ACROSS THE STARS
Chapter Five

Rosé and Jack stood as Maira approached them, Jack bowing slightly and acknowledging her presence.

"Master."

"Padawan." Maira bowed slightly as well, then looked at Rosé. "Mistress Rosé, I would like to speak to you—in private—if you are finished with your conversation with Padawan Dawson."

Rosé clutched her skirt nervously. "We have finished speaking for now. Later, though…he said he might teach me to meditate if you approved," she blurted out, the words coming out in a rush.

Maira raised an eyebrow at her Padawan, who looked sheepish. "I’m sorry, Master. I thought it might help her."

"You can show her how to meditate…but only if I’m there. You’re not ready to be teaching yet, and she’s not a Jedi."

Jack sighed. "Yes, Master."

Maira nodded, knowing he would keep his word. She turned her attention back to Rosé. "Mistress Rosé, there is something I would like to speak to you about, if you have the time."

Rosé sank back into her seat. "Of course. I have nothing scheduled for today." She indicated the seat beside her. "You can sit there if you want."

Maira nodded, then turned to her Padawan for a moment. "Jack, please go inside and keep watch. Mistress DeWitt-Bukater is in the gathering area. See that she’s safe. I’ll call you if I need you," she added, gesturing in the direction of the main entrance from the balcony.

"Yes, Master." Jack bowed, then turned towards the door.

When he had gone inside, Maira turned to Rosé. "If I am not mistaken, my impetuous young Padawan has already given you an idea of what I want to talk to you about."

Rosé blushed, bowing her head and pretending great interest in the embroidery on her gown. "He—he said that you thought I was Force-sensitive."

"Yes."

Rosé looked up, her hands clenching and unclenching around her skirt. "What does that mean, exactly?" she asked. "Jack…uh…Padawan Dawson said that you think I’m Force-sensitive, and demonstrated how the Force can be used to move something without touching it…but I’m not a Jedi. I don’t know much about the Force." She let go of her skirt, trying to smooth out the wrinkles.

Maira raised an eyebrow at the girl, noticing the use of her Padawan’s first name. "The Force can be used to move objects—or beings—without touching them. The fact that you pushed the three assassins through the window is what leads me to believe you are Force-sensitive."

"But how?" Rosé got to her feet and began pacing back and forth across the balcony. "I don’t…I mean, doesn’t a person have to be trained to do that?"

"To do it consciously, yes—or a person has to at least be aware of the ability. It’s not unknown for Force-sensitive individuals to figure out how to use their abilities on their own. But many Force-sensitives have used their talents unconsciously—especially in times of danger."

"And you think that’s what I did?"

"I’m almost sure of it."

"Almost?"

"There’s a test that needs to be performed for Force-sensitivity."

"A test? Do you need me to do something?" Rosé wasn’t certain she liked the sound of this.

Maira shook her head. "Actually, I need a small blood sample." She pulled a kit from inside a pocket of her robe. "Are you afraid of needles?"

"Not really, but I’ve never liked being poked by them, either. With all the amazing things we can do with technology, why is it that no one has invented a way to draw blood without opening the skin?"

Maira shrugged. "I don’t know, but it’s probably just as well. If there were such a technique, someone would undoubtedly be using it for a weapon."

Rosé thought of her father, of the bleeding wounds left after all three assassins had shot him with blasters. He’d never had a chance.

"You’re probably right," she acknowledged, looking at the small kit.

Maira opened it, extracting a clean needle and an alcohol swab to disinfect the skin. Rosé winced when the needle penetrated her skin, but it was over in seconds. Maira put the sample into her comlink, quickly tapping in the code for the lab at the Jedi Temple.

Rosé watched with interest as the holographic form of an unbelievably tiny Jedi appeared. "Knight Jennings," the tiny creature greeted her. "How can I help you?"

"I need you to analyze the midichlorian count in this blood sample," she replied, fitting the sample more firmly into the comlink.

"I’ll have it for you in a few minutes," the creature promised, turning to a small microscope.

"Thank you." Maira looked over at Rosé, putting a hand over the needle mark and directing a small wave of Force energy into the wound.

Rosé stared in amazement as the needle mark disappeared, leaving only a tiny smear of blood behind. "How did you do that?"

Maira smiled. "I wasn’t trained as a healer, but most of us do learn to use the Force for healing somewhat—it saves lives."

She returned her attention to the holographic image as the creature turned from the microscope and back to her. "Knight Jennings, I have the midichlorian count."

"Thank you. What is it?"

"Eleven thousand."

Maira bowed, smiling. "Thank you, Healer Criv. Knight Jennings out."

"What does eleven thousand mean?" Rosé asked as soon as the holographic image disappeared.

"It means you’re Force-sensitive. Your midichlorian count isn’t unusually high—quite a few Jedi, including myself and Padawan Dawson, have a midichlorian count in that range. Were you tested as an infant?"

Rosé shook her head. "No. My father said that he hadn’t wanted to adopt me only to have to give me up, so he didn’t permit me to be tested."

Maira nodded, a small smile crossing her face. "Mistress Rosé…"

"Please, just call me Rosé. I asked the same of Jack…ah…Padawan Dawson."

"You can call him Jack, since he’s given you permission to do so." She hesitated a moment, considering. "You may call me Maira, if you wish."

"Maira." Rosé nodded respectfully.

"Rosé, even though your midichlorian count is as high as many Jedi’s, you cannot be trained as a Jedi."

"Because I’m too old? Jack said that most Jedi are brought to the Temple before they are a year old."

Maira nodded. "Exactly. You cannot be trained, but your Force-sensitivity may prove advantageous in other arenas—politics, for example. I would caution you, though, not to be too open about being strong in the Force—these are dangerous times, and there are beings who hate anyone strong in the Force, Jedi or not."

"Will I be allowed to learn to meditate?"

Maira nodded. "Meditation is practiced in many cultures—it’s hardly unique to the Jedi. And you may be able to tap into the Force that way—Jack and I won’t train you, but you may figure out how on your own."

"Jack said that it might help me get past…what I did two days ago…killing those assassins…"

"It might. Killing someone is something that many a young Jedi has to meditate on—in fact, almost all of those training to be Jedi have to learn about that before they become knights, though less so for those whose path lies with healing or teaching."

She got to her feet, gesturing to Rosé to join her. "I need to speak with Jack now, but later—perhaps after the midday meal—we can teach you the basics of meditation."

Rosé nodded, bowing slightly. "Thank you."

*****

Jack was standing in front of the transparisteel window, looking out at the city, when Maira approached him.

"Jack."

He turned to her. "Yes, Master?"

"I need to talk to you about Rosé."

Jack looked at her curiously, noticing that she had dropped the formal title. "What about her?"

"First of all, yes, she has given me permission to call her by her first name, as she has you. Second, she is Force-sensitive. Her midichlorian count is eleven thousand."

"The same as yours."

"Yes, and only slightly lower than yours."

"Will someone train her as a Jedi?"

"No, Jack. That’s what I wanted to talk to you about. I’ve noticed your interest in her, and I don’t want you training her in any of the Jedi arts. She’s too old to be trained as a Jedi, and such knowledge can be dangerous in the wrong hands."

"Anakin was brought to the Temple at age nine…"

"But he was still a child then, and many objected to his being trained."

"Some Jedi still object."

"I doubt anyone would agree to Rosé being trained. She’s seventeen, almost an adult by Republic law. You may teach her the basics of meditation, and if you want to show her your art, that’s fine, too. If she wants you to train her in forms of combat outside those used by the Jedi, you may also do that. These are dangerous times, and she needs to know how to defend herself, as does her mother if she is willing to learn. But don’t try to train her to be a Jedi."

Jack turned back to the window. "I won’t, Master."

"Jack, look at me when you say that."

Jack turned back to look at her, but didn’t quite meet her eyes. "I won’t teach her, Master."

Maira sighed, looking at him severely. "You’d best keep your word, Padawan. You won’t like the consequences if you don’t."

"I know, Master."

Chapter Six
Stories