The Padawans' Crusade

by Nightsister (sop2nd@yahoo.com)

Archive: M/A, all others please ask first

Category: AU, Non Q/O, Preslash

Rating: G

Disclaimer: All recognizable characters are the property of Lucasfilm or Scholastic Paperbacks. The author makes no money from this.

Summary: A prequel to The Returning Chamber - Mara joins the padras

Feedback: sop2nd@yahoo.com

Notes: Another Kurt Vonnegut influenced title! This one's based on Slaughterhouse Five. I also think it's time to put these prequels in order:

A World Made of Two
May the Force Be With You, Padawan Jinn
Long Walk to Forever
What's Apparent?
Padao (In progess)
The Padawans' Crusade
What Do I Do Now? (not posted yet)
Mother Night (not posted yet)
Hell to Get Along With (In progress)
The Sirens of Telos (In progress)

Thanks to: majilique and Burgess - Beta readers and editors extraordinaire

Qui-Gon Jinn walked into the High Council Chamber with the toddler in his arms. She was small, but unusually vocal for a two-year-old, gurgling and cooing at him, making him smile. She also had a shock of extraordinarily red hair, which he kept trying to tame by stroking her head. He reached the middle of the Chamber, bowed as gracefully as he could, and waited.

"What say you, Knight Jinn?" Yoda asked.

"Masters, I take this child as my padawan learner," he replied, turning around slowly, making sure to look at each of the twelve Jedi sitting before him.

Saessee Tiin nodded his approval. "I noticed her in the creche earlier," he said, scrolling through a datapad. "Let me see... Ith, Izlirit, Ja'clori... Ah, here we are, Jade. Mara Jade." He looked up at the potential master. "She arrived last week, unknown origins." The Iktochi Councilor stilled, stretching out into the Force, and frowned. His grasp of the Unifying side of the Force was exceptionally strong, allowing him access to possible future events. "I sense much fear in her future," he said, finally.

"Constantly in motion, the future is," Yoda broke in. He gave his former padawan a meaningful look. "Do you understand?"

Qui-Gon returned Saessee's frown, but nodded thoughtfully. "I am prepared for whatever the future holds."

Yaddle gave a small chuckle. "So sure, are you?"

"But why?" Xanatos followed his master into the kitchen, carelessly clumping his boots.

Yoda shot his young padawan a look, and whacked him with his gimer staff. "No whining from you, Padawan," he admonished. With a slight thrum of Force energy, he brought down two mugs and the canister of chav. Xanatos, still pouting, filled a pot with water and set it on the heater to boil. He gracelessly jumped up to sit on the counter, while his master simply levitated himself to join him. Such a shared activity was usually enjoyable -- both master and apprentice liked to sit on the counter, especially since Yaddle always swatted them off. It was a conspiratorial, fun activity, but right now, Xanatos only felt petulant.

"I'm not old enough to be anyone's master," the fourteen-year-old argued.

"Ask you to be Mara's master, did I?" Yoda shot back. "Master Yaddle wishes it." He thumped his staff on the counter. "Good for you, it will be. Qui-Gon's padawan, she is. Part of your extended padras, now."

Xanatos crossed his arms, but had to concede that his master was right. "Okay, I'll take care of her -- but *only* while Qui-Gon is on his mission," he said, grudgingly.

Yoda smiled beneficently.

Xanatos turned up his aristocratic nose. "She's so... small. And loud. Are you sure you can take care of her by yourself?"

Qui-Gon smiled. "Well, no. Not exactly. That's what you're here for, Xani." He glanced at his mission datapad again, and checked his chrono.

The boy looked glum. Knights usually left their very young padawans with Master Illira, but for some strange reason, Master Yaddle had insisted that Qui-Gon leave Mara with them while he went on missions. And since Master Yaddle and Master Yoda were so busy all the time, it meant that the primary caregiver, more often than not, would be Xanatos. He still wasn't sure if he liked this arrangement. It's not like he had anything else to do, but still...

The two-year-old padawan was now safely in her young caretaker's arms, cheerfully tugging on his padawan braid, of which she evidently approved, while her master hurriedly checked to see if he had everything he needed. His mission was a potentially dangerous one.

"Are you nervous, Qui-Gon?"

"In 72 hours, Knight Tahl and I will be in the midst of a potential war zone. The future of Almania depends on the our ability to broker an agreement between General Bruner's forces in the east, and the Free Army faction in the south." The new master stroked the silky hair on his padawan's head, and she cooed. "I'm very nervous. I want to come back to my padawan. I just chose her and I'm getting used to having her around." He turned and faced his young padrin. "Xan, if something should go wrong- "

Xanatos shook his head solemnly. "Nothing will go wrong, Qui-Gon. Even Master Yoda says you're one of the best negotiators in the Order right now, and he's harder on you than the others, since you're his padawan and all."

"If only everyone believed in me as you and our masters do, my padrin." Qui-Gon ruffled the spiky black hair, and held the back of his head a moment. "Thank you for taking care of Mara for me. I can't think of a better person to watch over her than you." He kissed him softly on the forehead.

The young man fidgeted. "Yes, well..." He suddenly felt ashamed that he had thrown the fit earlier, when his master had first informed him of their new guest. "I guess Mara's okay," he added, with good grace.

"Ma. Ma ma ma," Mara said, smiling.

"What are you saying?" the boy asked her, smiling back.

Qui-Gon chuckled. "She can't say 'Master' yet."

Xanatos smiled at the little girl. "Can you say Xan? Mara, say Xan. Xan."

"Xan," she said, grabbing the side of his head.

Xanatos turned to his padrin excitedly. "Qui-Gon, she said my name! Ouch, leggo my braid!"

His padrin gave a booming laugh. "She's quite taken with you already. I knew this would be a good idea." After gently pulling the little fingers from around his padrin's silky braid, he looked around again. "I think I have everything- " The door chime rang, and Xanatos went to answer it. Qui-Gon could hear him move down the hallway:

"Mara, say 'Yoda.'"

"Yoda."

"Okay, now say 'Yaddle.'"

"Yada."

"Close enough. She won't mind." Xanatos reached the door and let in Knight Tahl, Qui-Gon's partner.

The delicate design by her eyes crinkled. "Hello, Xani," she said warmly, mussing up his hair. She turned her attention to Mara. "Hello, my little precious." She tickled the toddler's stomach, making her laugh. "Is Qui-Gon here yet?"

"Hello, Knight Tahl. Yes, he's here." Xanatos turned his head. "Qui-Gon!"

The knight, with his bags in his hands, quickly walked toward them, laughing. "All right, all right, don't shout." He turned to greet his partner. Tahl leaned in, but he quickly sidestepped her and turned to Xanatos. "She loves to run, so watch her when she gets near the balcony doors. And she's having problems digesting lactose -- be careful with those cheeses from Chandrila. She still likes her bottle a little- "

"I think I have it, Qui-Gon. You wrote it all down, remember?" Xanatos said. He tickled the child's nose, and laughed when she did. "We're going to have such fun, Mara." His face brightened and he looked up at his padrin. "I'll find Master Yoda's old robe and clothes, and put her in them! And I'll take holostills to show you when you get- "

"No, Xani! Just- no," Qui-Gon said, horrified, as Tahl smiled. He leaned down as she took their bags. "Be good," he said, kissing Xanatos on the cheek.

"We will," Xanatos replied innocently, maybe just a bit too innocently, as he kissed him back. "Come home safely, and have a successful mission. Goodbye, Knight Tahl."

"Goodbye, Xani. Goodbye, my darling Mara. Have fun, you two."

"Oh, we will."

Tahl turned to her partner as they walked away from the suite. Xanatos, with Mara in his arms, waved goodbye and watched them until the two knights rounded the corner. "You didn't tell him about us," she said, casually.

"No," Qui-Gon answered.

END