“Kirana”

Part 1 - Adi Gallia

Kirana looked down at her Jedi Master, tears welling in her eyes. Why did this have to happen? Who were those masked warriors? Kirana's big green eyes looked down over her stout nose unable to think of anything she had to say to her master, she had only become Adi Gallia's apprentice 5 years ago when she was 12 at the Jedi Temple.

Kirana remembers the temple well, especially Yatk, the feisty Rodian who always picked her out of a crowd to tease her. "What's for lunch Kirana?" he always asked knowing full well that she wouldn't eat it anyway. The other candidates always ate every thing on their plates but Kirana didn't, she remembers being called to see Jedi High Council, right after Master Qui-Gon Jinn entered with possible news of a Sith Lord. She always looked up to Qui-Gon even though she never had the pleasure of meeting him, Adi always told her stories of his appearances before the Council, she was sad when she heard he died. She walked into the Council hall them all staring at her as she made her way to the middle, she knew that she had to keep her head high and show no fear but that was very hard for a 7 year old. Yoda spoke first, "Eat your food you do not, why is this?"

"I am not hungry", she answers.

"Not hungry, say you?" Yoda then laughs, "You are small, food you must have."

"But Master sir, I cannot force the food into my stomach it will just come back up again and I am already strong enough for my age."

"Strong you may be, but healthy?"

"She seems healthy to me, not dark lines or traces of illness," pipes in Adi Gallia, Kirana turns to look at who spoke and looks Adi in the eyes and sends the force message "Thank you" to her, Adi looks in surprise at what she hears.

"Healthy she may be but eat more she must, Adi."

"I will eat more Master sir, I promise."

"You have a bright future as a Jedi, Kirana we at the Council would hate to see it wasted, over something as trivial as not eating," adds Mace Windu, "Leave you may."

"Thank you, you have my promise I will eat more."

That day at the Council stayed in Kirana's mind especially Mace Windu's prediction but when Kirana had turned 12 she got worried as if she couldn't become a Jedi Apprentice before her next birthday then she would become a farmer on some planet. Sure enough when that happens nobody escapes that truth, only one exception broke that rule and that was Obi-Wan Kenobi, who when deported off world was conveniently placed on Jedi Master Qui-Gon's ship and through a series of adventures proved his worth to the master who then made him his apprentice. If only I could be so lucky, Kirana thought. Until the next day Adi Gallia came to the temple to search for an apprentice, Kirana did her best to answer all questions and do all of the tasks set before her with all of her concentration and strength, little did she know that Adi had already chosen her to be her apprentice 5 years ago when she entered the Jedi Council hall.

Kirana had such fond memories of her Master, they had been through many things together, some tough and some not, but this was a shock. They were leaving from their last mission which was to watch an election and keep it peaceful, until on their leaving orbit they were over taken by many ships of unknown origin.

"What are they, Master?" Kirana asked, "I have never seen anything like them, I hope they don't fire on us as we don't have any weapons."

"We have the Force, my young Padawan, they don't, they are.....dangerous we must leave," Adi's head twisted in concentration as she shouted the last order at the captain of their vessel. The ship spun around with such force it slammed the two standing Jedi's against the wall, but the mysterious ships started following them to the planet's surface they had just left. They landed on top of a building and evacuated the ship just before it was blown up. Adi and Kirana rolled across the wall and, using the Force, jumped across to the next building. They ran and ran to escape their pursuers, Adi turned around to face one of the T-helmeted warriors and turned on her lightsabre and flung the blots back at them. Kirana knowing what she had to do jumped to the next building and retrieved the pack that had been flung there, she rummaged through it until she found what she needed, rope, Kirana slung the rope across her shoulder and jumps back across. The mysterious warrior saw the second Jedi and started shooting at Kirana in mid air where she was defenseless, Adi saw this a dove to block the shot and caught it on the tip of her lightsabre, but it was too late the warrior aimed for her unprotected side and shot. Kirana somersaulted into action turning on her purple lightsabre with a snap-hiss and started blocking the mysterious warriors assault, she flung the rope into the air and commanded it with the use of the Force to twist around the warrior but something was wrong and she lost concentration, No this can't be happening, she feels her Master's use of the Force and it wraps around the warrior who then falls off the back of the building in shock. Kirana runs to the ledge and sees the body twisted in ways unimaginable and runs back to her master.

"Master, are you okay, can you recover?" asks Kirana with hope in her voice.

"Kirana it is too late, you did well, you must get to the council and tell them what we are up against, other wise they will be unprepared, go now leave me," was the raspy reply.

"No Master I will stay and you can come with me.......Master! Master!" Kirana screamed as Adi's body went slack in her arms, over come by grief she didn't notice another warrior jettisoning with the other dead body in front of her. She picks up her Master and carries her down the stairs and prepares to find new transport back to Coruscant.

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Part 2 - Qui-Gon Jinn

Meanwhile back at the Jedi Council Hall Obi-Wan is standing in the middle of the floor.

"More to say have you Obi-Wan?" asks Yoda.

"Yes, Master Yoda and it is a matter of the gravest of circumstances on my last mission I encountered a strange new race of warriors wearing T-shaped visors and battle armour including a Jet pack," replies the Jedi Knight.

"Yes that's right, I've seen them too and they killed my Master," rasps the voice behind him.

"Kirana, why do you burst in like that, a Jedi must be patient and wait their turn," commands Mace Windu.

"This is a matter which can't wait, I apologise for bursting in like this but in this situation it is important as these mysterious warriors have already taken over one planet and who knows how many others since I got here," replies Kirana slightly getting her voice back, "I'm sorry Obi-Wan I didn't know you would be in here."

"Acceptable, but you have fought these warriors?"

"Warrior, and it killed my Master, here close your eyes, all of you and I'll show you what happened," replies Kirana opening her hands to the Jedis. The Force swells around the room as Kirana gets in touch with the other Jedis minds, she shows them the last moments of Adi Gallia's life.

"Oh, Kirana ....." sighs Depa Billaba.

"It's okay I have had my grieving period, but," she turns to Master Yoda, "Why didn't her body disappear like many of the others?"

"She had her mind on something else, I have seen it before," speaks the voice beside her, "Master Qui-Gon did the same thing, it takes them longer to be one with the Force."

"Oh, I didn't know that, so you have to be in a mediative frame of mind to make your physical body disappear?"

"Yes, the body must be burn't to achieve that if else," answers Yoda, "Adi's body have you Padawan?"

"Yes I brought it with me, shall the funeral procession occur tonight?"

"Yes, time to grieve we must have."

Kirana bows and leaves the hall, Obi-Wan follows her closely behind.

"Kirana, wait, I must ask how did you share your memory like that?"

"It is my Jedi gift, I was taught it by my father before I was taken to the academy, it is not all that hard, I'm sure you know how to do Jedi Mind Suggestion?"

"Yes, that I can do."

"Well stop, place your hand on my temple and I will do the same thing, " Obi-Wan follows her instructions and feels the Force fold around him, "Now think of a memory very strong in your mind, put it in the Force."

They stand together and Obi-Wan can only think of one person, Qui-Gon and those terrible moments of his death...

Qui-Gon's eyes opened. "Too late my young Padawan."

"No!" he shouted back.

"Now you must be ready, whether the Council thinks you or not. You must be the teacher." Qui-Gon's face twisted in agony. "Obi-Wan. Promise me you will train the boy."

"Yes Master" he replied close to tears.

"He is the chosen one, Obi-Wan. He will bring balance to the Force. Train him well."

As Qui-Gon's life force drained away Kirana broke the link her face stained with tears.

She absently brushed them away then looked at Obi-Wan with strong eyes, "I ever knew it happened like that, I didn't know, I'm sorry for making you...."

"It's okay I needed to share that with someone, if only I could see him once more maybe he could tell me what to do, just maybe....." his eyes stained from holding back the tears.

"We can get him back, not in the physical but in the Force, he just needs to be woken, do you have something that was his?"

"Yes, I have this rock, he gave it to me on my 13th birthday, he told me he found it on his home world, he didn't tell me it was Force sensitive though, he always did things like that."

"Here place the rock in the palm of your hand," she places two fingers also on the rock, her voice sounding distant and hypnotic,

"Feel the Force around the rock, feel Qui-Gon's presence, feel like you are made of the Force walking on it's path, search for Qui-Gon's mind."

"Oh, I have found him, he seems so peaceful, I dear not wake him."

"You already have Obi-Wan thank you," speaks the deep voice from behind him, Obi-Wan opens his eyes and sees Qui-Gon standing behind him. But Obi-Wan can see the blue aura and through Qui-Gon, "Master?"

"Yes, now what is it you wish to ask me Obi-Wan I can feel a million questions on your mind."

"Oh Master, I can't believe it is you!"

"Yes with thanks to.... Kirana where did she go? Find her Obi-Wan as danger lurks behind her, I must go, this new feeling has made me very tired. If you need me again just touch the rock and think of me I will come." As Qui-Gon disappears tears streak down Obi-Wan's face, he brushes them away and goes to search for Kirana.

###

Part 3 - The Force

Obi-Wan catches up with Kirana, he has to try and catch his breath, Boy she can move fast he thinks.

"I don't know how to thank you Kirana for that, I ..." says Obi-Wan

"It was my pleasure, I always wanted to meet him, my Master told me everything about him, I remember he gave me a stern but amused look when I was waiting outside the Council Hall, you were there but I don't think you saw me, then I went in and Adi defended me ... oh I miss her!" weeps Kirana.

"Why don't you bring her back like Qui-Gon?"

"I can't it hasn't been enough time, if I woke her now she might loose her grip on her death, she needs time to think it over and accept it," replies Kirana, wiping the tears from her eyes, "but that is not what is important I must help in saving against the mysterious warriors."

"Mandalorian."

"Mandalorian what?"

"The warriors that is what the are called I over heard Yoda say it as you left."

"Oh, well then I must protect other worlds against them, do I get a new Master or not?"

"I don't know, I guess you will be called back to the Council tomorrow, get some rest, you look like you need it," suggests Obi-Wan, he turns and leaves her in the hall, Kirana turns the other direction, "May the Force be with you" is heard from behind her.

Kirana turns into her quarters and sees all of Adi's possessions neatly in place in the corner, she turns her head quickly and walks into her room and flops onto her bed.

"Oh, Adi what do I do now?"

"You will do what you must," answers a stern male voice from behind her, Kirana twists around knowing full well who it is.

"How can I continue without her, I haven't even completed my training, I don't know what will happen to me."

"You are ready for the trials to become a Jedi Knight, but something is holding you back, you know this, Adi knew and the Council knows, what must you let go of Kirana?"

"The world is falling around me, I haven't seen my brother since I left the Academy, I miss him terribly, he used to visit me and we would go on walks around the city and he'd take me to all of the best restaurants, but now .... I have nothing, Adi was my family and now she is gone to."

"Obi-Wan thought that to, until he realised that this is what the Force wanted, you must rise above this Kirana, it is your only hope, don't just feel the Force, let it complete you. Mediate on my words," Qui-Gon's words faded into the night, Kirana lifted her head and saw the Jedi Master gone.

"Let the Force complete me, let it heal my wounds, I must try that," Kirana talks to herself and gets deep in a Jedi trance.

BANG! BANG! "Kirana?" yells the droids voice from the door, "The Jedi Council wishes to see you right away." The droids footsteps are heard clicking down the hall.

Kirana, broken out of her deep mediation, What? Now? she thinks as she grabs her Jedi Robe. Glancing in the mirror, in the bathroom to make sure she is presentable, she quickly brushes her short hair and places her Padawan plait over her right shoulder, Adi did this for me, she thinks and almost breaks down crying again.

"I must be strong, Adi would want me to," she says aloud to her reflection, "Be one with the Force." If only I could. She rushes out the door, robe flailing behind her.

She bows before the watching eyes of the Council, seeing that Adi's former place is vacant for the day. She glances around at the members, feeling their apprehension teaming off of their life Force, I wonder what they are afraid of.

"We are afraid of nothing Kirana," demands Ki-Adi-Mundi, "You have a mission." His words stout and unapproving, it seems that the apprehension is based on her, A mission? Without a Master?

"I would like to ask, will I be getting a new Master? I mean ..."

"No, we feel that you are past the Master - apprentice stage, but you still have a lot to learn, that is why we are sending you with another team of Jedi's. One you have meet before I'm sure," replies Mace Windu.

"A team of Jedi's, how many?"

"There will be four Jedi's, you, Ki-Adi-Mundi," Mace Windu gestures towards the Jedi who nods in approval, "Obi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker," he continues. As if on cue the Jedi and his apprentice walk through the council doors and join Kirana in the centre.

"To protect the people of Alderaan you must," adds Yoda.

"You leave tomorrow, I suggest that you pack your things, a briefing has been sent, I suggest you read it," Mace Windu stares into Kirana's eyes trying to see something, he shakes his head, Ki-Adi-Mundi gets up and joins those in the centre, Mace Windu looks at al of them, "And may the Force be with you."

Kirana bows and leaves first eager to read the briefing, Ki-Adi-Mundi, catches up to her and stops her by grabbing her arm, he stares into her eyes and rasps, "Adi Gallia was a great Jedi, you were fortunate to be her apprentice, she cared for you deeply, never forget that, but you must let her go, it was the Force's will, you need to accept that." With that he walks down the right corridor, with a sigh Kirana walks in the opposite direction and hears from behind her,

"Who is she Obi-Wan, I have never seen her before, where is her Master?" pipes the voice that can only be Anakin Skywalker's, The Chosen One. He only being 2 years older than Kirana has abilities that she could only dream of having, but he doesn't know the hurt she feels, she hurries further down the hall until Obi-Wan's answer is only a blur of speech. Finding her room she swings in the door and tells the droid outside to let nobody disturb her.

###

Part 4 - Danger

Kirana walks out of her room in the morning, ready to start on the mission carrying the back pack of Adi's in her hands. She places her robes hood over her head and feels a cold shudder down her spine, Something feels wrong she thinks and looks at the figure that places her by, he turns and looks her in the eye, "I am sincerely sorry for your loss Kirana, I wish you all the best for your mission," rasps Supreme Chancellor Palpatine and continues down the hall, stopping only to watch Anakin Skywalker come out of the food hall, they exchange a murmur of words which leaves Anakin with a smile on his face. He sees Kirana and walks up to her.

"Kirana, am I right?" he asks, and shoves the small cracker in his mouth.

"Yes, and you are Anakin Skywalker, I guess we will be taking this mission together."

"I guess so," he replies looking around as if searching for something to say, "Do you have any family Kirana?"

"Yes..." she answers then looks away, "But not any longer."

"Oh, I didn't mean anything bad by it. I have no brothers or sisters, only my mother who I left when I went with Qui-Gon to become a Jedi, I miss her terribly."

Kirana looks back at Anakin and sees the sorrow on his face, but a darkness as well, knowing that he has just shared something with her she adds, "My mother and father were killed in a research experiment not long after I went to the academy, my brother is the only family I have left, but I haven't seen him since I became Adi's apprentice and she became the big sister I never had, but now .... I have nothing."

"You do have something, you have the Jedi's and ..."

"The Force," adds the voice behind the pair, Ki-Adi-Mundi stares at the pair of Padawans each with their matching braids, "Are you two ready? The ship is just about to leave." He walks to the stairs and launches himself up them.

"I'll get Obi-Wan and we'll go, " Anakin says, he notices that all Kirana has is the small pack, "Is that all you are going to take?"

"Yeah, we never took much else, only some credits, but I keep them, well somewhere where they can't be found," she replies and blushes a bit, "I'll see you on the ship."

Kirana walks down the hall to the stairs and sees a Sith in front of her, she gasps for a breath and looks again, but where the Sith was she only sees the Supreme Chancellor talking with some delegates. You're just paranoid, she thinks then launches herself up the stairs.


During the short trip to Alderaan, Obi-Wan catches up with her, "I saw him this morning," he whispers in her ear. She turns to face the older Jedi and smiles, "So what did he tell you?"

"He told me that we must watch our backs, something is happening, I can feel it," he answers barely louder than a whisper.

Kirana considers telling Obi-Wan about the vision she saw, but is interrupted by Anakin and Ki-Adi-Mundi entering the dining room. Anakin rushes over to the replicator and prepares himself a snack, "Want some?" He asks Kirana waving the food at her face.

"No, I'll be okay," she replies then turns to Ki-Adi-Mundi, "Something wrong?"

"No," he replies, "We have just left hyperspace and are entering the planets atmosphere, but I have to tell you the Council doesn't think anything will happen here, why would they attack such a peaceful planet?"

"For that reason, it is an easy target and is so close to Coruscant," adds Qui-Gon who appears before the group.

"Qui-Gon?" asks Anakin who's jaw has dropped to the ground, like the snack that he had in his hand.

"Yes Anakin, be weary, all of you," with that Qui-Gon leaves as quickly as he came leaving Anakin and Ki-Adi- Mundi dumbfounded, who notices that Obi-Wan and Kirana aren't phased.

"Why aren't you two surprised?" asks Anakin as he bends down to pick up the remnants of his snack, "Didn't you see him?"

"Yes, but we have seen him before," replies Obi-Wan who then turns to Kirana, "Two warnings in one morning, that is not like Qui-Gon, this must be very serious, " he bends down and picks up what Anakin left behind and places it into his apprentices hand who says,

"Two?"

They ignore him and continue their conversation, "Well there is nothing we can do, but take care of his warning, always go somewhere with another, never go alone, " Obi-Wan remarks to the rest then turns back to Kirana, "There is something very wrong here." He turns and leaves down the now open ramp to Alderaan and meets with the representatives.

Anakin looks at Kirana with a sour expression on his face and then follows his Master, Ki-Adi-Mundi leaves his face deep in thought. Kirana looks around at her surroundings and sighs, hoping to lift the dark feeling away and follows the other Jedi's.

Kirana goes to walk into her chamber and hears a heated conversation from the room next to her, Anakin storms out of the room and gives her an acid look as he storms past. She looks puzzled and notices Ki-Adi-Mundi who shakes his head and returns to his room, thinking the same thing, Kirana goes into hers.

She takes off her robe and sits on the bed, she then pulls a small dried fruit from her bag and takes a bite looking absently at the wall.

Letting the Force enfold her, Kirana goes into a deep Jedi meditation, images form in her mind, her brother and her walking down the street, him doing a silly magic trick. The image moves to a swarm of ships each turning in different directions, her danger sense tingles as she sees two of the ships coming for her, they fire right at her head and she screams.

Meanwhile Obi-Wan is sitting in his room hears and feels danger from Kirana, he jumps up and runs into the hall to notice Ki-Adi-Mundi, and Anakin had done the same, they run into Kirana's room to see her in a trance. He bends down and shakes her out of it, using the Force to help her, her eyes flutter open and she takes a large breath. She then looks at the other Jedi's and says, "They're coming."

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Part 5 - Jaster

"What do you mean, 'They're coming'?" asks a curious faced Anakin, who for the past couple of hours has been walking in the gardens trying to let off some steam. He sneaks a look at Obi-Wan who has a concerned face for Kirana, Anakin's steam comes back to the surface.

"I mean the, um, well ... I'll show you," answers Kirana as she struggles for the right words to say. She focuses on the Force and on the minds of the other Jedi's and shows them her vision, they all let a shriek out at the end and open their eyes understanding everything.

"I see, what should we do?" adds Ki-Adi-Mundi and looks at Kirana for the answer, but she doesn't have the chance to answer because the building shakes like it has been hit.

"To the roof," screams Obi-Wan and they rush to the door each grabbing their lightsabres and turning them on. Anakin and his Master go to one set of stairs whilst Ki-Adi-Mundi and Kirana go to the other. Taking two steps at a time the four Jedi's reach the roof in no time only to be confronted by four T-visored masks who turn towards the Jedi's. Two of them go towards Obi-Wan and Anakin whilst the other two head towards Kirana and Ki-Adi-Mundi.

"Split up!" Kirana screams as she launches her self across the building, she turns around and flings the rope into the air, which is shot down by the Mandoralian warrior's blaster as he jet packs across the gap. She levels out her lightsabre and prepares to do battle. The warrior takes a second look at her and laughs, "You were no problem then, you'll be no problem now," rasps the voice through the mask. Kirana having no time to think what he said over starts to block his moves and bullets with her lightsabre, predicting what he is going to do well before he does them, They don't use the Force, thinks Kirana as she dodges the bullets and flings them back at her enemy.

She takes a step back and looks at the warrior who stares her down, he points his weapon and aims at her head, only to shoot at her knee, Kirana predicted this and does a backwards somersault and lands on the edge of the building. She glances a over her shoulder, the warrior laughs at her and says, "Too easy, like your Master."

Horrified, Kirana looks at her enemy and realises that she didn't kill him last time that they met, she levels out a gaze and jumps down the wall. The warrior cautiously looks over the edge, he finds no body and looks further down, only to be stabbed by Kirana's lightsabre in the chest. She flings herself into the air and somersaults behind him, with a kick she says, "I got you this time." The Mandalorian warrior plummets to his death with a curdling scream.

Kirana looks over to see how the other Jedi's are going to see Ki-Adi-Mundi being barricaded against a wall, his lightsabre too far away on the ground. Kirana puts up the projection of herself being a Mandalorain warrior in the others eyes and strides across, she looks into the other enemies eyes and says, "I finished that one, need any help?"

"No, this'll be fine, I have him covered," answers the other and looks back to where Ki-Adi-Mundi was standing only to find him gone, "What..." his words are cut short by Mundi's lightsabre in his gut.

Ki-Adi looks at Kirana greatfully and goes to join Obi-Wan and Anakin. Kirana turns to look at the dead body and is confronted by yet another warrior, she gasps as she sees him as she is unprotected and at his full mercy. The other looks at her and motions to her lightsabre, "Draw" is all that he says and backs away. Kirana looks at him and takes her lightsabre out, with a snap-hiss she turns it on and faces her rival.

She jumps at the warrior who is taken to the ground, she pins his shoulders to the ground and asks, "Why did you let me defend myself?"

He replies, "I have a sister who you remind me of, she's a Padawan to, I did it for her sake."

She is dumbfounded but doesn't let go, in an impulse she flicks his helmet off with the back of her hand. She gasps, "Jaster?"

"I no longer go by that name, my name is Boba Fett," he answers angrily, "Who are you," he adds.

"Jaster, it's me Kirana," she replies and sweeps the hair from her face and lets him up.

The other gazes at her, his eyes well up with tears like his sister's, they stare at each other for a while, until Kirana speaks up,

"Jaster, what happened to you I haven't seen you for 5 years!"

Jaster's eyes go cold, "Don't call me that."

"But why Jaster, that's your name."

"I am no longer worthy of that name, I now am called Boba Fett."

"You can't be, your Jaster my brother, you will always be worthy of the name Jaster Mereel, nobody, not even I can take that away from you."

"I have no family," he replies coolly and hands a necklace to Kirana, "I no longer have any need for this." He gets up and goes leaving Kirana staring at the object in her hand. Tears roll down her eyes and she gets up, "Jaster, come back, please come back!"

He keeps on walking, puts his helmet on and notices the other warriors dead, Obi-Wan, rushes up to him and stabs his lightsabre under Jaster's helmet, singeing the skin. Kirana wails,"NO!" and Obi-Wan stops to look at her, he looks at the de-masked warrior and sees part of Kirana in the other man's eyes.

"Are you Kirana's brother?" Anakin asks as he joins his Master.

"No," is all the reply he gives and walks away.

One of the dead Mandalorain warriors gets up and aims at the distraught Kirana, in his dying breath he fires and hits Kirana in the chest.

Kirana screams and Jaster turns around. "Jaster!" He runs towards his sister, knocking Obi-Wan out of the way, as he runs he pulls off the helmet and rushes to her side. He grabs her hand and says, "I am here my sister, I am here," in a soothing voice.

"Oh Jaster, why did this have to happen now?" she rasps with pain in her voice, "Remember me brother, remember me...." Her hand goes slack in his hand, he squeezes it and whispers, "Don't go Kirry, you are the only family I have left, please don't go." Tears sweep across his burnt face, her breath goes shallower and shallower, Jaster squeezes her hand once more and finds that there is nothing to squeeze. Obi-Wan places a hand on his shoulder and says, "Let her go, she is one with the Force."

Jaster's eyes go cold as he clutches her necklace in his hand, he turns and faces the Jedi's.

"From this day forth, I will no longer be known by ANYONE as Jaster Mereel, he died at his sister's side. I will now be called Boba Fett," Boba Fett declares and walks away, not looking back at where his sister used to by, he picks up his helmet and places it on his head and fires his jet pack.

THE END