Hope you enjoy this story in the new year. Happy New Year 2025 to everyone. Reviews are greatly appreciated.

_________________________________

A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away....Once upon a time, there was a special society called the Jedi. Like you and me, Jedi come in allshapes and sizes, colors too. They even come in a variety of species. Among the most commonspecies in the Jedi Order were humans.What made the Jedi so special? Well, Jedi have a connection to this amazing energy known asthe Force, which bound everything together, big and small. Everything was connected to it, butJedi had stronger connections to it that granted them special powers, which they used to protectthe Galaxy and keep the peace.

Being a Jedi was no easy task, however. Jedi had to follow a lot of rules. One being they had toavoid making any attachments. That meant, no marriages, no family, no dating, and pretty muchvery little connection with the outside world. The Jedi lived in an enormous Temple that looked alittle like a castle. Except, it wasn't super luxurious like a fairytale palace. Jedi lived simply, andmany of them liked it that way.

Most Jedi arrived there as babies, so the Masters you see now, even the Younglings, have prettymuch no contact with their parents or any other family unless somehow biological familymembers happen to be Force sensitive themselves. But even they had to refrain from havingattachments.

_________________________________

A long time ago, there was a young woman who lived in an apartment in the lower depths of abig city. And she was sad because she had just given birth to a healthy baby boy, and shecouldn't keep him. She had very little money and barely enough food to feed herself, but most ofall because she had a secret she was sure would put her baby in danger. But then, there came aknock at her front door.

Wiping away her tears, the woman came to her door and answered it to find a hooded figure whowas of a species called Cosian.

"Greetings, Madame." said the figure. "I understand you have a child?"

"Who are you?" asked the woman.

The figure then showed he had a special metal tool only Jedi carried: a lightsaber, and thewoman invited him in, where she approached a little basket as her baby boy was crying.

"Shh. Hush, my little prince." the woman kissed her baby's head. "I'm sorry, he's usually a mucheasier sleeper."

"May I see him?"

The woman unwrapped the blanket from the baby's face. He had a little tuft of sandy blonde hairand beautiful blue eyes like his mother. The baby stuck out his little tongue and looked curiouslyat the strange man above him.

Having come on a special mission, the Jedi asked the woman if she would be willing to come tothe Jedi Temple to have her baby tested. The Jedi felt a surge of new Jedi rising, so they went tosearch the galaxy for Force-sensitive children, one of which they believed was this child.

"If he does turn out to be Force-sensitive?" asked the woman.

"Then he will be allowed to be trained, with your permission, of course. However, it would meanhe would have let go of his attachment to you."

That had the woman gasping. To be a Jedi meant she had to give up her baby? What was fairabout that? But, if he did become a Jedi, it would mean her baby would grow up in a much betterhouse. He would have a roof over his head and enough to eat.

"But... who will take care of him?"

"If he does become an Initiate, the Jedi will. Rest assured, Madame, he will be cared for."

The woman looked at her baby; it didn't look like she had much of a choice.

_________________________________

So, the baby was taken to be tested at the Jedi Temple. A blood sample was taken from the babyboy, and he was found to have a midichlorian count of nearly 18,000! That was very high, whichmeant he would grow up to be a very powerful Force individual.

The woman knew her baby would be safe with the Jedi, but she had two requests before she left.She gave them a folded piece of paper and asked that they give it to her baby on his sixteenthbirthday.

"I cannot say why, but it's imperative that he have this." she told them.And so, the same Jedi who discovered the baby promised his mother that he would ensure he gotthe gift. But, the mother had just one more little request to fulfill.She held her baby in her arms one more time and gave him a big hug.

"I love you so much, my little prince. Grow strong, my Qui-Gon Jinn."

And so, the woman gave her baby to the Jedi and left the temple.Looking at the Temple outside, the woman felt tears in her eyes as she felt her heart break. Shereally hoped she made the right decision. All she could do now was... hope.