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Coruscant was a planet in the Corusca Sector in a region of the Core Worlds, a ring away from the Deep Core of the Galaxy. It had been a frighteningly long distance from the Outer Rim for Anakin and me to have travelled. Its urban landscape was called the Galactic City; the Senate District was once home to the Galactic Republic, which held many Senate buildings. It was a sight to behold at first. I was in awe when I stepped off that ship into a new world.

Anakin and I followed behind Obi-Wan, Qui-Gon, and others. An older white-haired man greeted us in elegantly dressed blue robes, Supreme-Chancellor Valorum, and another older man Senator Palpatine stood beside him, a representative of Naboo. Myself, Anakin, the Jedi and Jar-Jar bowed to them in respect.

Straightening back up, we moved aside to let Queen Amidala pass along with her handmaidens, to which Senator Palpatine greeted her with a smile, "It's a great gift to see you alive, Your Majesty. With the communications breakdown, we've been very concerned. I'm anxious to hear your reports on the situation."

My brother had now shifted towards Qui-Gon, who had rested reassuring hands on his shoulders. I am currently standing behind Obi-Wan to the left of him. Palpatine introduced Valorum to us before nodding to the Queen.

"Welcome, Your Highness. It's an honour to meet you in person finally," Valorum voiced in a rather dull tone.

The Queen was again in another of her elaborate outfits, which was always expected from a Queen of Naboo, as she inclined her head at him, "Thank you, Supreme-Chancellor."

They began walking, so the rest of us followed as they talked about business and politics, something that didn't interest me then and never would. I just never trusted politicians, friends or foes. One that in the future would betray us.

"I must relate to you how distressed everyone is about your current position. I've called for a special session of the Senate to hear your position," I heard Valorum inform.

"I'm grateful for your concern, Chancellor."

"There is a question of procedure, but I'm confident we can overcome it," Palpatine now assures kindly to her as I see Valorum take a step back to be in with Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon now as they stop as we go ahead with the others. Anakin and I pulled out of line from them, and Qui-Gon ushered us both forwards.

"I must speak to the Jedi Council immediately. This situation has become much more complicated."

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Much to my annoyance, whilst Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon had gone to report to the Jedi Council, Anakin wanted to pay one last visit to Padmé, knowing we might not see the handmaiden again. I could sense the excitement in my brother's footsteps in going to see her as we walked the halls of the Senatorial apartment building, talking about her with such praise it warmed my heart. Finally, we reached Queen Amidala's apartments, her guard letting us inside. The rooms were beautiful and comfortably furnished in tones of warm reds and browns. Of course, Anakin and I had been given somewhere else to stay on Coruscant, but I can recall that they weren't pleasant or as luxurious as these. We both stood like sore thumbs, still wearing our same dirty, ragged clothes, probably leaving a trail from our shoes on the nice carpet in our wake.

A handmaiden now approached told us, "Sorry, but I'm afraid Padmé isn't here right now."

"Who is it?" spoke the Queen from another room before appearing before us wearing another of her glorious outfits, something that was always expected to dress in such clothing on Naboo. The dress was a rich red covered in gold filigree, draping sleeves and trailing skirts. Her hair had been split into two arches by a headdress that hung glinting pieces of gold. Her face was painted its usual white, and her top lip had been painted red, but the bottom was a line. Anyone knew she looked beautiful, including me, but it had made me feel somewhat out of place. But momentarily, I thought something was different about her: she almost looked familiar. But I thought nothing more of it at the time until it would confirm it for me later.

"I've sent Padmé on an errand," Queen Amidala told us monotonously.

"We're heading to the Jedi temple to start our training...I hope," my brother notifies before he continues, "I may never see her again, so I came to say goodbye."

"We will tell her for you. We are sure her heart goes with you," as the Queen talked, her face remained unreadable, but I saw a gleam of something unspoken in her eyes.

"Thank you, Your Highness," Anakin offered kindly before he left the room. I now stepped toward her, bowing before her and straightened back up, meeting her gaze.

"Your Highness, it would mean an awful lot if you could thank Padme for looking out for my brother. She has been very kind to him since we left home. It's been hard on him. So uh yeah, if you could also tell her I hope to see her again one day," I remarked, hands clasped behind my back.

"I shall," Queen Amidala promised with a nod, the gold pieces on her headdress swaying, and noticed the twitch on her lips as if she wanted to smile at what I had confessed, but she didn't. So I bowed again, thanking her again before leaving the private rooms.

Anakin and I made our way to a room given to us after being informed that the Jedi Council had agreed to test us only just a couple of minutes ago. My stomach was doing somersaults at the time, yet it put a slight damper on things that we had both been too old to be trained and had no guarantee we would. I grasped my younger brother's shoulder firmly, cause for us to stop before a large window.

"Ani, I think we should talk before going to the temple," I uttered as he gazed up at me.

"Why? Is there something wrong?" He asked, frowning at me, the cityscape glittering from the early sunlight behind us. Then, with a deep sigh, I turned Anakin to face me and crouched before him. Rubbing his arms, I try and summon the courage on what to say. But instead, I offered him a pensive smile taking his smaller hands in my larger ones.

"You see, the thing is, I found out that some Jedi are trained from birth. This means me and you, Ani, might be considered too old to become Padawans. But one of us deserves to be trained. It should be you, not me," my brother's mouth hung open, eyes wide as saucers once I finished speaking. To now tighten his hands around mine.

"W-what? Ambs no! I thought it was your dream to be trained! Our dream!" my brother objected as I tucked some hair behind his ear, half smiling, but I didn't meet his eyes for a moment before taking them away from the floor and back to him.

"Well, it had been when I was a kid."

"But it still can be your dream, Ambrose! Please don't lie to yourself when you say it. Because you are older than me doesn't mean you still can't live your dream. A dream never ages! They stay and grow with you! So don't throw it away, Ambs!" his voice shook as he pleaded with me, his blue eyes glossy, almost threatening tears.

"Little brother, I may not have a choice. You are the better option out of us if you're younger. They will train you because you'll have more time to learn everything."

"But there ain't no me without you! If they don't take you, I won't go!" he voiced defiantly. I cupped his face in my hands. The sunlight dancing over it reminded me of how young he'd been. Suddenly it dawned on me I'd never see him become a man. A sad smile now upon my lips, but I tried to look brave.

"No, I won't allow you to throw away your future because of me, Anakin. If someone should live our dream, it should be lived through us both, right, kid? So I'm going to do whatever it takes to ensure you get what you deserve," I told him lovingly. His lip began to tremble, and he nodded before I quickly brought him tightly into my arms.

"Love you, Ambs," he mumbled into my chest.

"Love you too, Ani," I returned, brushing my hand through his hair. Then, moving away, I brightly grinned at him and stood back up, holding my hand out to him, which he took, "Now come on, let us go and get cleaned up. I'll let you use the refresher first."

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I nervously tried to straighten out my clothing as I waited for Anakin to come out from his test with the Jedi Council. I had since moved my hair out of my face into that of a bun once I had gotten out of the refresher, but Anakin and I didn't have the time to change into clean clothes, but the ones on our backs didn't smell fresh, but at least we smelt clean. It just made me feel so out of place. At least they could have given us some clean clothes to be more presentable.

There was the feeling of eyes on me peering. I find Obi-Wan gazing back at me from the other side of the corridor. Clearing my throat, I got up from the bench I'd been sitting on, folding my arms as I still felt somewhat worried, waiting to be called into the Council chamber. Another moment passed, and I began apprehensive, feeling my heart beating wildly against my ribs.

The Council room doors slide open, and Qui-Gon steps out and approaches. He nodded to me, Anakin and Obi-Wan indicating to the room behind him, "The Council is now ready to start your testing. But they have requested you to go separately, so the other isn't easily influenced."

I take a brave step forwards, "I'll go first," I grin cheekily over my shoulder at Anakin, "Seeing as I'm older after all."

"May the Force be with you, Ambrose Skywalker," Qui-Gon uttered silently as I passed him into the Council room.

The Jedi Council room was beautiful. Its walls were lined with glass that allowed the pink tinge of the setting sun to bathe Coruscant's urban vista. There was a floor made of marble, and around its edge were seats that each sat a Jedi Master as I walked into its centre. I felt their eyes judging me from every step I took once I reached the centre to turn slightly to my right to that of Mace Windu, Master of the Order. I had been told who was on the Council beforehand by Qui-Gon. Taking a deep breath, I compose myself to keep my emotions in check.

"So you are Ambrose Skywalker," Windu spoke to me.

"Yes, sir," I returned calmly, even though my heart was beating rapidly in my ears, fighting the urge to grasp my sleeves or trousers. I needed to remain calm and try to keep my hope and dread from showing deep inside my stomach.

"I am Mace Windu, Master of the Order. If you have no questions, we will begin your testing." He had an expectant look, seeing if I wanted to ask anything. I shook my head. He takes out a silver paddle holding it at eye level, turning it to show me it had a screen on the other side. He flipped it back again, "On this screen will be a series of images. I want you to tell me what that image is. Understood?" I nod again, "Let's begin."

When it comes to being tested to become a Jedi, it meant you were Force Sensitive. It had explained so much to me back then why tools I couldn't reach suddenly ended up in my hand. How could I predict something before it happened to stop it? Sensing the emotions of others with ease. It had all come up to this as I stood in the Jedi Temple on the planet of Coruscant. I put all my focus on the viewing screen before me.

After a long drawn-out moment, an image comes to the forefront of my mind; it was fuzzy but made perfect sense to me, "An old Corellian freighter that's no longer in use," the image disappeared, replaced with another, "A comlink," it changes again to something I recognised, "A bantha," a final image came. Still, it was hard to say, "Two people...duelling with lightsabers."

Master Windu lowered the silver panel and nodded, unaware I had answered correctly. I now offer a small appreciative smile, "How do you feel?"

I tried to be brave, but how could you be brave when you had twelve Jedi Masters who were far by the best of their age starting at you? Lying wasn't something I could do.

"I feel worried, sir," I admit with a shrug. A sudden dread went through me, my stomach turning in discomfort. A tiny green figure of a creature beside Windu by Master Yoda points at my shaking hand.

"Fear you feel, Skywalker?" he asked. I had thought of lying, wanting to say no, say I was brave. But, instead, I'd felt like it for the past two days. I had left everything I'd ever known of my old life behind and escaped the clutches of a Sith Lord. But right now, all that bravery had unexpectedly gone just like that. I'm sick to my stomach that I've come all this way to say I wouldn't become a Jedi.

"Yeah, I do."

Yoda nods and hums at my response, a hand grasping what appeared to be his walking stick, his eyes gliding over me with a calculating gaze, "Trying to control your emotions, you are. Failed you have," I close my eyes and take a deep breath, trying to calm my nerves and reopen my eyes, peering back into Yoda's critical gaze.

"Your thoughts have drifted to that of your brother," female Togruta comments, briefly drawing my gaze to the left to look over my shoulder at her.

"Fearful of his future you are. But pretend to not care about your own you do not...only deceiving yourself you are young Skywalker," Yoda spoke with a frown as I turned to look back at him. I felt hurt by his words as I stared at the ground. This was something I had yet to acknowledge.

Despite what I told Anakin, I did fear what the future held for me. But I'd think of something if I never became a Jedi. Yet I wouldn't allow my brother to work some low-paid job for the rest of his life. He deserved better.

"I'm only lying to myself so that if the outcome is unfavourable, I won't let my anger or sadness control me. I've got no room for it in my life. I fear what the future holds for me, but I am old enough to find my way...Anakin does not," I voiced my thoughts aloud, my emotions bare for them to see, "I've handled a lot of rejection in my life, but I know Anakin won't be able to take it."

"You're scared he won't become a Jedi," Windu spoke with determination knowing right now I could be read like a book by all the Jedi Masters in this very room, "You fear what pain it will bring him if he is rejected for training and will struggle to come with accepting it all dependent on the Councils decision, you won't."

My hands tightly grasp my sleeves, knuckles going white, nerves now getting the best of me, and I nod, "I know that mine and Anakin's age is an issue that would for you to train us. Someone might have pointed out that I'm practically ancient," a small nervous laugh now escapes me, "Yet Anakin has a chance he's still a kid, an older one at that who has a lot to give. So if it's not much to inquire over...I beg you to please train my brother," I finish appealing my case for Anakin.

The Council is silent, none offering me a response; reasonably, I didn't expect them to. Only Yoda and Windu shared a look of quiet conversation, and Windu now looked back at me and nodded.

"Thank you, Ambrose. We have plenty to discuss if you could please send in your brother on your way out," Master Windu conveyed, gesturing towards the door. With that, I bow to him and the rest of the Jedi Council.

"Thank you," I declared gratuitously before taking my leave, holding my form with a calm composure enough though I could hear my heart beating away rapidly in my ears.

Back on the other side of the door, I ushered Anakin in with some reassurance as I now waited out on a balcony, not far, for some much-needed fresh air to calm my nerves. Standing right up near the railing, I start to feel chilly again, my body still not that used to the climate; winding my arms around myself, watching as the traffic goes by against a pink-tinged sky now started to ease me. I had never thought how daunting it could be for a group of people to stare right through you like glass, to have your thoughts and feelings clarified by that of a stranger who merely knew nothing yet everything about me. Anakin would be faced with a similar sort of nerve-racking reception. My hand goes to undo my bun, pulling the hair tie out and placing it back into the pocket of my bag, my hair now free to brush the tops of my shoulders again.

Despite Coruscant being cooler in temperature than Tatooine's, clothes like mine were meant to keep you cool on hot days with two suns burning down on you, but such clothing on Coruscant didn't keep you warm. Yet every time, I still couldn't help but be drawn in by the view outside. Never had I seen so many buildings or speeders on a planet before. Its lights shone and dazzled and went on for miles it was. I had found myself lost in that fly-by in their speeders with ease.

"A spectacular view, don't you think?" the voice of Obi-Wan now inquired, coming to stand beside me. I can see him smirking out of the corner of my eye, something I've noticed he's done only in my company, but I found it unthinkable that I wouldn't like it on his face. I want to discuss our last conversation about him sneaking up on people. But I decided to keep things civil and nod, returning my eyes to the view.

"Well, I've never seen anything like this before," I voiced gently in wonder, "There's gotta be tons of planets just like this," my eyes swept across the horizon now finishing off as they now met that of Obi-Wan's blue-grey eyes gently gazing back at me with a slight twinkle his smile soft and more pleasing. I could tell he was genuinely happy and not taunting me this time.

"If you like this, you haven't seen anything yet. There are planets such as Naboo that are far more beautiful. Planets with fields of grass, stunning forests...some entirely covered by water, so I've heard. There's a planet called Hoth. It's known for its eternal winters and looks like a sphere of blue, almost hanging there like a star. Also, I've of a planet called Tatooine that makes the heat intolerable by its two suns," Obi jokes, making me chuckle under my breath.

"The galaxy is truly a marvellous place," he informs me as I close my eyes to picture a forest for a moment, only to now feel myself shake from the chilly air outside, "Are you still cold?"

"I'm fine, really," I tried brushing off with a wave, knowing that wasn't true, but I knew I would have to get used to it eventually. Yet Obi-Wan can always see right through me. He always has since day one.

"No, you're not," he took off his brown robe in a sort of polite gesture, "Here, take it."

"No, I just can't."

"Please, I insist you take it. Besides, I'm not from a planet of sand and two suns, remember," Obi-Wan implies to me with an ever-growing smirk, "Not to worry anyway, I've been used to the climate of Coruscant my entire life," he holds the robe by its shoulders, holding it open in an invitation into the warm brown cloth. I don't even bother to think about it being unable to withstand the cold any longer, my back facing him, arms outstretched backwards, slipping my arms into the wide draped sleeves.

The warmth instantly embraced me. I let out a small laugh at how huge the sleeves and the rest of the robe fit me just about right. But the residual heat I felt coming off the robe was that of Obi-Wan, which didn't bother me. I now turn back to the balcony and give Obi a smile.

"Uh, thanks," I voiced with appreciation and smiled.

"Not a problem," that awkward silence had grown between us like it had the other time on the ship when we had nothing else to talk of. A sharp wind makes me pull the robe tightly around my body. Yet out the corner of my eye, I see Obi resting against the railing head, moving in my direction, his gaze watching me as I picked away a loose thread on the impeccable brown robe's sleeve and now drew in a sharp breath. With a solemn smile, I twisted my head to meet Obi's gaze.

"Something deep down in my gut is telling me that I won't get trained," I spoke with a conclusion as Obi-Wan frowned, head tilting slightly. My eyes wandered to his face as he did to mine. My eyes narrowed into a squint, and a lip quirked downward. His eyes quickly return to mine, and I can't help but smirk a little. Obi now reached out a splayed hand to the temple's interior and let it fall beside his hip.

"The Council has yet to decide on your outcome of the test," Obi points out, but I shrug, watching the sky change from a dusky purple to a rich midnight blue. Never in my young life had I seen just a single sunset before, nothing that compared to the binary sunsets on Tatooine. One sun would disappear towards the horizon, almost red. The other sun was absent, but the sunset here on Coruscant was gentler as it cast the planet into darkness two hours earlier than I was used to.

"I don't know; I just can feel it, ya' know," I brush some hair away from my face tucking some of it behind my ear. Then, moving forward, I rested my right arm flat on the railing and the elbow of my left hand resting against my cheek, "I mean, what even made Qui-Gon insist Anakin and I get tested in the first place? There's gotta be a reason behind it. I imagine...it's not unheard of that someone like myself and my brother from that of the Outer Rim gets snatched from their home planet and taken here on a whim just like us."

I sensed the subject made Obi-Wan uneasy as he moved in discomfort from beside me. As I turned to face him, looking as though he were wrestling with his thoughts, Obi's expression soon became concerned as he glanced sideways at me. It had been the most I'd seen him this worried. My eyebrows knitted together stomach rolled in anxiety. Obi-Wan looked down over the balcony for a long moment before he wet his lips and parted them as he began to tell me.

"There's been a prophecy of sorts...a Jedi Legend. It's been told two beings known as the Chosen Ones; in the belief, they will bring balance to the Force. Qui-Gon believes it...to be yourself and Anakin...that you're the Chosen Ones. It was the Force's will for us to have found you on Tatooine. He is very determined to have you both trained."

Once he had finished explaining, I gawked back at him with disbelief, snorted and let out a small nervous laugh, "The Chosen Ones?" I had dreamed of being a Jedi for years, but this 'the Chosen Ones' nonsense at the time had been hard to accept as I continued to laugh about it, "I may be Force Sensitive. But me and Anakin being the Chosen Ones, seriously?" I shook my head and rolled my eyes, "Why, what would it take to convince someone like myself, a former slave from Tatooine, that I am one of these almighty Chosen Ones?"

"Well, for one thing, both yours and your brother's midi-chlorian counts are off the charts, even higher than that of Master Yoda."

I'm about to ask him what midi-chlorins are when Qui-Gon appears on the balcony, making Obi-Wan straighten up to face him. I'm next to follow suit, tightening my arms around my middle and keeping the robe secure.

"Yes, Master?" Obi raised his sceptical eyebrows at Qui-Gon, who I noticed was smiling. His eyes are now slowly wandering between myself and Obi-Wan.

"The Council have finished discussing the outcome of the tests and now wishes to speak with all of us," he discloses, arms folded across his chest.

Now pulling off Obi-Wan's rob, I passed it back to him with a thankful smile feeling rather appreciative of his kindness again, and he nodded in response, putting it back on. I never saw the quizzical yet silent exchange between Master and Padawan as the sky outside got darker, and I wrapped my arms around myself, feeling the chill more as we approached the temple. It made me wish I was still in the warming comfort of Obi-Wan's robe. However, there's a slyness in Qui-Gon's smile that gives his eyes a twinkle. His hand, resting on my back, guided me inside to where Anakin waited outside the Council room door.

He instantly took my hand, squeezing it tight. I smiled at him as we entered the room, brushing my free hand through his unruly blonde strands. The Jedi Council watched us with a critical as we entered, all their eyes on myself and Anakin, not on the two Jedi standing either side of us as we now stopped in the centre, awaiting our fate as all four of us bowed to the Council and straightened up again as one Ki-Adi-Mundi began to speak.

"The Force is strong in them," he declared.

"They are to be trained then?" Qui-Gon asked, sounding somewhat hopeful. I see Mace give him a critical gaze as we all await his verdict. Anakin tightened his hold on my hand, and I returned it.

"No, they will not be trained."

A shot of disappointment went through me. I had prepared myself for this unfavourable outcome but not enough. Yes, it had stung; the rejection had felt unpleasant to think I could have something you've desperately clung to for so long to have snatched away from you. I had felt that same disappointment coming from Anakin. He hadn't looked sad. But the furrowed brows and pursed lips told me he was a little angry.

"No?" Qui-Gon asked in surprise. I could feel him staring at Master Windu, yet I sensed a pang of worry not from him but Obi-Wan, my eyes now travelling to where he stood a short distance from behind me. He quickly glimpsed between Mace and Qui-Gon with uncertainty.

"They are too old," Master Windu now clearly implied what I already knew was true.

"They are the Chosen Ones; you must see it."

"Mmm..." Master Yoda hummed, his eyes shut, hands resting atop his walking stick, watching as he slowly opened his eyes to stare at Qui-Gon, who I noticed was also staring back at him, "Clouded, these children's futures are."

I hear Qui-Gon shuffling his feet from behind me, quickly sharing a glance with myself, Anakin, Obi-Wan and the Jedi Council. Then, he walked forward, head aloft, and stopped to say defiantly, "I'll train the boys."

My mouth instantly fell open at that moment for him having suggested this. I could see Obi-Wan furrow his brows in confusion and treason in his eyes. His gaze drifted to me, cutting through me like a knife. It hurt to look at him. I'm about to say something, but I feel Qui-Gon's gentle, reassuring hand on my shoulder and Anakin's now standing behind us.

"I'll take the boys on as my Padawan learners."

"An apprentice you have, Qui-Gon. Impossible to take on two more," Master Yoda puts to him harshly, gauging the rest of the Jedi Council with narrowed eyes.

"The Code forbids it."

"Obi-Wan is ready," Qui-Gon inclines to the other Jedi Masters, just as Obi takes a confident step forward and nods, stopping beside me, hands clasped in front of him.

"I am ready to face the trials," Obi-Wan cuts in with determination.

"He is...headstrong and has much to learn about the living Force, but he is capable. There's a little more he can learn from me," Qui-Gon tries to persuade. I see he's trying to keep his expression calm before I see him exchange looks with Obi-Wan.

"The Skywalker's fate will be decided later," Yoda specifies.

My fate had already been specified deep down; something told me this would happen; I just prayed that Anakin wouldn't face the same future.

"Now is not the time for this. The Senate is voting for a new Supreme-Chancellor, and Queen Amidala is returning home, which will put pressure on the Federation and could widen the confrontation."

"And draw out the Queen's attacker," added Jedi Master Ki-Adi-Mundi.

"Go with the Queen to Naboo and discover the identity of this dark warrior. This is the clue we need to unravel the mystery of the Sith."

Master Yoda nodded to the four of us as we stood centre in the room, "May the Force be with you."