Damn! I was too slow! Oh well, have another take on this ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
“… meet Anakin Skywalker”
There were many things Qui-Gon Jinn might have expected from introducing his Padawan to the child he found on Tatooine. The sudden explosion in the Force was not one of them. Nor was the way the normally composed Obi-Wan seemed be hugging little Ani as if his life depended on it.
The way they seemed to look at one another before nodding and sprinting down to jump out of closing gangway into the desert below was something he simply could not process.
But as much as he wants the pilot to turn back, as much as he aches to search for the boys, they have a mission and even Padmé’s pleas cannot convince the “queen” to return. Qui-Gon resigns himself to coming back as soon as he can to find out what the Sith Hell happened here!
Except when he gets to Coruscant and back from explaining to the council that he appears to have lost his Padawan again, there’s a message waiting for him on one of the hidden lines he and Obi-Wan have used in the past. All it says is “We’re fine. Trust in me. Trust in the Force. Stay with Amidala.” He gives a sigh of relief and reluctantly does as suggested even if he wants nothing more than to throttle Obi-Wan for scaring him like this.
The strange warrior never reappears. An unknown pilot takes out the droid control ship before disappearing again, leaving behind only a hastily etched symbol that makes Amidala gasp and clutch something in her robes.
Anakin and Obi-Wan do not reappear.
But when he goes back to Tatooine there is no sign of them and Shmi is gone.
Time passes, and Qui-Gon gets in the habit of checking the secret inbox every day in the hope of finding another message. He never does.
Until one day he’s on a mission, and things are looking hopeless - he’s pinned down and whoever is behind this has planned things well, neatly cutting off some of his more unorthodox options. But then there’s the hum of another lightsaber, and the whine of a ship’s engines and soon Qui-Gon finds himself on his way off planet, staring at two bright grinning faces as the compound erupts in explosions behind him.
“Apologies Master.” Says the confident young man who looks like his Padawan but feels like an experienced Knight. “We had to be sure what a certain adversary of ours was going to do this time.”
“I told you he was lying.” pipes up not-quite-so Little Ani, his voice wavering with the start of puberty, but full of amusement. “You owe me five credits.”
“Later Anakin.” Obi-Wan waves off Anakin’s statement with gentle humour before turning back to Qui-Gon with a twinkle in his eye and oh Force, the very air itself seems to vibrate with potential. “Now Master, how would you like to join us and save the galaxy, end the Sith and stick it to the council?”
And Qui-Gon laughs, loud and large.
“I can’t think of anything I want more.”