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Anakin blushed. "I knew that." He yanked at his braid. "I normally have a much better sense of direction." He hefted the books in his arms. "After you, then."

Rory nodded. "You've seen the spazziness. Normally I just know it's that way because I've learned to keep track of this stuff in here."

She started the lead the way out, and paused. "There's more stuff, still, if you want to look. I kind of just grabbed books at random. They might not be the best sources."

Anakin looked down at the books he was carrying. "I have something called Jedi Philosophy: An Overview, which would be good, and, um, a book on Jedi prophecy that I'm pretty sure Professor Skeeter never needs to know about." He gave Rory a wry smile. "Bet I'm in the index." He paused. "That's actually kind of strange."

Rory beamed. "If by strange you mean awesome, then yes. I still can't get over that." She bounced a little. "So? Let's look you up. Come on."

Anakin grinned, then took the book over to a nearby table and flipped to the back.

"There I am. 'Skywalker, Anakin. See also: Chosen One prophecy Holocron.'" He looked up. "You have Holocrons here?"

"No?" Rory said, slightly confused.

She looked over at the shelf, and knelt to pick up a locked wooden box.

"We have scrolls, I think?" she guessed, holding it up. "That's what we usually keep in these boxes."

Anakin looked at the box. "It looks about the right size to hold a Holocron." He let out a low whistle. "If you have one, that's amazing. They're really rare. The Council doesn't let them out of their sight much."

Rory scurried over and set it down on the desk quickly, practically leaping back so she was a little over a foot away.

"I don't want to break it," she explained, sheepishly. "How does it work?"

Anakin unlatched the box. "It should turn on automatically," he said, lifting the lid.

Immediately, a swirl of lights resolved itself into a very familiar shape, for Anakin at least.

A small, wizened green Jedi in robes very similar to Anakin's stared at Anakin and Rory.

"Greetings. Yoda am I. Grand Master of Jedi Order. Prophecy of Chosen One, you will hear."

Anakin smiled. "This is Yoda," he said to Rory. "I know him."

Rory stared.

"Hi, Yoda," she said respectfully.

"Can he hear us?" she whispered to Anakin.

"No," Anakin whispered back, "It's a recording. This is the way that the Council keeps very important records--things they want to survive changes in technology."

Yoda began to speak.

"Knights of the Order, and Senators, listen now. Origins of this prophecy, lost in time. Old as the Order of the Jedi. Chosen One to be born without father, from the Force. Bring balance to the Force will he."

Anakin leaned forward. He had heard the prophecy, but he had never seen a recording of it. And the way Yoda would present it to the Senators with enough access to know about Jedi prophecies would probably be a different spin than the version he had been taught.

Rory peered curiously.

"Aw. He's so cu - " She stopped mid-word, blushing. "Sorry. Disrespectful."

She knelt on the floor, resting her hands on the edge of the table and her chin on top of them, listening in interest.

"Dark times unfold across the galaxy. Chosen One to be born in their midst. Connection with the Force, will he have. Most strong."

Anakin hid a smile behind his hand at Rory's reaction, then turned his attention back to the virtual Yoda.

He smiled a bit as he watched Yoda whack his gimer stick on the floor. There had been entirely too many lectures where Yoda had done the exact same gesture to get the attention of the Padawans.

"Midi-chlorian count to be taken, would show strongest ever. More strong than any Jedi living. Any Jedi, dead."

Rory wondered what midi thingies were.

"Skills he has, before training. Higher than others. Stronger. Skywalker, Chosen One may be, yes. Jedi Council unsure was. Older than most brought to Temple. Problem. Accepted as padawan, by Obi-Wan Kenobi, after Qui-gon his Master's death." The image sighed.

Anakin tried to hide a wince. "Problem" was a very diplomatic way for Yoda to put what the Council had viewed him as when he had first arrived.

He shot a sidelong glance at Rory. This was all old news to him, but he was wondering how she was taking it.

"Guard him, we must. Train him, we will. Prophecy to be fulfilled, we do not know." He shook his head. "We do not know. Skywalker has strength to be Chosen One. Re-shape the galaxy. Destroy the Sith, perhaps. Balance the Force, and how: difficult is to say. Unclear the future is. Hope we can. Only hope."

The image faded out.

Anakin took a deep breath. "That's it," he said, turning to Rory. "That's me." And a very diplomatic version, at that.

Rory looked up at him.

"What's a midi thingy?"

"Midichlorians? It's, um, the parts of my cells that makes me attuned to the Force." Anakin waved his hand. "It's how Jedi test for Force-sensitivity. I've got a lot of them."

"So I heard," Rory said, blinking. She stood. "Wow."

Anakin watched her eyes. "Did this totally scare you?" He pointed to where Yoda used to be. "Seeing the prophecy?"

Rory's brow creased. "Of course not. Why would it?"

"I don't know," Anakin said, running a hand through his hair. "It's one thing for me to tell you about the prophecy. But Yoda saying it, I don't know, might've made it more real. Besides, re-shaping the galaxy? Kind of a big thing."

"Well, yeah," Rory said. "But I'm not scared. I'm...."

She searched for the right word. "I'm...awed."

Anakin pushed the ever-present fear that came with thinking about how he could possibly live up to the prophecy firmly to the back of his head at her response.

He carefully closed the lid on the Holocron. "I'm still me, though. Just with a life plan that's a little more unique than most of the students here."

He looked down at the box. "Do you need to put that back? I'd hate to have it damaged."

"Yeah, winning the Pulitzer by the time I'm thirty isn't quite the same," Rory said softly. "And I know you're still you. I didn't hear anything I didn't already know. Except about the midi whatevers and you cleared that up. So, um, I'm impressed. But I always have been, so...yes."

Rory also looked at the box. "I'm pretty sure you can't check it out, so yeah, we need to put it back." She didn't make a move to do so, though. She would probably drop it.

Anakin was watching her expression. "Want me to move it?"

He gave her a small smile. "And thank you," he said softly. "A lot of people don't take this sort of thing very well."

Re: Sixth period - Special Collections - NFB

Re: Sixth period - Special Collections - NFB

Re: Sixth period - Special Collections - NFB

Re: Sixth period - Special Collections - NFB

Re: Sixth period - Special Collections - NFB

Re: Sixth period - Special Collections - NFB

Re: Sixth period - Special Collections - NFB

Re: Sixth period - Special Collections - NFB

Re: Sixth period - Special Collections - NFB

Re: Sixth period - Special Collections - NFB

Re: Sixth period - Special Collections - NFB

Re: Sixth period - Special Collections - NFB

Re: Sixth period - Special Collections - NFB

Re: Sixth period - Special Collections - NFB

Re: Sixth period - Special Collections - NFB

Re: Sixth period - Special Collections - NFB

Re: Sixth period - Special Collections - NFB

Re: Sixth period - Special Collections - NFB

Re: Sixth period - Special Collections - NFB

Re: Sixth period - Special Collections - NFB

Re: Sixth period - Special Collections - NFB

Re: Sixth period - Special Collections - NFB

Re: Sixth period - Special Collections - NFB

Re: Sixth period - Special Collections - NFB

Re: Sixth period - Special Collections - NFB