Qui-Gon Jinn heard the sound of the transport and
moved swiftly through the trees to assist with
unloading the supplies. Usually the transports only
bothered to land here to deliver supplies, and sure
enough the Human pilot was already unloading boxes
from his cargo bay. But to Qui-Gon’s surprise, a
young woman emerged from the passenger compartment,
carrying only a small shoulder bag. She was dirty,
her face pale. She must have been traveling for a
very long time. Days… weeks… months? Qui-Gon could
feel her exhaustion in the very depths of his being.
She staggered a little as she walked… Qui-Gon closed
his eyes and reached out with the Force, and he could
sense her fear, the hopefulness that this would
finally be a place that was safe, somewhere she didn’t
have to run. Why was she running? He wondered… and
why was she so afraid?

Qui-Gon paid the pilot for the cargo and used the
Force to lift the boxes off the ground, sending them
with his mind to the outer door of the Jedi temple,
where he knew they would be retrieved by others. He
noticed the pilot turn to the young woman.

“Sorry, miss, this is as far as I can take you with
the money you gave me.” The driver actually sounded
apologetic. She nodded, and Qui-Gon noticed she
carried a small shoulder bag.

“Thank you,” she said, speaking for the first time.
Her voice was soft, like she wasn’t used to talking
often, but Qui-Gon detected an underlying musical
quality to it that he couldn’t quite place. He
reached out again with the Force and was surprised…
the Force was very strong with her. He hadn’t seen
that much power in any female student before. She
looked around, and Qui-Gon sensed the loneliness in
her, the sense of not knowing where she was or what to
do. He approached cautiously. She saw him, and
suddenly he sensed the fear of a caged animal.

“Don’t be afraid. I’m not going to hurt you,” he said
gently. He moved slowly, keeping his hands where she
could see them.

“Who are you?” she asked, speaking in Basic.

“My name is Qui-Gon Jinn. I am a Jedi Knight. What’s
your name?” he asked gently. She looked at him,
studying his face.

“Sierra,” she replied, saying nothing more for a
moment. “What’s a Jedi?”

Qui-Gon hid a smile. “A Jedi has the power to sense
the Force, the power to use it to our advantage.
However, unlike some who have this power, Jedi use the
Force to help others, where ever we might be needed.”
Qui-Gon explained patiently. She looked confused.

“What’s the Force?” she asked. Qui-Gon sighed. It
was going to be a *very* long day.

***

Later that night…
[Sierra’s POV]

I don’t understand why I feel so safe here. It’s
like… in my heart I know that I can trust the people
here; I’ve never felt that before. Even Qui-Gon… I
somehow know in my heart that he genuinely wants to
help me, and he seems to want nothing in return except
for me to stay in this place, to learn about this
thing he calls the Force. Even now, as I’m sitting in
the room he told me is mine, I can’t quite believe
that I’m safe, even though my heart is telling me I
am. I saw him lift a small star craft with his mind.
It seemed impossible, but he says one day I will be
able to do that too! I don’t understand this Force
yet, but I know that I feel safe here… for the first
time in my life. I only hope *they* don’t find me
here, though this place is so far out in the middle of
no man’s land that I don’t think they’d bother trying
out here.

The room that he gave me is huge! It has a real bed,
too, not some flimsy cot in a basement somewhere, but
a real window with a view of the forest around us and
a small lake and stars… so many stars! I can’t stop
staring at them, even though I should really go to
sleep. In some ways, though, I’m afraid to sleep out
of fear that I will wake up and it will all be some
kind of a dream.

I don’t want it to be a dream. I want this to be
real… I want this place to be my home.

I look in the mirror and I hardly recognize myself.
For the first time in months I’m clean… traveling is
always grungy, especially in the Outer Rim. Four
months ago I’d never heard of the Outer Rim… now I
know it well, unfortunately. One of the best parts
about places like the Rim… Tatooine for example, is
that these places are havens for those who do not wish
to be found.

If he finds me, he’ll kill me this time. I’m
surprised there isn’t a bounty hunter on my tail yet…
Bill is just the kind of man who would send one after
me. And he wouldn’t care if I was dead or alive when
they brought me in.

[End Sierra’s POV]

Coruscant, two days later

Qui-Gon Jinn stood outside the closed doors of the
council chambers, finding himself pacing. Sierra was
in there. He could sense her nervousness all the way
out here… that would not bode well with the Council.
It was nervousness though… not fear. She was not
afraid.

Finally, after what seemed like days but was, in
truth, only the better part of an hour, the door
opened and Sierra emerged. Qui-Gon’s breath caught in
his throat when he saw her. He hadn’t seen her yet
that day; had only seen her briefly yesterday but now…
she was beautiful. She wore the basic clothing of the
Jedi that he’d given her, but somehow the clothes
accented her figure perfectly. Her long black hair,
trimmed this morning, washed and combed meticulously,
hung down her shoulders in cascades of curls. She had
applied a touch of color to her face and until that
moment, he hadn’t realized just how stunning she was.
She bowed properly as she recognized him.

“Master, the Council will see you now,” she said
softly. Qui-Gon nodded, gently touched her shoulder
and went into the chambers.

Part II

Near the Jedi Temple
3 years later…

Sierra ran swiftly through the trees, laughing. Her
hair was now short except for the three-year-growth of
Padawan braid flying out behind her as she ran.
Behind her, a dripping and muddy Qui-Gon Jinn charged,
using the Force to throw mudballs at her. She ducked
one, used the force to reverse it and it hit him
square in the face, and he wiped mud out of his eyes
and stormed after her with renewed strength. She
laughed, rounded a corner and found herself face to
face with a *very* muddy Jedi Master! She’d forgotten
about the shortcut through the trees. Abruptly she
reversed course but she wasn’t fast enough. Qui-Gon
tackled her, pulling her down with him flat on her
back in a huge mud puddle. Sputtering, she wiggled
out from under him, wiped mud out of her face and took
off again at full speed back to the Jedi temple.

She hit the showers the moment she got back. As the
hot water cascaded over her, she smiled at the image
of Qui-Gon flying through the air into a mud puddle
the size of Lake Imperial back home. Home… it wasn’t
that any more, she thought sadly. She could no longer
return to the place that she’d called home all her
life… but in her heart she knew that wasn’t home any
more, anyway. This was; the Jedi Temple had become
her home and the people here her family.

None of them knew anything about her past; only the
past three years. Which, she had to admit, had been
the best three years of her life. Well, after the
hell she’d gone through with Bill there wasn’t much
that couldn’t be better than that. She was relieved
to be away, but this had become more than that. This
had become home.

She’d been afraid, when she’d first begun her Jedi
training. Standing in the center of a circle of Jedi,
all of whom possessed a power she didn’t understand,
deciding whether or not she could stay. The truth
was, she had no where else to go. If the Jedi had
sent her away she would have been alone in the forest,
living off whatever the planet could provide because
there wasn’t much chance of her getting any money on
this god-forsaken planet. She had used the last of
her meager savings to come here.

She turned off the water, toweled dry and dressed in
fresh clothes, donning the black Jedi robe she’d been
issued. She headed to the mess hall. It was a
mistake—as soon as she rounded the corner she found
herself hit square in the face with a cream pie of
some sort. She didn’t need the Force to know who’d
done it, either. Qui-Gon. As she cleaned cream
filling out of her eyes she saw him sitting at the
other end of the room, joining the rest of the people
in the mess hall in roaring with laughter.
Humiliated, she turned and flung herself out of the
mess hall and half ran back to her quarters. She
locked Qui-Gon out and got back into the shower.
Tears streamed down her face, hot tears that left
burning trails as they went. She at least had the
decency not to embarrass him in front of a room full
of people that until that moment she had called her
friends.

Once clean again, she dressed in her third set of
clothes for the day and sat on her bed, holding her
knees to her chest and staring out the window. She
sighed, wiping her face. She re-braided her hair.
There was a knock on the door.

“Go away.” She sighed as the lock slid open anyway.
That was one of the disadvantages of living in the
Jedi temple. You couldn’t lock people out if they
were bound and determined to enter. The door opened
and Qui-Gon walked in.

“For what it’s worth, I’m sorry.”

“I deserved it.”

“Yes, but not in front of a room full of people.”

“Go away. Master.” Qui-Gon flinched. He’d told her
to call him Qui-Gon when they were alone, and she had
been, for the past year. He walked over and sat down
on the bed beside her.

“What I did was uncalled for,” he said, and held out a
single, thornless red rose. She stared at him, her
eyes widening.

“A rose? Where did you get that?” she asked him.
Fresh flowers of any kind, much less roses, were
difficult at best to come by at this time of year.
Roses were impossible.

“I ordered it for you a few weeks ago. The transport
just came in,” he said. She looked at him, surprised.

“You ordered this for me?” she asked him. He nodded.
“But why?”

“Because… I care about you,” he said, taking her hand
in his. A jolt of electricity shot up her arm at his
touch. She looked at him, her deep blue eyes
widening.

“Qui-Gon, I care for you too… but I’m not ready for
more than this. Not yet, not after…” she broke off
and looked away.

“Not after what, Sierra? I know there are things
about your past that you haven’t told me; would you?”

“I can’t, Qui-Gon. I haven’t told anyone. I’m afraid
to.”

“Why?” he asked.

“Because… I like it here. This is my home… and I
don’t want to be sent away, to be forced to run and
hide again.”

“That won’t happen, Sierra. We’re not like that. You
should know that by know; it’s been three years since
you got here.”

Sierra looked at Qui-Gon, studying his handsome face,
his intense blue eyes. She wanted to tell him, but
she didn’t know what to do, not yet. She wanted to
trust in him, to trust that he would hear her out and
not blame her for her secrets.

Part III

Sierra stared into Qui-Gon’s eyes, trying to decide if
she should tell him. Before she could, though, there
was a knock on the door of her quarters. Qui-Gon
moved away from her slightly.

“Yes?” she asked. The door opened and Master Mace
Windu entered.

“Sierra. The Council would like to see you. I’ve
been sent to escort you,” he said. Qui-Gon frowned.

“What is this about, Mace?” he asked.

“I’ll tell you later, old friend. We can’t keep them
waiting, Sierra.”

“Of course, Master.” She stood, pulled on another
black robe-her third that day-and bowed to Mace.
“Please lead me.”

Mace led the way out of her quarters. She glanced
back at Qui-Gon, who nodded in encouragement. //May
the Force be with you// she heard in her mind. She
nodded.

//Thank you, Master.// she sent back through the
Force. She turned back to Mace and followed him to
his ship. She rode beside him in silence the entire
trip to Coruscant.

Jedi Council Chambers
Coruscant
24 hours later

“Ready to face the trials, you are,” Master Yoda said,
pointing a bony green finger at Sierra. She stared at
him in surprise.

“But Master Qui-Gon said--”

“Our own counsel, we keep on who is ready. Ready you
are. Great Jedi Knight, you will become.”

“I’m honored that you have so much faith in me,
Masters.” Sierra said, bowing to the Council. There
were a few nods of acknowledgement, then Yoda spoke
up.

“Faith, it is not. Strong with you, the Force is.”

“Yes, Master.” Sierra replied calmly.

“Tonight to prepare, you have. Tomorrow, begin the
trials you will.” Yoda declared.

“Mace will show you to your quarters,” Master
Ki-Adi-Mundi said calmly. She nodded.

“May the Force be with you,” Yoda said, signaling that
the audience was over. Sierra bowed, then followed
Mace to the quarters she had been assigned.

“Do you believe you’re ready?” he asked. Sierra
thought for only a brief moment.

“Yes,” she proclaimed. Mace nodded.

“Very well. I suggest you meditate tonight, and get
some sleep. I’ll come for you at dawn,” he said. She
nodded, and Mace left, pulling her door shut behind
him. She meditated for half an hour, then went to
bed. It would be an early morning.

//Begin Dream Sequence//

“Bill, you’re drunk,” Sierra said, glaring at her
husband as he slapped her. She was bleeding in about
three places already, from the hits he’d dashed out
unmercifully, not caring that she was hurting, not
caring that she was more terrified of him than she’d
ever been when he was sober. At least when he was
sober all he did was not let her leave. When he was
drunk was when he got ugly.

“I’m not drunk. I’m fine,” he said, his words
slurring as he punched her in the face. Sierra
stumbled backwards, nearly walking into a table. She
glanced at it, noticed a dozen or so empty bottles of
ale, some lying on their sides. Bill’s eyes were
red-rimmed and dangerous as he reached into his
pocket, pulling out a small pocket knife. Before she
knew what was happening he’d taken the knife and
slashed her cheek. With a sharp cry and dripping
blood over the beige carpet, Sierra ducked under the
table, hoping to find safety but Bill went after her
again, searching through his pockets for something
that would do more damage than the knife. When he
came up with his blaster Sierra dove for the door,
grabbing her money bag off the table beside the door
as she hit the ground running and climbed into her
speeder. Bill shouted curses after her and fired
shots that, thanks to his drunkenness, missed by miles
but Sierra screamed each time a blaster bolt went
sailing past…

//End Dream Sequence//

Sierra awoke with a start, choking back a scream. She
glanced at a nearby chronometer… 0330 hours: 3:30 a.m.
She knew she wouldn’t get back to sleep, not after
the dream… the nightmare… the memory. She settled
into a meditative state, pushing the thoughts of the
nightmare out of her mind. She knew she would never
be completely free of Bill, never completely free of
his reign of terror over her life. She knew, more
than that, that if Bill ever found out where she’d
gone she didn’t stand a chance. He’d told her once
that he would kill her if she ever left him, and she’d
left him three years and six months ago. Not only
that, but she’d found someone else that she loved,
someone she now knew cared for her too. He loved her
as much as she loved him.

Clearing her mind of all thoughts except the trials
forthcoming, Sierra closed her eyes and slowed her
breathing. She felt her mind slowly clearing of night
webs, beginning to wake. It wasn’t long before a
knock came on the door.

“Come in, Mace,” she called. The door opened and Mace
entered.

“Are you ready?” he asked. She nodded.

“As ready as I’ll ever be.”

Part IV

The Jedi Temple
Two Weeks Later.

Sierra, exhausted after the trials, stepped down off
the transport and into Qui-Gon’s arms. She wrapped
her arms around his shoulders and he picked her up and
swung her around. She laughed gleefully, holding him
tightly.

“Mace told me you passed the trials,” Qui-Gon said,
beaming with happiness for her. “I’m very proud of
you, my Jedi Knight,” he said. Sierra grinned, still
holding tightly to Qui-Gon, not wanting to move, not
wanting this moment to end. She had things to tell
him, though, things she knew could jeopardize her
friendship with him, things she had suspected for a
long time but had learned for sure during the trials.

“What’s wrong?” Qui-Gon, as usual, had detected the
change in her emotions.

“Qui-Gon, have you ever heard of a War Jedi?” she
asked him. He frowned.

“The term is familiar.”

“They are Jedi who are capable of using both sides of
the Force simultaneously without being pulled
completely over to either side. They… we… are also
sometimes called Grey Jedi.” She said. The quick
change in terms was not lost on Qui-Gon.

“We?” he asked.

“Yes, Qui-Gon. We. Did you know I was married once?”

“No,” he said. “You never told me.”

“I haven’t told anyone, because my husband no doubt
has a price on my head. He tried to kill me just
before I escaped, Qui-Gon. He fired blaster shots at
me as I was trying to get away from him. That was
when I first started to realize I might have more to
me than just anyone. None of the shots hit, and even
drunk Bill is an excellent shot.”

“You generated a Force-shield,” Qui-Gon said with
surprise.

“I didn’t know what it was at the time. I just knew
that whatever it was, it kept me alive. Did you ever
wonder how I happened to end up so far out on the
edges of the Outer Rim? Why I didn’t just stay
somewhere like Tatooine, where there’s slim chance of
being found?”

“I have, as a matter of fact. I have the feeling I’m
about to hear it.”

“Because I *was* on Tatooine for about two months.
Then I was attacked by an Imperial soldier, who tried
to take me back to Bill. He had handcuffs on me and
he was hitting me, trying to knock me out. I knew the
man, he was a friend of Bill’s and just as nasty when
he got angry. Except unlike Bill, he didn’t have to
be drunk to turn violent.”

“By the Force,” Qui-Gon whispered. Now that he was
looking he could see a faint, thin white scar down her
right cheek. A knife wound. Qui-Gon ran his finger
down it.

“I killed him, Qui-Gon,” Sierra continued, trying to
ignore the tingly feeling left in the wake of his
finger. “I was trying to push him away when lightning
came from my hands. Before I knew what had happened
he was dead, no more than a smoldering spot on the
floor. I hit the ground running again, Qui-Gon. I
knew someone would find out sooner or later what had
happened, what I had done to that soldier. So I ran…
and I ran long and hard. I ran until I ran out of
money, which is when I ended up here.”

“Why are you telling me all this?” he asked. She
smiled.

“Because you’ll find out sooner or later, and I’d
rather it be from me, than from the Council or anyone
else. And because… I’m leaving, Qui-Gon.”

“What?” Qui-Gon wasn’t sure he’d heard right, and if
he had, he didn’t want to know but he had to.

“Because of my abilities, the Jedi Council has
assigned me a sort of… black ops mission. I’m going
deep undercover, Qui-Gon. Into the Dark Side.”

“No,” he whispered. “They can’t!”

“They have, Qui-Gon. I’m going to infiltrate the
Sith, and bring them down from the inside. There’s no
other way, Qui-Gon. It has to be some one who has the
ability to use the Dark Side without going completely
over. I’m the best chance they have.”

“It’s too dangerous! I won’t let them.” Qui-Gon’s
anger was sudden and vehement and it scared her a
little. She knew, though, that Qui-Gon would never
hurt her. He might, however, attempt to defy the
Council. She couldn’t let him do that, not for her.
She had to go where she was sent.

“Qui-Gon, you can’t protect me forever. I’m a Jedi
Knight now. You knew when you took me in as your
Padawan that I would be assigned dangerous missions.”

“I hadn’t planned on infiltration of the Sith,”
Qui-Gon countered, his blue eyes sparking dangerously
with barely controlled anger.

“Anger is of the Dark Side, Master,” she quipped, and
his expression softened. He nearly smiled as she took
his hand.

“Qui-Gon… I love you. I do. I know I will never
forget you…” she trailed off as her voice caught in
her throat and she looked away. “But I have work to
do and my transport leaves at dawn,” she said. He
wrapped his arms around her, and she leaned her head
against his chest, closing her eyes, savoring his
warmth for what would probably be the last time.

0430 hours.

Carrying nothing except a small money bag and a
red-bladed lightsaber hanging just out of view but
within easy reach, Sierra entered the loading bay with
a heavy heart. She didn’t want to leave, but the
Council’s decision was final. She had to admit that
she agreed with them—she was the right person for the
job.

She saw him standing there, patiently waiting for her
to arrive. He'd probably been there since 0300, or
earlier… She stepped up to him and wrapped her arms
around his waist, holding him wordlessly, not wanting
to let go, not wanting to leave him. He bent down and
gently kissed her, using a finger to wipe away the
wetness from the tears that had begun to slide down
her cheeks.

//The Force will be with you. Always.// Qui-Gon sent
to her through the Force. She managed a small smile.

//I know, Master. I'll never forget you.// she sent,
then turned to board the transport. Qui-Gon caught
her wrist and placed a small box into her hand, then
nodded towards the transport. She looked into his
intense blue eyes one last time, then turned and
boarded the transport, tears streaming down her face
unchecked.

Once she was safely aboard the transport, she opened
the box to find a beautiful necklace, made with
precious jewels that had probably cost him a small
fortune. She put it around her neck and made sure it
was out of view as she turned back to the window and
raised her hand to wave at him one last time.

//I love you.// she sent to him.

//I love you, Sierra,// Qui-Gon sent back. As she
watched, he raised his fingers to his lips and kissed
them, then placed his hand over his heart. She turned
away from the window as her eyes began to fill with
tears.

Qui-Gon Jinn watched as the transport lifted off,
carrying the woman he'd loved for three years out of
his life.

"See her again, you will." Yoda's voice beside him
startled him, and he nodded, glancing down at the
older Jedi. He’d been so focused on Sierra that he
hadn’t sensed Yoda come into the room; a Sith could
probably have walked up behind him and tapped him on
the shoulder and he wouldn’t have known it.

"Yes, Master," he said distractedly. He could feel it
too, now that he thought about it. He *would* see her
again. Some how, some day… he just didn't know when.

The End…?

***

Well? let me know what you guys think, k? :-)