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Alee lifted her face to the sun's caress. Even more than the solar warmth, she soaked up the quiet - a rare thing indeed on Coruscant, where every meter was overrun by beings of all shapes and forms. The human Jedi sat on a low stone bench in one quadrant of the Temple training gardens. The entire yard was deserted. Not for long, I'd wager. Alee smiled and stroked the two sparring staves, one white, one streaked with gold, balanced across her legs. The wooden rods were cut to resemble lightsabers. The light, flexible wood had given them the weight, if not the exact feel of her weapon. She'd had them constructed the day after Master Windu had taken her lightsaber away. Temporarily, remember that, Alee. It only feels like forever.
Alee slipped out of her cloak and let it drape over the bench. Her eyes ran over the staggered walls and pillars, all of varying heights that were strewn in an apparently haphazard manner around the sunken stone garden. A large circle, it was divided into quarters by the placement of benches. The outer ferrocrete wall rose six meters and was broken in one spot by a slit that led to stairs. The turbolift beside the opening provided an alternate access. Her favorite way of entering the garden had always been to fall in, using the Force to cushion her landing. Some things never change.
Her eyes fell on the two meter high ball of stone she'd broken her arm falling off of when she was eleven. How was she supposed to have known someone had greased the thing? No one had ever owned up to the prank, and Alee never admitted she'd known who'd done it. She had administered her own justice in her own time. Funny how he claimed his own incident was an accident. He didn't bother her after that. She snorted. Not many girls were trained as Jedi, and most chose the way of peacemakers and healers, depending on their intuition and other mental skills to resolve situations. Alee knew she'd been a source of consternation for her instructors with her aggressive tendencies. To back down in the face of a threat, or a dare, had been unthinkable. Some things never change. She realized her recent reaction to the situation on Keed hadn't been all that different. A frown creased her brow. A bully is a bully, whether he's terrorizing a single trainee or an entire planet. The best way to communicate is to speak the same language. She derailed her thoughts. Justification is a thermal detonator that sometimes goes off in your face. She sighed and looked up. The walkways circling above made for perfect viewing galleries. I wonder who they will send? Anyone but Master Yoda.
She cleared her mind and let the Force flow around and through her. Someone's coming. Here I go. She sensed the being descend the stairs and head toward her. She sat with her back to the stairs, on the far side of the garden. The being was two meters away when Alee jumped up and spun, thrusting one staff at her surprised opponent.
"Defend yourself, Jedi," she said. She twirled the white rod in the air and took a side stance, weapon pointing at the being.
Alee scanned the Jedi before her, refusing to let her astonishment show. Blue eyes captured her own with the ease of a Trandoshan on the hunt of wounded prey.
"Alee, isn't it? I was told you required assistance." The deep voice almost soothed the wooden saber from her hand as her focus wavered. She narrowed her eyes.
"I do, Qui-Gon," she replied. "A Jedi has to stay in fighting trim."
She lunged and stabbed the rod at his mid-section. He jumped back. The shock on his face spurred her forward. She swung at his weapon arm. He stepped back and blocked her blade with his own. And again he blocked her blow, moving away from her. She smiled. This could be fun, it he ever decides to join the fight.
She paused as his expression shifted. Surprise to ... cunning? Qui-Gon slipped one arm out of his cloak. She swept her arms wide and gave a slight bow. He nodded and let the cloak drift to the ground. A smattering of applause erupted as the cloak fell. Qui-Gon glanced up and back to Alee. She didn't need to look.
They circled each other warily, matching tan tunics and leggings, matching knee-high boots, matching sidesteps. His lightsaber swayed on his belt and glinted, mocking her. He waved the gold rod back and forth, anticipating her moves.
"Odd, don't you think," he said as he circled, "that the young trainees who accosted me to help a poor, nameless Jedi Knight are the same who applaud this exercise. Almost like they knew what was going to happen."
Alee's eyes sparkled. "Very odd." She lunged and thrust. He swept her staff aside and she spun away.
Qui-Gon pressed the attack. He struck high. She parried. He swung low. She blocked. Again. Crack. Again. Crack. He pushed her back and back and back. She sensed the bench and hopped over it. Qui-Gon jumped onto it and paced the length.
She feinted left, then shifted and lashed at his legs. He jumped over her, twisted and came down behind her. An "ohh" echoed around the rim of the garden. Their audience was growing.
Alee pivoted and pressed forward. Her lunging dance was matched by his backward shuffle. Each blow was absorbed harmlessly by his staff. Every crack of the rods brought another observer to the railing above them. Alee hastened the attack. Two quick blows. Two more. As Qui-Gon spun away, her weapon whipped through his long hair. The crowd hissed.
They circled again.
"You are in much better control than the first time we met," Qui-Gon noted with a smile.
"Well," she replied, "you did catch me on a bit of a hard day."
"Was it now? Why is that?" His eyes crinkled.
"Because, unlike Master Jinn, I am less than perfect." She raised her voice, "I'm sure everyone watching knows I had my lightsaber taken away because I was headstrong, brash and insisted on doing things my own way." She raised both arms high and twirled, looking at their audience. "Let that be a lesson to you trainees. Don't follow my path."
A face flashed past. Master Windu is here? Blast. She sensed movement. Alee dove right. She rolled and came up on her feet. Qui-Gon struck a glancing blow to her left shoulder. She winced and jumped back.
"Wasn't that arm in a sling before?" he asked as he thrust.
She parried. "Yes, actually. Came off yesterday." Her breathing was coming harder.
"What sort of injury?"
"My shoulder."
"Oh." Concern rippled over his brow. "Sorry."
She sliced the rod through the air. It whistled past his chin. "Don't be."
Alee lunged. Crack. Again. Crack.
"Very well," he said and pressed the attack.
Again Alee retreated. An obstacle grew in her senses. She jumped back and up, landing on the huge ball. Qui-Gon paced around it. Alee leapt at a wall beyond him. Her feet hit the ferrocrete and she rebounded into the Jedi, driving Qui-Gon to his knees. She rolled away and crouched.
A murmur swept over the combatants. Qui-Gon rose and struck. And struck. Her outer circle of defense was weakening. The blows came closer and closer to her body. She jumped a wall. He followed. A blow. Another. She felt her energy draining. He's not even breathing hard.
Alee stumbled, catching her foot on Qui-Gon's cloak. She jumped free. As Qui-Gon stepped over it, she grabbed it with the Force and swept him off his feet. The crowd grumbled. Alee attacked with an arcing slice. Gold staff blocked white. Qui-Gon pushed and she jumped to the side, vaulting over a low pillar. Qui-Gon sprang to his feet and darted around the obstacle. She sliced at his midsection. He dodged and whipped his staff through the air. She ducked as the rod swished over her head.
Qui-Gon charged at her, driving her back. Each hit vibrated down the white staff into her hands. Her arms throbbed. Perspiration dripped into her eyes. He blurred into two. Both Qui-Gons struck. She leapt back, and tripped over a low wall. She rolled away from another blow and jumped to her feet. Still he came.
No thought for attack. She focused everything on defense. Parry. Crack. Block. Crack. He feinted right, struck left. Then left again. Alee spun away. Too slow. The blade lashed full across her back. Alee sprawled on the ground and didn't move.
Qui-Gon bent over to catch his breath. "Do you yield?"
"No," came the muffled answer.
"No? Do you have space dementia?" He was confounded.
Alee rolled over on her back, and lay, arms spread wide. "I cannot possibly surrender when I am so obviously dead."
Qui-Gon laughed. A cheer rose from the crowd of watching trainees. Qui-Gon dropped his staff beside hers and reached down to offer his hand. He pulled her up. They smiled and their eyes locked. The world narrowed to twin pools of blue and the sound of her own breathing. A throat cleared. Qui-Gon dropped her hand and they both turned to face Mace Windu. Alee looked from one tall man to the other and cringed inwardly.
She nodded her head and acknowledged, "Master Windu. This is unexpected."
"Quite an exhibition," Mace commented. "What, exactly, was the purpose?"
"I believe," said Qui-Gon, "That I was led into a trap."
Mace raised black eyebrows and looked at Alee. She was staring at Qui-Gon.
"Some trap. I didn't get a single blow past your defenses. Besides, I didn't actually know who was going to show ..." Alee cut off. I won't look. They better be gone.
Mace's dark face darkened more. "Who set you up, Alee?"
She clamped her mouth shut.
Qui-Gon chuckled. A smile tugged on Alee's mouth. I love a deep laugh. Qui-Gon shook his head and asked, "A dare? This was a dare?"
Mace did not look near so amused. Alee shrugged.
Mace turned to Qui-Gon. "What happened here, friend?"
Qui-Gon paused. "I was on my way to meet Obi-Wan at the library, when I was ambushed by three youngsters claiming a Jedi needed help in the gardens. That's all I know."
"What three youngsters?" Mace pressed.
Alee froze.
"You know," Qui-Gon looked puzzled, "I can't quite remember."
Alee let her breath out.
Mace snorted. "Why am I not surprised?" He scowled at Alee. "You are supposed to be helping train these hopefuls. You must serve as an example. Do not let them lead you astray again, Alee. You still have three weeks before I give your lightsaber back."
Mace spun on his heel and disappeared into the turbolift.
"Three long weeks," Alee whispered. She looked up at the now-deserted guardrails and sighed.
"Don't make it longer than necessary, Alee," said Qui-Gon. He placed a hand on her shoulder and brushed his thumb over her neck. "Let's sit for a minute so I can rest."
"Rest? You didn't even break a sweat," she muttered as she let herself be led across the gardens. She dropped onto her cloak.
Qui-Gon sat and leaned forward, elbows on knees. He slipped her a sideways glance. "You gave me a fair workout. Not quite what Obi-Wan does, but not far off, actually. You are a formidable warrior in your own right."
Her eyes gleamed. "Coming from you that is high praise indeed, Qui-Gon. Thank you."
"Though you do occasionally resort to shady techniques."
"You had the advantage of size and strength. I needed to even the odds somehow." She frowned. "Did I flirt with the dark side? It did not feel so."
"I didn't sense that either. As you said, in the heat of battle, you searched for level ground."
"I will be cautious of that next time." Alee leaned back and looked at the sky.
"Next time? You seek to make this a regular event?" He raised an eyebrow. "Come see the decrepit old master get beaten?"
Alee rolled her eyes. "A terrible advertising ploy, since you were the victor. But you never know. It might bring some credits into the Jedi coffers."
He snorted. His voice was light. "Now you would encourage gambling. How, exactly, did you gain your knighthood? Did you bribe Mace?"
Her eyes grew large. "Master Windu? Space the thought."
"At least you accord him the respect due his title." His voice needled.
Alee frowned. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to offend, Master Jinn. Somehow, you seem so much more ... approachable."
She glanced at him to see his eyes crinkling. She shook her head sadly. "Apparently - Master Jinn - you can be a bit of a tease at times."
He shoulders jerked with silent laughter. "I think I prefer you sticking to Qui-Gon. I would rather be ... approachable."
"Yes. I prefer that, too." She paused. "You must find it difficult at times."
She felt his gaze. He searched her face silently a moment, then asked, "How so?"
She considered her reply carefully. "You are a living legend - that can make one so remote, so untouchable..." she trailed off.
"Not to mention venerable," he added.
She glanced sideways. "I did use that hideous word last time we met, didn't I?"
He nodded. She took his hand and turned it over. She ran her fingers over the callouses. "You are so strong, in Force and in body. I only meant it in terms of respect."
He caught her fingers and reversed their hands' positions. She closed her eyes. The light touch shivered over her palm and up her arm. He gently cupped her hand in both his.
"Why is it," he asked, "that you are not daunted by this legendary status?"
She opened her eyes and stared into his. "I stand in awe of no man. Well, Masters Windu and Yoda intimidate me somewhat - because of their stations on the Council. But, no others. And it is not a legend I see before me now, but a man. No matter what heroic deeds you have completed, you are still just a man, Qui-Gon Jinn."
"Yes. Yes, I am. One who would be pleased to call you friend, Alee-Nedra cy Nerac."
She smiled. "I would be greatly honored."
"Because I'm a legend?" he teased.
"No. Because I like you," was the serious reply. She added, "Besides you're a good sport."
"Yes, well," Qui-Gon raised one eyebrow, "just don't let this happen again. You wouldn't want students getting in trouble because of your foolishness."
"Of course." She smiled.
"A Jedi must have the most serious mind," he said sternly.
"Absolutely." Alee puckered her brow in a mock frown.
He squeezed her hand. "Alee. I'm serious."
She sighed. "So am I. You must understand, it is extremely difficult for me to back down - dare or threat, it makes no difference."
"Do I detect a touch of arrogance beneath this confession?"
She snorted. "More than a touch, some days. I come from a proud heritage."
"The Jedi tradition is a noble one, but a Jedi humbles himself to serve," he pointed out.
Alee smiled. "I meant my culture. But, point taken. And I love serving as a Jedi. The Force brings me as close to completeness as I ever hope to come. Even so, a small part of me likes to be right, and in the right, regardless of the consequences."
"Stubborn," Qui-Gon declared.
"As a gundark," Alee agreed.
"It's why I fought, you know. I feared that if I'd laid the staff down, I'd be decapitated. Your battle expression is very fierce."
"You are a wise Jedi Master," she teased.
He paused. "And a lost one."
"Scan that past me again?" Alee wrinkled her brow.
"Obi-Wan is searching for me. I can sense his concern."
"You care for him very much," she said.
"The Force has given me a Padawan and a son all in one."
Alee jumped to her feet and pulled Qui-Gon up. An uncharacteristic wave of tenderness washed over her. She stretched up and kissed him on the cheek. His eyes were open, questioning.
"You don't want to keep him waiting. Thank you, Qui-Gon."
Alee grabbed her cloak and hurried across the garden. His eyes warmed the middle of her back until she disappeared up the stairs.
