Taking this as a victory, he leaves on his speeder leaving you in a cloud of sand.

Without any type of transportation, there is no way you're going to make it back in time to warn the group. You rack your brain for anything you can remember about using the force to get somewhere faster and then it pops into your head. You've only heard of it in stories, but maybe, just maybe it'll work.

You close your eyes and focus on where the ship had landed when you arrived on Tatooine. As you concentrate, you can feel everything going on on the planet. Each gust of wind, every step made throughout the marketplace until you can hear the sound of lightsabers clashing against each other. You open your eyes to find Qui-Gon fighting the man you had just fought.

Your sudden presence distracts him giving you and Qui-Gon enough time to jump onto the ship as it flies by. Padme runs up and wraps you in a hug. "Where did you go?" She asks clearly worried about you.

"That man, he's spying on us. I followed his droid back to his speeder" You tell them slowly, very quickly becoming exhausted.

"You're lucky you got here when you did. We were gonna leave you behind. You shouldn't have gone off by yourself" Obi-Wan snaps and you glare back at him.

Qui-Gon tells everyone to go get some rest, but when you try to take a step, your legs buckle underneath you. Obi-Wan, being the closest one to you, catches you. He grumbles about you being weak and clumsy before passing you off to his master who helps you get to your room.

Outside the door, he stops to talk to you. "You fought with him and then teleported to warn us, didn't you?" he asks, his face full of concern and confusion. You nod sheepishly, knowing it was risky. "You shouldn't even be able to teleport, much less after spending energy on a fight" he stops to think before continuing. "Do you mind if I take a midi-chlorian count?" You shrug, too exhausted to care, and give him permission before heading off to bed.

Qui-Gon tosses the sample to Obi-Wan and he runs it. "This one's just under the last one you gave me" he tells his master astonished.

"Just as I thought"