The glow of Obi-Wan's blue blade illuminated the stranger’s face. Familiar, yet so cold, so dark. A voice called out...
Qui-Gon awoke. His sheets were soaking with the sweat that had poured off his body. It had bee so vivid, so real. He could not get the image of the dream out of his mind. The stranger’s face haunted him.
Sleep eluding him, Qui-Gon rose from his couch and moved across the room to the sink. The stinging cold water on his face reflected the coldness of the image in his mind. Moving to the window, Qui-Gon felt the warmth of the rising sun touch his face. Coruscant’s skyline stretched out in shades of gray and steel blue, stark contrast to the warm pinks, purples and oranges of the morning sky.
With a sigh Qui-Gon decided the interpretation of the dream might be easier during his morning meditation. He could hear the cheerful noises Obi-Wan was making in the common area. It was always the same. Obi-Wan was an extrovert in the morning and Qui-Gon tried to avoid him before he had his first cup of Tea. Another sigh escaped him as he reflected on the early morning they had been summoned to with the Council.
"Good morning Master."
Obi-Wan was blithely levitating a group of boxes, stacking one atop another. It was a daily ritual and one which Obi-Wan enjoyed. He said that focusing on each box centered his thoughts and prepared him for the day that lay ahead.
"Good morning Obi-Wan. "Have you slept well?" Obi-Wan settled the last box on the top of the stack. "I had a strange dream, Master, just before I rose. You and I were in battle with a dark stranger. It was to protect someone, but I am not sure whom. I awoke as the stranger turned around and I glimpsed his face. He was familiar, yet I don't think we have ever met."
Qui-Gon took a deep breath. "I too had that dream and the stranger seemed familiar, yet I did not recognize him. I could not sense ennathing but cold fear, the Dark Side. Perhaps if we discuss the vision after our morning meditation things will be clearer." Qui-Gon ended the conversation by entering the eating area. Understanding his Master’s body language was something Obi-Wan had become adept at. When his Master turned and walked away, it meant the discussion was over.
"Yes, Master." Obi-Wan followed in his Master’s footsteps.
*****
Chancellor Valorum had requested two Jedi Knights for an ambassadorial mission. The Council had selected Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan. The assignment seemed routine, as Jedi assignments went. The Trade Federation had blockaded the small planet of Naboo. It would be the Jedi's job to mediate an agreement which would benefit both sides. Their transport was scheduled to leave in two standard days.
Obi-Wan, in the mood for a good workout had gone to the Temple Fitness Center. Qui-Gon resolved to spend the rest of the morning in meditation. His thoughts were plagued by the early morning dream. It was not that he and Obi-Wan had shared the same dream, this was common, a reflection of the bond they shared. What concerned him was the dark stranger and the sense they were protecting someone from him. Qui-Gon did not dismiss dreams, unless they had the mark of an active imagination, like Obi-Wan's often did. He strove to interpret each dream, to learn from it, to comprehend it. Qui-Gon felt dreams were messages sent by the Force to mirror situations and solutions.
Settling cross-legged in the center of his sleeping quarters, Qui-Gon began to quiet his mind. The Jedi use meditation for many reasons: healing; quieting the mind; centering ones self in the Force, or as Qui-Gon would use it today, to interpret a feeling or dream.
Qui-Gon began the ritual of calming his body. He concentrated on his breathing. Each breath he took was slow and deep, beckoning relaxation, peace. He moved slowly, relaxing his limbs and then his torso. With each cleansing breath he felt his heart slow and his mind begin to clear.
Meditation was a time Qui-Gon treasured. He felt the Force in every part of his being. He felt it surging through his blood, savoring it in his every cell. His Soul. (Think of nothing, breathe, breathe, peace, tranquility, the dream will come.) And so it did. Slowly the dream returned, as vivid as before, but the pace was gradual, allowing Qui-Gon to interpret it.
Qui-Gon took in his surroundings. He was in an unlit place which seemed to be neither inside nor out. Stone walls dripped with moisture. Humidity hung in the air and a hot, acrid odor filled his nostrils. Qui-Gon felt the hilt of his lightsaber in his palm, a comforting feeling for any Jedi. Through the darkness, Qui-Gon sensed ripples in the Force. One he knew was Obi-Wan; the other was a cold sensation, a fearful reflection of the Dark Side. The last was a very strong, unfocused ripple.
From the shadows a dark figure emerged and stood before him. The dark figure, hooded face hidden in the shadows brought with it a feeling which was somewhat familiar. Qui-Gon realized that Obi-Wan stood beside him, lightsaber drawn. Moisture began to bead on Qui-Gon's brow, his body tensed with the anticipation of the battle to come. T
he stranger advance forward, so did the Jedi. The first blow dealt by Obi-Wan was, in turn, met by the stranger. Qui-Gon puzzled why none of his blows had any effect. Each blow to the stranger's body or blade felt as if it had made contact, yet no harm was done. Out of the corner of his eye, Qui-Gon caught sight of a small figure standing in the shadows. The small one’s features were muted by the darkness, but there was no fear, no emotion, just a strong unfocused ripple in the Force. Qui-Gon began to move slowly, attempting to put himself between the dark stranger and the shadowy figure. Each blow became increasingly more difficult. Though Qui-Gon was seemingly not making a difference in the battle, he forced himself to continue. Glancing at Obi-Wan, Qui-Gon noticed the younger Jedi was fighting with a fierceness he had never seen before. The Jedi and the stranger were locked in a familiar dance. Qui-Gon thought it odd how the stranger's moves seemed so familiar.
Obi-wan was advancing now on the stranger, pushing him back, away from the figure in the shadows, away from Qui-Gon. Suddenly, the stranger leapt toward the shadowy figure. Though Qui-Gon was closer, it was Obi-Wan's lightsaber that first met that of the stranger. The two combatants’ faces were inches apart. Sparks from their light sabers illuminated the area. Qui-Gon could now make out the figure in the shadows. It was a young boy, but his face was blurred, unrecognizable.
Time slowed even more. Qui-Gon turned to look at Obi-wan and the stranger, their lightsabers were locked in battle. The glow of Obi-Wan's blue blade focused the stranger’s face. Familiar, yet so cold, so dark. A voice calling out...
Qui-Gon's eyes snapped open. He had heard a voice, not in the room, but in the Force. It was speaking a name, very quietly. Qui-Gon took a deep breath. More questions than answers had come from the meditation. He must reflect on it later. It was time for him to make preparations for the mission ahead.
He must prepare for the here and now.
Return to Archive List
Continue on to Part Two