Title: Yoda's Vision

Author: Geri k

Timeframe: A/U Jedi apprentice

Characters Yoda, Qui-Gon, Obi-wan

Genre PG

Note: Someone else owns these characters, so I'm just playing with them.

Summary: Yoda finds a baby and is the only one who believes him worthy to be a Jedi.

Hasty wasn't a word that described Master Yoda, his life was orderly and controlled. He was reliable, and always did what was expected of him or had been promised by him. He'd never been late for a meeting, or even a knighting.

Yet today his life was going to change in ways he'd never imagined, not only would he miss the coming knighting ceremony he wasn't going to be on Coruscant either.

This day began as any other, the presence of the living force emanated from every corner of his quarters as he rose from his bed and set the kettle to boil for his first cup of Yarba tea, a tart concoction with an aroma that wafted up his nostrils clearing them for the day ahead.

Opening the shutters to allow the rays of the coruscanti sun to illuminate his abode he settled on his meditation cushion sipping the last of the tea. Closing his eyes he let his mind relax and settled in to his usual morning meditation; enveloping his mind and body into the energy penetrating his senses and binding him to everything in the galaxy.

In his minds eye the shimmering specks of life spread out and filled the flow; strengthening the Force and bolstering the light. Every now and again a bright flare engrossed his vision and a twinkling in the heavenly body told him that a new aura had been added to the flow. Life was a beautiful sensation and it pleased him.

There! Another flash caught his interest, this new glowing orb made his ears flick to attention, this was no ordinary speck of life force, and rising deep within him a stirring of emotion grew in every fibre of his being.

It was always a privilege to witness such phenomena and he was reluctant to rise out of his meditation, but the Force was insistent that he move his old bones and go in search of this new life.

A task had been placed before him on this auspicious day.

Yoda felt a touch of regret fill him knowing that Qui-Gon Jinn was expecting him to oversee the knighting ceremony of his first apprentice Natasha; she was to be honoured today. It was Yoda who'd been instrumental in convincing Qui-Gon to take Natasha thirteen years ago, and he'd fully intended to be present when she was knighted.

"Master Yoda, you're a bit early for the ceremony, aren't you?" Qui-Gon questioned the old master as he entered Qui-Gon's quarters.

"A mission of great importance to oversee I have, required elsewhere I am. Regrettable it is that miss the knighting ceremony I will."

"Elsewhere, Master?" Qui-Gon inquired.

"Lead the ceremony, Master Yaddle will. Please convey my congratulations to your former padawan, speak with her when return I will."

Qui-Gon was certainly surprised. This was unlike Yoda, but he knew not to argue and bowed instead. "I will convey your well wishes to her then. May the Force be with you."

ooo

Far away on a small farming planet, the temple had already sent a team of Jedi knights to examine several children who were being considered for training at the temple. On this occasion Crèche master Chas-Anna and her former padawan, now knight, Val-Dee were on the planet finalising the agreement.

Master Chas-Anna, a matronly Crèche master, had spent most of her service looking after younglings and preparing them for the hard years ahead and had a great deal of experience in knowing whether a youngling was suitable or not.

She was pleased with the find of three younglings and was preparing the ship to transport them back to the temple.

Knight Val-Dee, was loading supplies for the journey, when Master Yoda's ship landed next to theirs.

"Master Yoda?" Val-Dee bowed as the small master stepped down his ramp coming up to him. "This is unexpected, is something wrong Master?"

"Wondered I did about your young charges, see them I will!" Yoda exclaimed.

"Certainly Master Yoda, there are two girls and one boy; they're in the forward compartment with Master Chas-Anna."

Yoda left Val-Dee to continue to load the craft, and ambled along to the compartment. He felt the force tingle around him and it was urging him to absorb the sensation and send out calming waves. The force was anxious to show him something that was a special gift to him.

Opening the door he noticed the three young children sitting in cots playing with blocks. Master Chas-Anna looked up, amazed to see the old Jedi.

"Master Yoda, we weren't expecting you, this is a surprise, I didn't know you were coming, is everything alright?"

Yoda nodded back. "Revelation it is for me to be here, know I was coming before today I did not."

Chas-Anna looked at him a bit confused; in all her visits to secure younglings, never before had Master Yoda taken time away from the temple to inspect them. So she waited for him to explain.

Yoda studied the three children who were around two years old. The feeling of expectation didn't come from them, but there was another aura in close proximity. "Behind that door what is there?"

"Why it's the fresher Master,"

"Fresher! Leave a youngling in there you should not!" he indicated with his cane.

The crèche master's face lit up with confusion, "There's no youngling in there Master Yoda. We have three little one's Lilly, Narella, and Jason; here they are." she said pointing to the cots.

"My senses do not fail me as they appear to be failing you. A Force sensitive youngling is behind that door."

Chas-Anna quickly opened the door and on the floor wrapped in a blanket was a new born baby.

"My," she gasped and bent down picking up the small bundle, "You're right, a baby….who would have left a baby in here?"

She brought the tiny bundle out and laid it on the bed removing the shaggy blanket.

"It's a boy, but we have no knowledge of a new born to be picked up and I'm not sensing a very strong presence in the force, Master Yoda."

"A bright light he is, feel it clearly I can."

Chas-Anna wrapped the shivering baby back up in the blanket. "I'll take him to the administrator of this settlement, he must belong to someone."

"Belong with us he does, has no family here does this one; a Jedi he will be."

"But Master Yoda, we can't take him without letting the authorities know, we already have the ones that we were sent to retrieve?"

Yoda sighed and sat down on the floor. "Give the youngling to me and send Knight Val-Dee to check on this little ones status."

An hour later, the administrator followed Val-Dee up the ramp. "Master Yoda, this is Taplan Gerard the administrator of this township and he assures us that there are no newborn babies in the entire village and no-one has had a baby in the last year."

"Master Jedi," Mr Gerard bowed. "Our records are up to date and we have no idea how this baby came to be on your ship. We don't wish to sound callous, but we don't have the facilities to look after this child. He doesn't belong here on Stewjon."

Yoda nodded his head. "Right you are, belong here he does not; of this I know to be true too. Give us permission do you to take this youngling as one of our own?"

"Yes, yes, I have filled out the paperwork, not that I know anything about him. I am relinquishing any rights of this child to you. Your knight Val-Dee insisted that you will sign as his legal guardian."

Yoda signed the papers and watched as Gerard left the ship. "Take care of this young one I will." Yoda said waiting for Chas-Anna to wrap him in a warmer blanket.

"Master Yoda with all due respect; are you certain that we should take this little one with us?" she queried.

"More certain about this than anything I have ever done. A bright light for the future this one does possess.

Wondering why the Crèche Master could not feel the baby in the force he asked her. "What feel you, from this child?"

She closed her eyes opening herself to the eddy of the force. "I- I seem to be feeling something rather elusive… a force presence….Muted… just out of reach…although his presence is light. Yes, delving deeply I do sense him." she admitted. "Strange that I could not sense him before, he is force sensitive, probably a low to average midi-chlorian count."

Yoda mused to himself that this was indeed extraordinary. That he could sense this child like a blinding light many miles away from this planet and yet some one in the same room could not.

In the meantime Knight Val had finished preparing their ship for take-off and he entered the room. "Well what are we going to do with this little stowaway?"

Knight Val put his hand on the baby's head. The infant had woken up and was looking at him. "Hello little one, you certainly caused a stir."

Yoda stepped closer and rested his hand on the baby's chest. He closed his eyes and pulled the force around him. He'd never in all his life felt so much force energy contained in one so small. The force warmed within him and he opened his eyes to see a pair of pale blue/ grey eyes regarding him. He felt the soft pressure of a little hand; the baby's hand was resting on his.

"Take him to the Temple I will…..Special he is." Yoda announced.

"Master Yoda, we can deliver him to the Temple for you, it would be no trouble for us."

Yoda sensed that the force wanted him to bond with the boy. "Trouble comes in many forms, take him in my ship I will."

It took a few minutes for Knight Val-Dee to rig up a secure padding in the co-pilot seat in Yoda's ship and all the while Yoda held the tiny baby. It wasn't long before he was in hyper-space heading back to Coruscant.

ooo

Yoda caused quite a stir carrying the small bundle through the temple, everyone knew that the old master had a soft spot for all younglings, but this was the first time anyone had ever seen him carrying one. Entering the crèche he handed the baby to the Crèche Master on duty.

"Take good care of this little one you will, know nothing of his parentage I do but, the force in its infinite wisdom placed him under my care, legal guardian I am." He handed the paperwork from Administrator Gerard to the crèche master. "A name I have given him it will be Obi-Wan Kenobi of the Jedi Temple."

"Very well Master Yoda, I will see to him now and begin running the usual tests on him." She said putting little Obi-Wan in a crib. Yoda watched as little fingers went in his mouth. "Feed him you should hungry he is."

Yoda felt obligated to find Qui-Gon, to explain his absence at his apprentices knighting, however before he could take his eyes off young Obi-Wan, Qui-Gon walked into the crèche.

"I sensed your presence here Master, it's not the place I would expect to find you. I know you like younglings but this one is a little bit young even for you." He smiled.

"May I ask Master, what was so important to keep you from my Padawan's Knighting ceremony?" Qui-Gon asked trying not to sound disappointed.

"Always in motion the future is and listen to the Force in that regard I did. Unavoidable it was to miss Knight Natasha's ceremony, a great knight she will be."

Qui-Gon bowed. "Yes, she has earned her place." He knew he couldn't disagree with his former Master when it came to the Force. Yoda was deeply in tune to the flow of the force and he never missed anything that was important. "What have we here, is he the reason you left Coruscant?" Qui-Gon declared.

He rested his hand on the babies head, feeling the soft fair hair. The tiny one let out a gurgle, and smiled at Qui-Gon. "My, he is so tiny; he can't be more than a couple of days old. Isn't it unusual for one this young to be accepted and taken from his parents?"

"Yes, unusual circumstances bring this one to us."

"What's his midi-chlorian count?"

"Not tested yet." Yoda answered staring at his former apprentice. "Sense his aura do you Qui-Gon?"

"Yes, I do, but I sense a weakness in his body as well, is he sick?"

"Sick…. no not sick…. just hungry." Master Yoda stated.

"Hungry, why should he be hungry, didn't his parents feed him?"

"Orphan he is, but belongs to us now he does."

"Oh," remarked Qui-Gon.

"Come walk with me, sense I do that something to tell me you have."

Qui-Gon raised an eyebrow, and slipped his hands into the sleeves of his cloak. "Master I've been studying the initiates and I've decided to take another padawan; I know you won't agree, but I feel that the Force is leading me to take initiate Xanatos."

Humpff" Yoda growled. "Feel it do you! When found him on Telos you did, take into account feelings you did not, the boy was set in his ways, but convinced his Father you did that the boys talents were wasted on Telos. Reluctantly, father gave him up for training, but the future will tell if right decision that was. Arrogant that one is. Doubt I do that a Jedi he will be."

"Master if you felt that way why did the council accept him for training?"

"Accept him, because our duty it is to train those offered to us, and still of an age to justify teaching him it was. Nevertheless, had our doubts then, and after six years of training, still have them now I do.

"I sense nothing like that from him. Xani is just more advanced than his age mates and he is a quick learner. He's strong in the force and more agile and energetic than most. I believe he'll make a great Jedi, strong and powerful." Qui-Gon felt satisfaction that he was the one who found him and he wanted to train him.

"Hurumpf ….Control your emotions you should when dealing with that one, or experience much sadness because of him you will." Yoda insisted.

"Master Yoda, I cannot see anything wrong with Xanatos, he is dedicated to the force." Qui-Gon reiterated.

"Warn you I have; take care in his management you must, be alert and mindful if decide to train him you do." Yoda considered.

Qui-Gon bowed, knowing he would not change Yoda's mind.

Ooo