This takes place before "The New Beginning" and it is the story of how Anya met Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon.

Disclaimers: I only own Anya and Tasha. The song used at the end of the story belongs to Gloria Estefan. Jinxa, who makes a brief appearance, belongs to Slaybelle, a fellow fanfic writer and Star Wars belongs to the true master of the Jedi - George Lucas.

The girl stepped off of the transport and was greeted by the sights and sounds of Coruscant. It all overwhelmed her, as she was coming from a small village on Alderaan. All she could figure out right off was that, at 14, this was no place for her to be alone in. She began to walk, all the while searching for a friendly face among the droids and all the races that were native to the galaxy. Finally she saw them. Two Jedi - a master and a padawan. The girl walked faster, pushing through the crowd, her eyes never leaving the two Jedi.

"Excuse me," she said, tapping the master on the shoulder. He turned and she stared into his dark face. "My name is Anya and I'm wondering if you could help me." The padawan had turned and cast a wary eye on this new arrival.

"Anya? My name is Mace Windu. You must be the girl we were expecting from Alderaan," the Jedi Master said. The padawan stared, continuing to cast a wary eye on whoever it was that was monopolizing her master's attention. She relaxed when Mace put a hand on her shoulder. "Anya, this is Jinxa, my padawan learner - my apprentice. Jinxa, this is Anya from Alderaan. She's a candidate for the Jedi Order. Come," he said. "We must go to the Temple immediately." He guided them both toward a waiting shuttle, directing the driver to the Jedi Temple.

On the way, Anya gazed about her in a mix of wonder and apprehension. Her future was uncertain, she knew. What would happen to her, what if no one wanted her as an apprentice? Anya wanted so much to be a padawan; she actually saw it in her future. It was her destiny to be a Jedi, to belong to someone, somewhere. She just hoped the Council saw it as she did.

When they arrived, Anya was shown to her quarters on the east side. It was there that Mace and Jinxa left her. She placed the single bag she possessed in the corner of the room where she slept. She had been given a single in lieu of a double, which is what was given to masters and apprentices who stayed at the temple. Her quarters comprised of a sleeping area, a living area and a refresher, and were spartan, which was typical, since the Jedi weren't very materialistic. Anya sighed. It would do. She didn't need that much room anyway.

Anya left her quarters and took a right. She didn't know where she was going, but something told her she'd find out soon enough. As she walked, a master and an apprentice came within her line of sight. There was something about them, the tall master with the long blond hair and the shorter padawan with the dark hair and the braid slung over his right shoulder. One of them must have sensed her, because they both stopped walking and turned around. She saw the padawan's blue eyes go wide and she backed away. Only when they came toward her did she stay still.

"I'm Qui-Gon Jinn and this is my apprentice, Obi-Wan Kenobi," the Jedi Master said.

"Anya," she said, swallowing. "I just got here. I go before the Council in a couple of days. What if no one wants me, Master Jedi?"

"I sense a lot of potential in you. I don't see why anyone wouldn't take you as an apprentice," Qui-Gon told her. "If we don't see you before then, let us know how everything turns out." He patted her shoulder and walked away with Obi-Wan. She watched them go and noticed how Obi-Wan looked back at her over his shoulder.

***

It was the night before Anya was to go before the Council and she hadn't seen or heard from Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan since their first encounter. She wondered if they'd been sent on a mission.

There was a knock on the door and Anya opened it to find Obi-Wan there. "Hi,' she said. "Come in."

"How are you?"

"I'm fine. I just don't know what's going to happen to me," Anya said. "I go before the Council tomorrow, but what are they going to do?"

"They call it the trials. You go before the Council and they test your abilities," Obi-Wan explained. "There's this one master, his name is Yoda. You might want to be careful of him. He has a gift for prognostication. He'll tell you your future whether you want to hear it or not."

Anya laughed. "What else?"

"You'll find out when you get there." Obi-Wan cocked his head. "Master's calling me. I've got to go." He turned to leave, then turned back. "You want me to take you there? I can't go in with you, but I can wait outside for you."

"That would be nice, thank you."

"Good-bye," Obi-Wan said. "I'll come here for you tomorrow at 900 hours." He left and went to his own quarters.

When he entered, Qui-Gon rose to his feet. "How's Anya?"

"You know me too well, Master," Obi-Wan said, the faintest hint of a smile playing across his lips. "She's fine, although nervous about tomorrow. I'm going to accompany her to the Council chamber and wait for her in the corridor...if that's alright with you, of course."

Qui-Gon nodded. "I'll probably meet you there, Padawan."

"Yes, Master," Obi-Wan said. "Thank you." He went to his room and turned before closing the door. "Good night, Master." He left the door slightly ajar.

"Good night, Obi-Wan," Qui-Gon said, before going to his own room.

In his darkened room, Obi-Wan drifted away, as soon as his head hit the pillow, with only one thought in his mind. Anya...

***

Anya couldn't sleep. Her mind was full of thoughts, dreadful ones, as she tossed and turned.

`Failed you have. Trained you cannot be,' one of them, a green alien, intoned. `Send you back we must.'

"No!" Anya cried out, as she twisted again. "I want to stay. Why can't I stay?"

`Too old you are,' the vision continued. `With you the training can never begin.'

Anya sat up suddenly. She was in her own room, there was no one with her. "Yoda," she whispered. "That was the Yoda that Obi-Wan talked about!" I can't let this happen. This stops now, before it has really begun and there's only one way, Anya thought. I must leave this place.

She swung her legs over the side of the bed and got up. She changed, collected her bag and left her quarters. Going down the corridor, she entered the turbolift, directing it towards the nearest exit.

Anya gradually slowed as she went along and fatigue was coming to claim her. She ducked into a nearby alcove to rest.

And it was in this alcove that Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon found her the next morning.

"Master, over here!" Obi-Wan said. "Anya, wake up!"

"Obi-Wan, I can't do this. We both know that," Anya whispered.

"So certain are you? You haven't even gone before the Council yet! You don't know what they'll say," Obi-Wan said.

"I dreamed it. I had visions," Anya said. "I'm too old. It's too late."

"No, it isn't," Qui-Gon said. "If the Council tells you no, I'll train you. I'll defy the Council if I must. It is the will of the Force for you to become a Jedi."

"Yes," Obi-Wan said. "Listen to us, Anya. Give it a chance."

Anya chewed at her bottom lip and closed her eyes briefly. "OK. I'll do it."

Obi-Wan could've jumped up and screamed with joy. But Qui was standing beside him, so he didn't. Instead, he just took her hand. "That's so great, Anya."

"Yeah," Qui-Gon said. He placed a hand on each of their shoulders. "We need to get to the Council chamber. I imagine they're probably waiting for you."

***

She stood in the center of the mosaic and listened as the doors closed behind her. Anya stood taller as she faced Yoda in reality for the first time.

"I sense much fear in you," Yoda said, thoughtfully.

"I'm nervous," Anya admitted.

"No need to be nervous," Mace Windu told her, "unless you have something to hide." Anya shook her head. "Good," Mace said. "You have much potential. I sense it in you. I feel you would serve the Order well. It would be a tragedy if you weren't trained.

"I'm ready for this, Master Windu. I promise you that," Anya said.

"Let's begin, then," Mace sat with a screen in front of him. The screen wasn't visible to Anya. He pressed a button and the images came to Anya as if she could really see them. She named all of the objects until the end had been reached. She had known what they all were, without even looking.

"You are an initiate. You don't have a master yet," Mace said. Anya nodded. "What will happen, if you are to be trained is that a Jedi Master will come to you and you will be apprenticed to that master. They will then forge a training bond with you and your training will begin."

"If succeed you do, a hard life it will be," Yoda added.

"I understand," Anya said.

"May The Force Be With You," Yoda said.

"May The Force Be With You," Anya turned and walked out the door. Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan rose to meet her.

"I trust it went alright," Qui-Gon said. Anya nodded. "You will succeed and make a great Jedi."

"Is that a mind trick?" Anya asked. Obi-Wan stifled a grin. "If it was, it didn't work."

"I never thought of that. I should have used one to make this easier for you," Qui-Gon said.

"It won't be easy, no matter what happens or what you do," Obi-Wan said.

"You are wise, my apprentice."

"Whatever you say, Master." They turned and went to Anya's quarters to wait for the Council's decision.

***

Two hours later, a knock sounded on Anya's door. It opened to reveal a woman in Jedi robes. She was a human Jedi Master. "Anya? I am Jedi Master Tasha Jade. I hear you're to become my apprentice."

Anya looked at Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon. Obi-Wan squeezed her hand. "Congratulations, Anya. You'll succeed. I know you will," he said. He let go of her hand and she went to her new master. Yes, she would become a Jedi. It was her dream and nothing would keep her from achieving it.

Some dreams live on in time forever
Those dreams, you want with all your heart
And I'll do whatever it takes
Follow through with the promise I made
Put it all on the line
What I hoped for at last will be mine

If I could reach, higher
Just for one moment touch the sky
For that one moment in my life
I'm gonna be stronger
Know that I've tried my very best
I'd put my spirit to the test
If I could reach
-Gloria Estefan - "Reach"