#master and apprentice

we’ve all heard “If you strike me down, I shall become more powerful than you can possibly imagine” and “The truth is often what we make of it”, but I bet you are unfamiliar with these gems.

I had a thought, that what if because the Jedi keep their younglins so close and secure in the Temple, that when they first get released into the world as padawans... they are the creepiest lil fuckers you will ever meet.

Cause Imagine growing up in the Jedi Temple, there probably weren't many bounderies between people. You have highly empathetic telepathic babies and children all congregated in a smallish space. The Creche Masters must be constantly stepping and helping with a child's shielding. hell telepathic communication of emotions is probably a first languange to Jedi children. Able to communicate and understand just through the emotions the other lets out into the Force.

Then you have on the more physical side of things, especially if you fall into the group that hc the Jedi younglings would sleep in little creche piles. But even outside of that, touch is a very grounding thing. And being grounded in the moment is very important when dealing with children that may experience visions, or overstimulation with all the extra sensery input the force may feed em. Big, secure, tight hugs that encompased the child like a massive pressure stim was probably a regulare occurance.

And then you take these children, who probably have not been outside the temple hardly ever, who are used to a society of contact and connection, and you toss em into universe with 1 (one) perental figure to teach them the ways of normal society.

(And depending on the Master the Padawan would get, would greatly impact their views on what "normal societal interactions" look like)

But before the Master can start to socialize the kid, just imagine how off putting they would be. They are just constantly staring, watching. and they always just know things. "I'm sorry about your father" "how did you know he died?" "You feel sad". These kids are sneaking up on everyone, they just appear suddenly. they'll just turn to you and deadpan tell you that you will die in the next month. and they are all so freaking adorable but that doesn't take away the fact that everytime you make eyecontact you have to abort a flinch and the raw power in the too knowing eyes.

Maul training Devon is gonna be 10% actual lessons and 90% aurafarming and I simply can't wait

I recently read this book and I'm so obsessed. Here are some specific, niche things I learned about Qui-Gons character, for those who write him or simply love him. I love the details. Spoiler warnings for the book!!

Qui has two hobbies, ancient languages and ancient prophecies (pg, 50). He was showed the archives by Rael, but Dooku helped foster this knowledge and interest in him, despite initially being wary of the dangers of propechies.

Qui constantly, and I mean constantly throughout the book, felt like he was failing Obi-Wan and that he wasn't doing enough for him. He rarely viewed Obi-Wans fault as his own, but rather a result of his failure to teach him. There's so many quotes of this but these kill me "As always during those moments, Qui-Gon felt a pang of guilt. Obi-Wan had such potential, such promise. He deserved a Master who could bring it out of him" (pg 21). "How do I fix this? Can I? Obi-Wan deserves no less" (pg 22). "How can I presume to do well on the council when I am failing as a Master?" (pg 69). "i've been feeling as though I were - not poison to Ibi-Wan, but completely incapable of helping him" (pg 159). "I have failed Obi-Wan" (167). AND THIS IS THE WORST ONE OH MY GOD. Obi-Wan tells Qui-Gon to save himself, essentially trying to sacrifice himself. Which Qui-Gon thinks to himself, " This is the boy who believed I found him unworthy as an apprentice. The one I failed to tell about the most significant change in my life, and maybe his. I don't deserve him. I never have" (pg 2312). Good FORCE my friends that quote made me cry.

He was frightened of losing Obi-Wan, having seen Masters lose their padawans before. "After four years of training Obi-Wan, Qui-Gon could understand that losing a padawan would be one of the most intensely painful things a Master could endure" (83.) He sort of blamed Rael for his padawan Nim's death, saying "Bad enough to be recklesss with your own life, but criminal to be reckless with anothers. Worst of all to be reckless with your padawans" (pg 88). This shows Qui-Gon had a strong sense of responsibility for life other than his own, particularly Obi-Wans life.

Most Jedi Masters rooms are bare, but Qui likes to collect a little trinket or item from each of his missions and put them on display in his room. His quarters were described as "individual in a way few things in the temple are" (pg 52). Which I think perfectly describes Qui as a character. I think part of this, is his own lil way of rebelling against councils notion of attachment. He says later in the novel, when asked why he holds onto physical things, that he likes to remember and that in the end memories are the only thing left (pg 299). However in the end, he gives a diamond given to him by a lost friend (maybe lover??) to Rahara, thinking that "he didn't need the diamond to preserve that within his heart. In the end, the memories were what mattered" (pg 422).

He was in love. When he caught Rael in bed with a woman, he waited until the woman left than basically scolded Rael, asking if he had forgotten himself. Rael began to say, as if you have never, then Qui said "There is a difference, between falling in love and simply giving oneself liscence to do as one pleases" (pg 156). Rael replies that thats actually worse, and brings up that what Qui did on Felucia was way more against the code. Then "Qui-Gon tensed. Those words cut deep- or at least the memories did" (pg 156). Rael notices the pain and doesn't bring up names, switching the subject. This implies he was in love on Felucia, and somehow this love ended or person may have passed.

Qui was practically an empath lol. "That was another thing Obi-Wan had always respected about Qui-Gon: his compassion. Obi-Wan wasn't uncaring, at least he hoped not, but sometimes it took him longer to see when someone was hurting, or what they might truly need. Qui-Gon seemed to instinctively know these things" (pg 111).

He admits his fault easily and this is something Obi-Wan admires. "Qui-Gon had always been quick to admit his own faults and errors, a kind of humility rarer among the jedi than it should have been" (pg 87).

His favourite place to meditate is the Jedi temple gardens. Oh this man loves his plants. "Qui-Gon, however, felt steadiest when anchored to life (as opposed to other masters who meditate in the meditation chambers or training rooms). So he'd gone to the Temple gardens" (pg 61). I love this because is shows how connected he is to the LIVING force

When he's frustrated with the council he thinks he should have been one of the jedi temple gardeners instead lol. "I ought to have been one of the temple gardeners" (pg 62).

He loves questions that are challenging, and he doesn't pretend to know all the answers. "There were few things Qui-Gon loved more than a good question. Sometimes Obi-Wan thought that if he just never stopped asking questions, his whole apprenticeship would've gone much more smoothly" (pg 52).

Putting his hands on his belt is a sort of defensive body language for him. "Qui-gon put his hands on his broad belt, the way he did when he was beginning to withdraw into himself" (pg 75).

He meditates while fighting. This is hinted at in this quote but discussed more in detail later as Obi-Wan finally succeeds at it, something Qui is very proud of. "His robe and hair spun with every move he made, and when Obi-Wan glimpsed his face, he saw only serenity. Complete calm" (pg 320).

He's an idealist, who sees the good in everyone. Rael says to him "You always had a weakness for seeing what you wanted to see, Qui-Gon. Always were a soft touch for a sad story" (pg 267). This is meant as in insult in the context, but there's likely truth to it.

Slavery especially troubled Qui-Gon and this is likely why he believed in Anakin so much. He'd encountered slavery before, but the mission on Pijal made him more passionate about this. He questioned why the Jedi didn't do more for the vulnerable, especially those enslaved. He argued with the council about the cruelty of the slavery on Pijal, saying " If we don't stand for the right , what do we do? Why do we exist?". "(on pijal) he first began arguing that the Jedi should push the Republic harder on combating slavery. Never had Qui-Gon stopped arguing this to anyone who would listen" (431).

The only time Qui-Gon ever slightly raised his voice in the whole book is when Obi-Wan accused or suggested that his strong belief in the prophecy might lead him to the dark side. "'I'm not turning to the dark side" Qui Gon snapped. "Not every disagreement with Jedi orthodoxy turns you into a Sith lord overnight" (pg 301).

The propechies weren't dangerous to him because he didn't seek to change fate, he just wanted to understand the force. When denying his offer to sit on the council, Qui-Gon states he wants further time to meditate and focus on the living force and prophecies. "That in the end was why the propechies weren't dangerous to him, not ion the same way they'd been to others who'd been led to darkness. The danger came in thinking that knowing the future became a form of control over it. Finally, Qui Gon knew it was the exact opposite. \knowing the future meant surrendering to fate. Surrendering to the ebb and flow of life. Only throw that surrender could the Force be truly known" (pg 426).

Indirect facts about him

Obi-Wan was protective of Qui-Gon despite often disagreeing with him. He was offended that Yoda voted against Qui being on the council. "Yoda voted against my master? Obi-Wan felt the rejection as sharply as though he had been the one found wanting, not Qui-Gon. The divide between them had somehow made Obi-Wan treasure his Master more, not less" (pg 307). This also hurt Qui-Gon when he learned it, as he described it as a kick in the gut (pg 85).

Dooku used to invite Qui-Gon to formal dinners in his private quarters and wear his best robes. ;') "It had always been nice when he was invited to eat dinner with his Master. Dooku had made a formal occassion out of it.... As usual the table was set with good glasses and dishes, and Dooku wore one of his better robes" (pg 379).

Rael Aveross trusted him more than anyone, referring to him as the "sharpest jedi (he's) ever worked with" (pg 78).