Chapter Text
Dai was trapped. (Of course, Dai wasn't actually his name, but none of the Jedi masters let him name himself and they never called him by his name, so Dai it was.) The crib walls were high. Higher than his little body could climb. He planted his hands against the glass, leaving small hand prints behind. It was frustrating being trapped. He had woken from his (admittedly pleasant) nap, but naptime wasn’t over yet.
He wanted to do something. Sighing obnoxiously loud, Dai sat back down on the mattress and folded his legs in a proxy meditation stance. He closed his eyes, letting the force flow over him.
For someone who initially grew up without the force, it was easy to feel the difference. To feel the force. But using it was a separate matter. He could feel the luminous presence of the other children around him. Most were peaceful, asleep. But one radiated with… boredom. Poor Nia was awake as well and desperate to play something.
Dai prodded the Rodian girl in his head. She looked up across the room at him and he waved. Then he turned around to grab the small ball he had stashed in his crib before naptime. He concentrated, mulling over the ball for a few seconds. Then it levitated into the air. Careful not to lose concentration, Dai sent it over to Nia.
Nia held her hands out to take the ball then, across the room, Dai held his hands out to receive it back.
Nia held it out, then dropped it.
“You disappoint me, Nia. I had higher expectations of you.” Dai said in English. Then he returned his attention to the ball. Keeping his eyes on it, he lifted it into the air and as he began drawing it towards himself, he felt resistance. Letting the ball go, he looked around the room and spotted his Crechemaster.
“It’s not play time, Dai.” Crechemastere Trend spoke, holding back the ball effortlessly in her own grasp of the force, bringing it into her outstretched hand.
Dai looked at her with the most disappointed face he could muster. “Not playing… ‘m practicing.” Dai spoke in basic, struggling with the words. “With Nia.”
Dai pointed across the room to her, then his attention split as he heard some of the other children stirring.
“We was quiet.” Dai told Trend pointedly. “You woke them.”
Trend moved to comfort a child that had woken, shushing them and bidding them back to sleep. Then they returned their attention to Dai.
Dai, of course, knew Trend was just doing her job. It was entirely likely that Dai had accidentally projected into the force and woke the child, or some other force nonsense. He was still learning to hold back his thoughts that he could prior hide with a customer service mask.
He still wouldn’t admit it, not when he would get in trouble for the crime of skipping naptime. He wouldn’t show them proper maturity until they stopped treating him like a child.
Trend elegantly approached Dai, wearing a perfect expression, or lack of expression, of serenity.
“Dai,” She started, then let out a small sigh. “You have wonderful control of the force, and all the master’s are watching you very carefully. But they don’t like how *********** you’re being. You aren’t connecting with the other children.”
Dai curled his lips at the unknown word. Then begrudgingly spoke it back to her.
She smiled gently. “It means alone.”
Alone? What word was it? Independent? Solitary? It made learning basic almost easy, when it had the same grammar as English, and even one to one comparisons.
“They don’t like that I’m alone? But I’ve never been so… connected.” Dai could feel the force. Everywhere, between everything. A constant reassuring presence.
“You are very connected to the force, Dai. But not to your friends. You act better than them, but they should be with you. Not under you.”
I treat them like children. I’ll treat them like equals when they can hold a conversation. “Okay.” Dai grumbled. “I’ll be nicer to them, but in exchange- no more naps.”
“If you can prove you won’t be grumpy later.” Trend compromised. “And Nia still needs her own nap, so you can’t be exciting her while she’s supposed to be asleep.” Trend moved to rub Nia’s head and lay her back down.
…
Dai was not grumpy. He was not irritable. Not at all. And if he happened to take an extra few minutes meditating, so as to not strangle someone, then that was just a coincidence.
“Initiates, initiates!” Trend called amidst the ruckus the children were making. Dai peeked an eye open from his meditation and let the uncontrolled excitement, radiating off of the kids, fade away. It had been perhaps a month since his naps stopped, though Dai had trouble telling time still, but Dai found himself growing less tired after his meditations. The invigorating presence of the force was a welcome addition to his mornings to give himself the energy to make it to bedtime.
“Settle down children, we have a field trip today.” Trend continued and the initiates gathered around in excitement. Dai listened with half an ear as Trend spoke. Most of the field trips they had been on had been exploring parts of the temple which was neat, but far from important to Dai. “We are going to the archives for a special lesson, given to us by our resident librarian. After which we will have a chance to explore.”
Dai practically shot to his feet. The archives! Dai pumped his fist. Finally a place with all the information he could possibly need.
Trend looked over at him, her eyes glazing at his sudden excitement. “Now line up initiates.”
Dai took his place in line, trying to contain his excitement as he formulated a plan. He didn’t want too much attention on him. He wanted to explore without needing to explain himself. But what if he read a word he didn’t understand? Perhaps he could find a dictionary. What information was even important to find? He needed to know where, or when, in time he was. None of his Star Wars knowledge mattered if he was still years out from anything important.
He already knew he was pre-empire. Must be pre-clone wars too, as the force felt so peaceful. Or maybe he wasn’t that in tune. Was Anakin in the temple yet? Could he stop his fall?
Stop. Focus. Trend’s probably still on guard from my early escape attempts, before I could even speak basic. I doubt it’s been long enough for her to think I’m not an absolute gremlin trying to escape. So I need to be on my best behavior.
The walk to the archives took long, mostly because Trend insisted on a pace that the smaller kids could keep up with. Dai tried not to look impatient, but how could he when all the answers were so close?
Finally, they arrived. The doors, giant to Dai’s toddler body, whooshed open to reveal pillaring shelves lined with glowing blue lights. A few cloaked figures stood throughout the room and Dai instinctually looked at each trying to find familiar faces.
Trend began giving a speech about respecting the archive, staying quiet, not licking the holobooks, and whatever else, but Dai scanned the room with a curious smile, waiting for his opportunity.
Trend glanced at him again as she spoke and must have decided he wasn’t a problem for now, because she made the ultimate mistake of turning her back to him. Dai took one last look around, confident none of the other Jedi were paying enough attention to notice one lone initiate separating from the rest, then quietly slipped down a row of shelves.
Dai put as much distance between him and the group as he could. If he got lost he could just bite the bullet and ask a Jedi for help getting back. Then he came across a few terminals that weren’t in use.
Climbing up onto the seat, he looked at the screen. Numbers, perhaps a date, were in the bottom corner. Dai frowned at them. They meant nothing to him. He recognized a few of the symbols on the keyboard and spent a few seconds deciphering them before he began pressing them.
It may be harder than he realised to find anything if he could only look up words he knew. Names were off the table. Even if he knew them in English, they didn’t use the same letters, so he might misspell them if he only sounded them out. But Dai eventually decided on a safe option to look up.
‘Jedi High Council’.
Results popped up immediately, no buffering time at all. Dai scrolled through the results and found a current list. He had to sound out the letters as he read, trying to tie them to known characters.
“Yoda… obviously he’s still around. Yaddle isn’t dead yet. Master Mundi, Mace Windu and his padawan, Billaba. How young were they each promoted? Rancisis, Koth, Poof, Gallia, Tiin… I know that name somewhere I’m sure. Piell and…”
Dai startled. “Sifo-Dyas!” He put his hand to his mouth and looked around before continuing. “But not Obi-Wan… or even Plo. That puts me… well before the clone wars. Before even Phantom Menace, since Plo isn’t a council member yet and Sifo-Dyas is still kicking.”
Dai looked around more as he realised he was spilling future knowledge like it was nothing. Except no, he still spoke to himself in English. No one would understand him. The real interesting thing was Depa Billaba. She was Windu’s padawan and he was an early master. The fact that she’s already on the council means she must also be a very young master. Phantom Menace was close. Not here yet, but so close. A year? More?
Dai had a minimum of ten years to the clone wars, thirteen to order sixty-six. Maybe more.
“I need to keep a look out for important events. Yaddle’s death- assuming we’re going by tales of the Jedi. Plo-Koon becoming a council member could indicate Phantom Menace is getting closer. But I don’t know how much time is between those. But Sifo-Dyas’s death is a big one, as I think it means Dooku is the newest Sith.”
Dai tapped his finger on the desk. “I could try to listen to gossip around the temple. But the Jedi Master’s don’t discuss much serious stuff around children.”
“Hello young one.” A voice startled Dai. “What are you doing over here, chattering like a monkey?”
Madam Nu walked in behind him. “You must be one of the initiates I was to give a lesson to. A bright one aren't you?” She looked at the terminal he was accessing. “What are you learning about? The High Council? Already planning your future, are you?” She teased.
Dai gave a polite bow. “Hello, Master.”
“And a ‘hello’ to you, initiate. What’s your name?”
“Master Trend calls me Dai.”
“Well you can call me Madam Nu. Why don’t you come with me? Our lesson is beginning shortly and I’m sure Master Trend is beginning to notice that you’re missing. After all, I hardly noticed you- what with the way the force seems to flow through you.” She chuckled. “Practically *********, almost like a blank. But not quite.”
“Madam?” Dai peered at her.
“Oh, don’t you worry about it, child. Just an old woman’s musings. Now, come along. We shouldn’t be late.” She held out her hand.
Blank? Dai thought. Master Trend had used that word when referring to some sheets of paper we used for drawing. Flimsiplast. Same difference, really. Am I a force null? No, no. Clearly not, I can use the force.
“I’m *********? What’s that word?”
Madam Nu repeated it. “It means you can’t be seen.”
Invisible then.
Dai took Madam Nu’s hand. If it made her feel more confident about him not running off, then he could humour her.
Madam Nu lead him through the archives talking about something, but Dai’s attention was lost when he spotted someone.
Dai slipped free of Nu’s light grip.
“Oh, child. Where are you going?” She calmly walked behind him as he turned a corner and stared up at the greying man. “Hello, Master Dooku. It seems you’ve gained the interest of my little friend here.”
Dooku placed back the holobook he was looking at. “It seems that I have. What can I do for you, initiate?”
Dai awkwardly shuffled for a moment before he impulsively spoke. “Teach me Makashi.”
Dooku chuckled. “You’re a bit young to begin learning any forms, young one. How do you even know what form I specialise in?”
Dai hesitated. “You’re the best duelist in the order. I heard a Master talk about it once.” He lied. Perhaps not the best lie, but who would expect a two year old of lying?
“Well I’ll take the compliment. Perhaps I’ll teach you when you’re older.”
“You promise?” Dai asked. If Dooku left the order in… 2 years, then it wouldn’t matter what he promised.
“If you insist.” Dooku smiled. “Why did you think to approach me? Surely you didn’t know who I was when you first came up to me.”
Because you’re Christopher Lee. “The force told me to.” Dai deadpanned.
“Already so in tune? Not even I hear it that clearly these days. Now run along, child. I must continue my research.” He spoke gently.
“Okay, but you have to come to the creche sometime.” Dai insisted.
“Perhaps, but I’m not known for my skill with children.” He joked.
“Perfect. Neither am I.” Dai smiled as he took back Nu’s hand and gave a childish wave goodbye.
“Hmm,” Madam Nu sounded out as they walked away. “I haven't seen Yan smile in quite some time. Perhaps you would be a good influence on him. A bit young for an apprenticeship, though.”
“He won’t be in the order long enough for that, will he?”
Nu startled slightly. “Whatever would make you say that?”
“He’s not happy here. You said he hasn’t smiled in a while… and he disagrees with the council. He’s just one bad day from leaving.” Unless he’s given a reason to stay. “Can I meet him again later? He needs someone to listen.”
“Dai?” Master Trend call in the distance. Took awhile to notice he was gone.
“That must be for you.” Madam Nu told him. “Though I’ll have to let Master Dooku know that he made an impression.”
Dai let go of Nu’s hand and ran off, turning a corner towards Master Trend. “Master! I found Madam Nu for you.” He pointed back towards the corner, where Trend couldn’t even see. “We can have our lesson now.”
Trend came closer. “Is that what you were doing?” She asked doubtfully.
“Yup.” Dai nodded vigorously. “I'm very excited to learn from her.”
Madam Nu turned the corner and looked to Trend. “Quite the smart child you have here. Thirsty for knowledge.”
Dai peered up at her. “Well, I am a Ravenclaw.” He smiled at his own inside joke.
“What?” Trend asked.
“It’s a type of bird.” Dai told her. “A really smart one.”
Trend smiled at him. “Alright, but don’t run off next time. I’m sure Madam Nu is perfectly capable of navigating the archives on her own.”