'Drawn out of hiding, her attackers will be,' Yoda whispered.
'Events are moving too fast for distractions such as this,' Ki-Adi-Mundi added.
Mace Windu took a quick look about at the others sitting on the Council, then turned once more to Qui-Gon. 'Go with the Queen to Naboo and discover the identity of this dark warrior who attacked you, be it Sith or otherwise. That is the clue we need to unravel this mystery.'
Yoda's nod was slow and brooked no argument. 'Decided later, young Skywalker's fate will be.'
Qui-Gon took a deep breath, filled with frustration and disappointment at the unexpected turn of events. Anakin would not be trained, even though he had offered to take the boy as his Padawan. Worse, he had offended Obi-Wan, not intentionally perhaps, but deeply nevertheless. The rift was not permanent, but it would take time for the younger man's pride to heal-time they could not afford.
He bowed his acquiescence to the Council. 'I brought Anakin here; he must stay in my charge. He has nowhere else to go.'
Mace Windu nodded. 'He is your ward, Qui-Gon. We do not dispute that.'
'But train him not!' Yoda admonished sharply. 'Take him with you, but train him not!'
The words stung, the force behind them unmistakable. Qui-Gon flinched inwardly, but said nothing.
'Protect the Queen,' Mace Windu added. 'But do not intercede ifit comes to war until we have the Senate's approval.'
There was a long silence as the members of the Council regarded Qui-Gon Jinn gravely. He stood there, trying to think of something more to say, some other argument to offer. Outside, the last of the twilight faded into darkness, and the lights of the city began to blink on like watchful eyes.
'May the Force be with you,' Yoda said finally, signaling to the Jedi Master that the audience was over.
The Jedi and the boy, having been made aware of Amidala's imminent departure for Naboo, went directly to the landing platform where the Queen's transport was anchored to await her arrival. The shuttle ride over was marked by a strained silence between the Jedi and a discomfort in the boy he could not dispel. He looked down at his feet most of the time, wishing he could think of a way to stop Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan from being angry at each other.
When they disembarked from the shuttle at the landing platform, R2-D2 was already bustling about. The little droid beeped at Anakin cheerfully, then wandered over to the edge of the rampway to look down at the traffic. In doing so, he leaned out too far and tumbled over. Anakin gasped, but a second later the astromech droid reappeared, boosted back onto the rampway by his onboard jets. On hearing R2-D2's ensuing flurry of chirps and whistles, the boy smiled in spite of himself.
At the head of the loading ramp, Qui-Gon Jinn and Obi-Wan Kenobi were engaged in a heated discussion. Wind whipped down the canyons of the city's towering buildings, hiding their words from the boy. Carefully, he edged closer so that he could listen in.
'It is not disrespect, Master!' Obi-Wan was saying vehemently. 'It is the truth!'
'From your point of view, perhaps.' Qui-Gon's face was hard and tight with anger.
The younger Jedi's voice dropped a notch. 'The boy is dangerous. They all sense it. Why can't you?'
'His fate is uncertain, but he is not dangerous,' Qui-Gon corrected sharply. 'The Council will decide Anakin's future. That should be enough for you.' He turned away dismissively.
'Now get on board!'
Obi-Wan wheeled away and stalked up the ramp into the ship. R2-D2 followed, still whistling happily. Qui- Gon turned to Anakin, and the boy walked up to him.
'Master Qui-Gon,' he said uncomfortably, riddled with doubt and guilt over what was happening, 'I don't want to be a problem. '
Qui-Gon placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder. 'You won't be, Annie.' He glanced toward the ship, then knelt before the boy. 'I'm not allowed to train you, so I want you to watch me instead and be mindful of what you see. Always remember, your focus determines your reality.' He paused, eyes locked on Anakin. 'Stay close to me, and you will be safe.'
The boy nodded his understanding. 'Can I ask you something?' The Jedi Master nodded. 'What are midi- chlorians?'
Wind whipped at Qui-Gon's long hair, blowing strands of it across his strong face. 'Midi-chlorians are microscopic life-forms that reside within the cells of all living things and communicate with the Force.'
'They live inside of me?' the boy asked.
'In your cells.' Qui-Gon paused. 'We are symbionts with the midi-chlorians. '
'Symbi-what?'
'Symbionts. Life-forms living together for mutual advantage. Without the midi-chlorians, life could not exist, and we would have no knowledge of the Force. Ourmidi-chlorians continually speak to us, Annie, telling us the will of the Force.'
'They do?'
Qui-Gon cocked one eyebrow. 'When you learn to quiet your mind, you will hear them speaking to you.'
Anakin thought about it a moment, then frowned. 'I don't understand.'
Qui-Gon smiled, and his eyes were warm and secretive. 'With time and training, Annie, you will.'
A pair of shuttles eased up to the loading dock, and Queen Amidala, her handmaidens, Captain Panaka, and an escort of officers and guards disembarked. Last off the second shuttle was Jar Jar Binks. Amidala was wearing a purple velvet travel cloak that draped her body in soft folds and a gold-rimmed cowl that framed her smooth
