INCEPTION

14|The Test

Obi-Wan Kenobi and Qui-Gon Jinn stared out at one of the most beautiful sights Coruscant had to offer, the sunset. Obi-Wan was reflecting on the afternoons events. His master and himself had collected the girl and had brought her before the Council. Now they were waiting patiently while the Council decided the girl's fate. Obi-Wan already knew the answer, as far as he concerned. The girl was too old to begin the training and the Council would not accept her.

Qui-Gon stood silently beside him as the sun lowered over the horizon. A small smile was on his leonine featured face and Obi-Wan couldn't see what it was he was smiling about.

"You are aware that the girl will not pass the Council's tests, Master. She may have an extremely high midi-chlorian count but that alone will not assure her a place in training," Obi-Wan said.

"Padme' will become a Jedi, I assure you of that. And please, her old master referred to her a 'girl'. She has a name Padawan. Please use it and show the proper courtesy of the Jedi," Qui-Gon replied.

"Master, please do not defy the Council again. You know the rules and the code," Obi-Wan countered, not listening to his master.

"I will do what I must, Obi-Wan. Would you have me be any other way than what I am?" Qui-Gon asked.

"Master, you could be a Council member if you would just follow the code like every other Jedi. I assure you, they will not go along with you this time, Master," Obi-Wan countered in losing cool.

"You still have much to learn, my young apprentice. Always keep your mind open to the possibilities, Padawan." Qui-Gon said as he returned his gaze to the sunset with the smile still plastered on his face.

Obi-Wan did not answer him but returned his gaze also to the sunset, hoping that Qui-Gon would not lose anymore credibility for his reckless behavior.

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Padme' Naberrie stood before the twelve members of the Jedi Council. She stood in the mosaic circle that both Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan had stood in hours before and was wishing now more than ever that people couldn't see her face as it was covered in bruises and cuts. She wondered whether or not this would matter to the Council. She noticed their scrutinizing gaze upon her features when she had entered. Either way, it didn't make her feel any more comfortable than she had felt when she was first brought before these people.

She didn't know what to expect exactly. Qui-Gon had brought her into the Council chambers then left again, leaving her alone. There was no word spoken when she entered and nothing had been said to her now. The Jedi just sat there, gazing at her with a distant look on their faces. Padme' got the feeling that they were looking though her, inside of her to see what they could see, to determine her strengths. She felt they knew of everything about her now. Her entire life, the slavery, her mother, pod racing, her love of flying and being able to fix things.

Padme' gazed around at the Council. She knew some of them by matching descriptions and names Qui-Gon had provided her with their faces. A solid, built, dark skinned man reached for a small view screen and held it in front of her, the screen facing him. Mace Windu, she guessed by matching Qui-Gon's name and descriptions of him to his face.

The man asked her to name the things he saw on the screen. When it was activated, images flew immediately into Padme's mind quickly succession. It reminded her of being out in the desert again, racing pods.

"A Roona starship. A Hutt pod ship. A Nubian cruiser. A Ship. A cup. A speeder," she said the images that came to her mind and then left. Suddenly the images were gone, and the screen in front of Mace Windu went blank. He turned and nodded towards the small green being sitting beside him. Yoda, Padme' had guessed.