Chapter 9

A small groan escaped Qui-Gon as he stood up from the dented wall he'd been blown into from the sheer force of Anakin's attack.

Qui-Gon was surprised to say the least, he had been preparing himself to face a powerful foe and just as their sabers were about to clash he sensed a titanic source of the Dark side of the Force that dwarfed his foe's. Despite immediately bolstering his Force shields, he still got caught in the cross fire resulting in his collision with the wall to some house on the side of the road. 

It was Anakin, who else could it possibly be? Something horrible must have happened and every fiber of his being urged him to check on the boy he had grown so fond of, but he resisted it. He was a Jedi Master, and he had long since learned to stop his emotions from affecting his judgment, and as unfortunate as it was, his enemy took precedence.

Enhancing himself with the Force, Qui-Gon rushed across the sandy street with supernatural grace and speed. A moment later he peered into the crater that formed in the middle of the street, and the sight he saw made him want to look away. Covering the bottom of the crater lay the bloody remains of the dark side Force user, or as Qui-Gon suspected, a Sith.

There was only one way Anakin could have possibly caused the sight before him: emotions.

Emotions, especially negative emotions, could be used to magnify the power of the dark side of the Force to some degree, but in most cases it was negligible. It went without saying that it was strictly forbidden. But sometimes, younglings in the Jedi temple could confuse not letting emotions affect their judgment with the need to suppress their emotions and feel nothing. As time passed and their suppressed emotions grew, they would become more volatile until all the suppressed emotions were released in a burst of pure destruction after a month or two.

Normally that wouldn't be a big problem, as any strength a youngling could muster was far outshined by the might of Jedi Knights and Masters, but with months of emotions added to the mix, even the lives of Jedi knights could be in danger despite their superior control and connection to the Force.

Qui-Gon had witnessed a few such cases within the Jedi temple personally. In wanting to know more about it, he searched the Jedi archives extensively.

The Jedi Master was surprised to learn that suppressing one's negative emotions and magnifying them was a tactic used by the Sith in times of battle. According to the book, it required years of work to stowaway pure negative emotions longer than a few months, and most of the time it wasn't that useful because using an excessive amount of emotions only led to a greater loss of control over the Force and could only be used slowly throughout battle lest it become detrimental.

That was why Qui-Gon was so shocked to see the scene before him.

Anakin was a prodigy in the Force, there was no denying that. The boy had the highest midi-chlorian count ever recorded, and after a day of careful observation, Qui-Gon found that the boy's intelligence and ability with the Force matched it.

That being said, there was no way it was possible to cause the level of destruction before him with just a few months of pent up negative emotions. No, it must have been years. If he hadn't seen it himself and known the boy, he wouldn't have believed it. Qui-Gon desperately hoped he was wrong; the only way it could have been remotely possible was if it was necessary to live, a monstrous talent for the dark side of the Force along with a will forged under the constant threat of death.

A minute shift at the bottom of the crater brought the old Jedi out of his thoughts. Vaguely, he could make out the limbless form of a head connected to half a torso. 

"How is this possible?" Qui-Gon whispered under his breath as he watched the head's blinking eyes.

Qui-Gon doubted he could survive were he to be hit with the same attack as his foe was.

The Sith's life-force was like a lit candle struggling against a harsh wind, and eventually it would lose. In an act of mercy, Qui-Gon activated his green lightsaber and cut its head in half with one graceful move of his arm.

There could be more, he thought, I need to get out of here.

If there were indeed other Sith there, they would have undoubtedly felt the battle; he needed to hurry. 

With the Sith dead, Qui-Gon deactivated his lightsaber and ran towards where he saw Anakin collapse. Even from around sixty feet away, Qui-Gon could see Anakin covered in blood lying near the severed form of his mother.

 Qui-Gon hesitated.

Before him laid perhaps the most important choice of his life. Anakin's potential for good could only be matched by his propensity for evil. His inclination for the dark side was undeniable while his inclination for the light side remained to be seen, and years of abuse on Tatooine had led to the bad habit of suppressing his emotions. Worst of all, the death of his mother could only aggravate his chances of being consumed by the dark side.

At the end of the day, Qui-Gon supposed, only his ability mattered; not Anakin's. The question was: did he think could keep Anakin from straying from the light or would he leave him there to surely be consumed by the dark side?

Realization suddenly struck the Jedi like thunder.

If any other Jedi knew what he knew about Anakin, they would probably—no, definitely leave him there. It suddenly made sense why the Force had chosen to guide him to Tatooine instead of any other Jedi.

Qui-Gon's loyalty to the Jedi order was unbreakable, but he admittedly disagreed with them on a few things. The Jedi Order was built on the principles of the Jedi Code, and they did their best to follow it. It was the very foundation on which the Order acted upon, it was the core of their ideologies, and it was taught to the younglings before they could even form an opinion on what should and should not be. It disgusted Qui-Gon to his very core; if he didn't know any better, he would think they were being brainwashed to turn into emotionless, passionless soldiers whose sole purpose was to uphold peace. They weren't even given a choice for Force sake!

(Author note: Jedi Code: There is no emotion, there is peace. There is no ignorance, there is knowledge. There is no passion, there is serenity. There is no chaos, there is harmony.)

If there was anything that Qui-Gon hated about the order, it was that stupid Code that was upheld with fanatic belief. Instead of the misguided interpretation the Order taught, Qui-Gon chose to believe that the Code meant one should not allow their emotions or passions to get in the way of their duties.

That was why he believed the Force chose him out of all the Jedi to meet Anakin. The boy, having lived separate from the Jedi, already had his own opinions of right and wrong, good and evil. If he was subjected and forced to follow the Jedi Code as the Jedi Order does, then Qui-Gon truly believed that the boy would be forced to the dark side under no fault of his own.

The Force had guided him to the boy because only he would be able show him the Light while steering off the Darkness. Only he would be able to understand and agree with Anakin's thoughts and opinions or be able to guide and teach the boy.

Purpose kindled inside the Jedi Master. 

The Force had given him a mission only he could fulfill.

He accepted.

"I won't fail." He promised to both himself and Anakin.

With resolute eyes, the Jedi master rushed over to Anakin's side, trying to ignore Shmi's corpse. Anakin was covered in blood, his hair matted down in a murky red, quivering in pain and exhaustion with mournful tears silently coming down his face. Qui-Gon shuddered; he could only imagine what it was like to be covered with the blood of the person you love most.

As Qui-Gon reached down to pick up the boy, he noticed a glint of light reflecting off something in Anakin's hand that was mostly hidden under the boy's body. Curious, Qui-Gon moved the boy's arm out from under him and was surprised to see a long silver cylinder with two openings at the end. Qui-Gon immediately recognized it as the double bladed lightsaber the Sith wielded. 

From the moment Shmi died, Qui-Gon doubted Anakin even had the rationality to think, let alone take the Sith's lightsaber before it was utterly decimated. The only plausible explanation he could come up with was that the Force subtly manipulated Anakin into doing it. The Force rarely intervened, but it did happen, usually in subtle and mysterious ways that are seemingly unimportant. The only thing Qui-Gon couldn't figure out was why.

Qui-Gon was unsure of what to make of this. After a moment of thinking, Qui-Gon gave up; figuring out the whys of the Force was a fool's game, one he would take no part of. In any case, the lightsaber would be useful evidence from the Jedi Council, and if Anakin was really meant to have it, then the Force would guide him to it once again.

Gently, Qui-Gon pried the lightsaber from Anakin's surprisingly strong grip and clipped it his belt next to his own lightsaber. Not wanting to waste anymore time, the Jedi swiftly picked the blond haired boy up and started jogging to the Sith's now ownerless speeder.

It pained Qui-Gon to leave Shmi's corpse on the desolate street, but he didn't have the time to bury or take it with him unless he used the Force, and if there were more enemies, he couldn't afford to waste any energy. He was sure that Shmi would also want him to prioritize her son's life at all costs.

Qui-Gon carefully slid into the Sith's speeder with Anakin limp in his arms. The speeder was completely black and it had a half circle shape to it. Once he was sure Anakin was securely laying on his lap, Qui-Gon accelerated the speeder as much as possible within the confines of Mos Espa. Traveling fast down the sharp streets of Mos Espa wasn't easy, although he may not have been as good a pilot as Anakin, he wasn't a Jedi for nothing. Qui-Gon skillfully made his way out of the city with grace surpassing all the podracers in the race earlier that day except Anakin.

There was definitely a tracker in the speeder and the Sith's lightsaber, but he was sure that any Force sensitive in Tatooine would have felt Anakin's outburst. He also knew that the ship was already fixed and it would be easy to remove the tracker from the lightsaber, even if he had to break it.

Once Qui-Gon made it outside of Mos Espa, the speeder really showed its worth as Qui-Gon was able to go freely at speeds far beyond a normal speeder. Despite the grim situation, Qui-Gon found himself enjoying the exhilaration of going so fast and the harsh winds that cooled him from the searing heat he was unaccustomed to.

Only a few minutes later, the Jedi was able to make out the faint outline of the ship in the distance. The ship was thin and aerodynamic with polished silver sheen to it. There was an undeniable elegance to it, making it fit for nobility.

Obi-Wan was worried for his Master. He had felt an overwhelming presence of the dark side of the Force in Mos Espa. It was safe to assume that his Master was under attack and he wasn't responding to his radio. Just as he was debating if he should try and investigate what was happening, he suddenly sensed Qui-Gon moving quickly in his direction through their Force bond.

Soon, he was able to make out a black speeder making its way to the ship in a black blur, leaving behind a trail of sand.

Relief flooded through him at the sight of his Qui-Gon, however, unease settled in him as he felt his Master's sadness and grief. It was only when the speeder was only a few hundred feet away that Obi-Wan could sense a second life form with Qui-Gon.

Obi-Wan immediately realized it was Anakin. He and Qui-Gon had talked at length about the boy and his abilities. As embarrassing as it was, Obi-Wan couldn't help but feel a twinge of jealousy towards the boy who had easily captured Qui-Gon's attention, but he didn't let his wayward emotions affect him. He was above that.

After getting within a few feet of the ship, Qui-Gon came to a complete stop and jumped onto the sandy surface of the desert with Anakin in his arms and started heading to the ship, an urgent frown on his face as he did so.

Obi-Wan wore robes identical to Qui-Gon's and carried his usual serious expression, like he was perpetually suspicious of one thing or the other. He also had short blonde hair and a long braid, symbolizing his status as a padawan.

Many questions ran through Obi-Wan as he saw Anakin covered in blood and his master's robe stained red. "Master, is something wr—"

"Set a course for Coruscant this instant!" Qui-Gon interrupted as he rushed past his apprentice and entered the ship.

Obi-Wan clenched his jaw in frustration but hurriedly carried out his Master's order, recognizing the seriousness of the situation.

Qui-Gon wasn't taking any chances. Too much was at stake. He had to inform the Republic of the crisis on Naboo and the return of the Jedi's ancient enemies: the Sith.

Even that vital information paled in comparison to the being he currently held in his arms, for he had found the prophesized Chosen Once.

The crisis on Naboo, the return of the Sith, and finding the Chosen One, Qui-Gon thought as gazed down at Anakin, it can't be a coincidence. Things were changing too fast. The dark side of the Force was stirring, making itself known once again.

A war was on the horizon and Qui-Gon could see it as clear as day. The war between light and darkness would soon return and its outcome would rest on Anakin's shoulders. And it was his duty, his mission, to make sure that the Chosen One was on the right side of it.