Jedi Council Forums - The Learner - (JA, Q/O, AU) - *Part 6 updated*

Jedi Council Forums » Fan Fiction » Before the Saga »

Post Reply | Active Topic Notification | Previous Active Topic | Next Active Topic

Pages: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 - Previous | Next | Reload

Author	Topic: The Learner - (JA, Q/O, AU) - Part 6 updated - 04/12/2006
Arwen-Jade_Kenobi Registered: Feb '02	Date Posted: 7/3/06 11:38am Subject: RE: The Learner - (JA, Q/O, AU) - Part 4 updated - 01/07/2006
	Great update! So are they going to try and get Obi a Master? They'll have to go look for him, I hope they do! More soon! -----signature----- Retired Council Master of the Lightside It's all about the blues, baby "Love can ignite the stars." - ROTS novel I'm a Trekkie: Deal with it, or suffer the wrath of Khan This user is certifiably insane
	Post Reply \| Quote Reply \| Active Topic Notification \| Private Message \| Post History
ardavenport Registered: Dec '04	Date Posted: 7/9/06 7:56pm Subject: RE: The Learner - (JA, Q/O, AU) - Part 4 updated - 01/07/2006
	Destiny. He watched, marvelling, as his Force-sight singled out the boy’s signature from others around him. The Force touched on certain focus points, certain events that might turn this way, or that. This boy. This boy … was quite… different. Quiet, unassuming, but different. This boy must have a Master, he said, suddenly. Aaaaaaaa, very intriguing. The masters know something, but they don't. I'm not even sure who the chosen one will be in all this. Obi-Wan himself? I look forward to seeing where Obi-Wan will be next (Tatooine, right?) and what the the masters make of it. -----signature----- Links to all fics -- http://boards.theforce.net/Message.aspx?topic=25405090&brd=10304&start=26223917 The Heart of the Jedi -- http://boards.theforce.net/b/b1/26013327 ---- Qui-Gon, Obi-Wan, JA and everything you wanted to know about lightsabers
	Post Reply \| Quote Reply \| Active Topic Notification \| Private Message \| Post History
dimyavie Registered: May '06	Date Posted: 7/12/06 5:55pm Subject: RE: The Learner - (JA, Q/O, AU) - Part 4 updated - 01/07/2006
	Gasp I missed an update because I was out of town!!! I love it though! Wookies are awesome Please update soon!
	Post Reply \| Quote Reply \| Active Topic Notification \| Private Message \| Post History
REALbluelightsaber Registered: Dec '04	Date Posted: 7/31/06 4:00pm Subject: RE: The Learner - (JA, Q/O, AU) - Part 4 updated - 01/07/2006
	This is good so far. A Wookie Jedi? I was always under the impression Wookie's weren't Force-sensitive. I'm interested in where you are going with this. Can't wait for more! -----signature----- Lexie, Obi-Wan's Secret Lover Promises in the Light:: http://boards.theforce.net/the_saga/b10476/26937837/p1/?1 "I don't go looking for trouble. Trouble usually finds me. " Harry Potter
	Post Reply \| Quote Reply \| Active Topic Notification \| Private Message \| Post History
obi-gonjinn Registered: Jun '06	Date Posted: 7/31/06 5:10pm Subject: RE: The Learner - (JA, Q/O, AU) - Part 4 updated - 01/07/2006
	ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo the ghosties are on the march I love this story more more I tells ya moreeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee -----signature----- Time is best spent when fast asleep zzzzzzzz
	Post Reply \| Quote Reply \| Active Topic Notification \| Private Message \| Post History
dianethx Registered: Mar '02	Date Posted: 9/23/06 4:41am Subject: RE: The Learner - (JA, Q/O, AU) - Part 4 updated - 01/07/2006
	I'm going to up this story because I love it and I would love another post.... please, please. -----signature----- Betrayal - http://boards.theforce.net/s/b1/10935143 updated 6/28/08 Fragments of Illusion- http://boards.theforce.net/bts/b10475/28456473 updated 8/16/08 Freeze frame - http://boards.theforce.net/s/b10476/27820434 Master to jedidas3 Impeach Bush!
	Post Reply \| Quote Reply \| Active Topic Notification \| Private Message \| Post History
Ara-gon Registered: Dec '05	Date Posted: 9/23/06 6:15pm Subject: RE: The Learner - (JA, Q/O, AU) - Part 4 updated - 01/07/2006
	That was beautiful, Princess. I love how you wove so much subtlety into the Masters' conversation, so many layers of meaning that they both understood. I especially like Master Tyvokka and the way he saw Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan. It was beautifully expressed, with a deep understanding on their part of the characters. Tyvokka is a wonderful OC; you should use him more. If you are doing PMs for this story, would you please send me one? -----signature----- Jinngerbread's Padawan The Trouble with Qui-Gon (humor) http://boards.theforce.net/before_the_saga/b10475/26735859/p1/?7
	Post Reply \| Quote Reply \| Active Topic Notification \| Private Message \| Post History
padawan_learner86 Registered: Aug '05	Date Posted: 9/28/06 3:33am Subject: RE: The Learner - (JA, Q/O, AU) - Part 4 updated - 01/07/2006
	Wow, great update! You leave us feeling so sad for Obi. Interesting conversation between two masters, and - of course - well written. Looking forward to more. -----signature----- One who accepts only the SW movies as canon. Thus, refuses to read any of the SW books. ^^; Fics in Bio
	Post Reply \| Quote Reply \| Active Topic Notification \| Private Message \| Post History
Princess_Arulmozhi Registered: Nov '04	Date Posted: 12/2/06 8:33pm Subject: RE: The Learner - (JA, Q/O, AU) - Part 4 updated - 01/07/2006 - Date Edited: 12/3/06 1:59am (1 edits total) Edited By: Princess_Arulmozhi
	dianethx: Layers upon layers - yes. And I was trying to look through Tyvokka's eyes, at Qui-Gon. Which would have definitely shown him something out of the ordinary. As for Obi-Wan â€¦ Yoda, has his reasons. Or so he thinks. I'm not sure I can give away anything, at this moment. More coming up soon. kateydidnt: What Qui-Gon saw. Ah, that would make a nice title for the fic, wouldn't it? What Qui-Gon saw is as much a part of the mystery, I'm afraid. So you'll have to wait. Thanks for reading. ___Sithspawn___: Thank you so much. As for Tatooine having nothing to do with Skywalker â€¦ fat chance of that, as you say. More soon. Dragonlady: I always did find Yoda an intriguing personality. It's easy to make him a silly old master, always tagging after Obi-Wan or Qui-Gon. In reality, he probably didn't give them any more attention than he did anyone else. They probably, by getting into so much trouble, nagged him the most. Thanks for reading. ctt: Wow, thanks. I must admit that I wanted to bring some realistic tension between the two masters. And not everyone accepted Yoda's wisdom unquestioningly. [In fact, Yoda liked some good, old fashioned argument, the Jedi version of going back and forth. I rather think he respected Tyvokka because of this.] Thanks for reading. Valairy_Scot: Thanks. Glad you liked. Arwen-Jade_Kenobi: No, the masters aren't going to get Obi a master. That's not part of his destiny. He's on his own now, the little initiate. Thanks for the comment. ardavenport: Maybe I should unravel all the mysteries about the Chosen One now. No, I won't. Yep, Obi's in for a lot of adventures. dimyavie: Lol, keep coming back. Update coming up soon. REALbluelightsaber: Nah, wookkiees (some of them) were Force-Sensitive. The Starwars databank quotes Tyvokka as being a part of the Council pre-TPM, so they obviously were. Thanks. obi-gonjinn: Lol, sure. Thanks. dianethx: Okay, the upping is going to have its result. Ara-gon: I'm seriously considering using Tyvokka more - he's someone who's proving to have a good deal of potential. Hmmâ€¦ Thanks so much for the good words. I appreciate them. padawan_learner86: Yes, poor Obi. How he's going to manage now, is anyone's guess - especially his own. But maybe there are people looking out for him. We'll see. Thanks for reading.Update next. Note: The name "Yan" (Dooku) belongs to Jess and Marnie, I think. -----signature----- Perceptions (Xanatos/Obi/Qui/Anakin) AU:http://boards.theforce.net/the_saga/b10476/25276178/p1/?7 - vignette Stones (Li'l Obi/Qui) - http://boards.theforce.net/before_the_saga/b10475/23371821/p1/ Best Author, WFFA (BtS) 05/06 Lore-Master to 7
	Post Reply \| Quote Reply \| Active Topic Notification \| Private Message \| Post History
Princess_Arulmozhi Registered: Nov '04	Date Posted: 12/3/06 1:52am Subject: RE: The Learner - (JA, Q/O, AU) - Part 4 updated - 01/07/2006 - Date Edited: 12/3/06 4:35am (9 edits total) Edited By: Princess_Arulmozhi
	Note 2: Lorian Nod is not an OC; he's very much a part of the SW Universe. For the purposes of this story, I have changed the incidents a bit, and taken some liberties with the timeline. Part V "Why did you really want to see me?" asked Lorian Nod, to the distinguished, suave man who stood in front of a huge wall that opened out onto the pristine gardens and flora of Serenno. The room was of magnificent proportions; silver, gold and crimson glinted off the shelves, mantelpieces and holo-frames. A sophisticated control panel occupied half the wall, with a wide array of viands suitable for his host's finest taste. Lorian Nod was uncomfortable with his surroundings and with the man who stood barely a few feet away from him - but he was a hardened man and knew better than to show his unease. "You know why, Lorian," replied the suave man in dulcet tones, touched with ice. "We were friends once - I was wondering if we couldn't be friends again." "Count Dooku," drawled Lorian, relaxing with effort in his quite comfortable, if opulent chair. "Such sentiments do you credit - but you'll pardon me if I say I don't believe them." He made as if to rise, and suddenly, found, to his surprise, that he couldn't. It was as though an invisible grip of transparisteel was crushing him into the soft velvreen seat. "You really shouldn't, you know," Lorian remarked. "I was a Jedi padawan once, too." "Aeons ago - and you've lost much of your prowess, haring after senators to kidnap," drawled the Count. "While I - I have grown from strength to strength, my old friend." They surveyed each other for a few moments: Count Dooku's glance contemptuous; Lorian's filled with would-be-nonchalance. "Release me, Dooku," came Lorian's voice finally, in a hoarse whisper. "At ease," Count Dooku turned away from his contemplation of his residence's beautiful flowerbeds, the sky's reddish-blue twinge and threw the room a look of appreciation. "Really, one would think you would appreciate the luxury - considering you've never come into contact with it." Lorian went rigid for a moment, and then seemed to give up the attempt. "I'm used to an austere life, you know. I've never cared about velvreen couches and diamond chandeliers - make you soft and useless." His lips curled in scorn. "Now that's more like it," Dooku said approvingly. "You sound like the Lorian you once were." He looked back to the window. "No doubt your life as a space pirate provides you with a suitably low lifestyle - but at the moment, I must confess that it is what drew me to make your acquaintance." "How kind of you, my lord. I'm flattered out of my senses." "Now, now," Dooku waved a gracious hand. "Let us dispense with the formalities, shall we? We are old friends, after all. And I'm sure you wouldn't even have stepped in here, had you found my summons quite so distasteful." He smiled. "After all ... no one exactly forced you into my presence, did they?" This, thought Lorian Nod with a spark of fury, was what inspired such a towering well of hate in him, towards Dooku. The man was always so damned insolent. Although, he had to admit, there was much in what the - the newly reinstated Count said. Count indeed, blast him, he thought savagely, testing the strength of the Force bonds that restrained him. It would be just like the Count's superior destiny to escape from all the accusations of theft that had been flung at him, grow to be one of the most respected Jedi masters in the Order, train students, command all the respect that such a position offered, walk way with a lazy fling of his hand, renouncing it - and then become a blasted luxurious Count. "You've kept a tab on me all these years, haven't you?" smiled Dooku, sending his thoughts. "It is my turn to be flattered. One, after all, is always gratified by another's interests in his destiny too." Lorian thinned his lips and tightened his mental shields - what little he had. "You haven't exactly done justice to your destiny, have you? Lounging about in soft couches and gazing at gardens doesn't exactly correspond to a life of great promise," he sneered, green eyes glinting with amber specks. "And you walked away from the Jedi. Poor, disillusioned Jedi Master, mourning the death of his padawan. He had such promise too." Dooku brought his hands together in applause. "Almost you make me believe in your so-called intelligence and wit. I was beginning to doubt my instincts in asking you here - such a run-down version of the once-promising Jedi I haven't yet seen. I was wondering where the pirate who had imprisoned me and my padawn had gone. But you show swift signs of revival. I approve." Lorian could not really think of making any reply but a lofty bow of his head, much in the manner of Dooku himself. "Now, to business," Dooku walked back to the small, ornately carved taakwood desk, its seven legs curving on the floor. He took up a crystal glass of deep red liquid and took an appreciative sip. "One of the things I missed most when I was a Jedi. A luxury not to be thrown away, I assure you." He threw a keen glace at Lorian, and the latter knew quite well that he would be offered none of what the Count sipped. "Business, my lord?" Lorian asked, his voice on edge. "Aren't you perhaps referring to revenge?" Revenge, for what I did? "How crass, to call it that. I would much rather think it a noble service in the best interests of the galaxy." "Indeed. I appreciate your talent for nomenclature. If you would release me, first ...?" "Surely." The Count waved his hand, and Lorian felt the tightness in his wrists ease. Not too much though, he felt the Force retreat somewhere to the background - like a trained jelwe puppy obeying a Master. There was something strange about the way he wielded it ... damn his life and the paths he had chosen. Had he, Lorian, kept himself more in tune with the Force, he might even now have had some considerable strength left him. But he had let go ... He pressed his lips together and decided to play along. After all, he had accepted the invitation, intrigued by the Count's tenacious steps in tracing him - and must now put up with the consequences. Dooku was no longer the idealistic padawan he had once been - or perhaps he never had been one. He tried to think back to their days as padawans-in-arms ... and found that what he remembered from them corresponded a little - just a little, with the image he saw now. Hindsight always did prove to be clear ... and he thought he could see now, the hard, strong streaks of independent thought and stubbornness, combined with a keen intelligence that had eventually made the Count choose the path he did. Force be damned, he had befriended Dooku once, because of these very traits. Perhaps, he wondered, he had always been jealous of Dooku. Of his birth and breeding, of his wealth, to which he was always clever enough not to make obvious comments - but only subtle references. A Jedi padawan did not keep such close connections with his birth family, after all. That indefinable air of class, dignity, the faint air of mockery, that something that shimmered over him, falling from him like a sheer, soft velvreen cloak ... perhaps Dooku had never really been meant to be a Jedi. Perhaps he really did want to change the galaxy for the better, disillusioned by the path the Jedi were talking. His eyes were soft brown, lined with experience - perhaps he really did mourn that padawan of his. Oh, Lorian might have been exiled from the Jedi decades ago - but he still kept in touch with their doings. He could hardly help it. They had been his life and world and universe for all his childhood, and during a part of his apprenticeship - until they had thrown him our unceremoniously. Thrown him out! Him, Lorian Nod, one of the most promising Padawans of his time ... He came to the present to find Dooku's scornful eyes watching him. A slight smile twisted the Count's lips. "Regurgitating the past, Lorian? Looking back over memories? All those years of comradeship and training?" his voice grew soft, bewitching, sympathetic. "They did not use you well, did they? Surely what you did was no great crime - and yet they threw you out like a common criminal. They can be remarkably thick-headed, Jedi ..." Lorian felt as though he had been caught in a sweet, treacly quagmire. He did not quite know why or how he chose that euphemism - but the image swam into his mind. He puzzled over it - and Dooku's words. He raised his head and stared at Dooku, trying not to show the puzzlement he felt. It appeared that Dooku was very willing to forget past history ... and that fact was worrying. Long years in hardship had trained him in keeping a stone-like expression ... but Dooku somehow made him forget to keep it. "I would almost believe that you wish to do me a good turn, my lord - except that I don't believe it," he murmured, sitting straight. Obviously, Dooku wanted something done. That part was only to be expected, of course. Men like Dooku rarely granted audiences to lesser beings if this was not so. Particularly one such as Lorian. Dooku shook his head. Deep sorrow lined his eyes, and Lorian was astonished, for a moment. "I have lost much, Lorian," he murmured, looking down into his selveire decanter. "I believed in a great many things, once. I believed in the Jedi, in their quest for peace and security. That we would, somehow, right all the galaxy's wrongs, that the Force was a gift to us for this very purpose. But I was an idealist, Lorian - surely you knew that, you who were my friend. I sided with the Jedi and failed to protect you ... I realized my mistake too late. Too late for me - too late for my padawan." He turned away. Lorian stared hard at him. What meagre Force sense he had, he put to great use now, trying to sense the Count's true feelings, emotions, his body language - whatever he could lay a Force tendril on. They all sent the same message: an aura of grief, sorrow, a simmering urge to do something. Gone was the contempt, the fastidious man of high birth, who looked own at menials. To Lorian, the transformation was quite amazing. "Really, all these fancy speeches are quite out of place. I don't see how you could have done anything - nor how it affected your padawan. You behaved just as I knew you would. You almost killed me - and then sent me to prison." Not for nothing had he spent years among the dregs of the galaxy, hunting, capturing, wallowing in filth and dirt. Dooku's air of gentle melancholy had little effect on his senses. "Your suffering has been great indeed," he threw a look at the opulence that surrounded him. "You're a hypocrite, my lord." For the first time, something other than contempt entered Dooku's eyes. He smiled slightly. "Brave words, Lorian." He met Lorian's eyes. "Other men have died for less." "Perhaps." Lorian shrugged, and for a moment, he looked as he might have once been - a proud, skilled Jedi. "But I am not other men." "And that is why I wished to see you. Because you know that you have preserved the skills that were once taught you. I have heard of your exploits - what it is that you do - and you seem to have achieved some measure of success, despite the prison sentence. You managed to make something out of nothing. I congratulate you." Such words of praise were the proverbial drops of water in a parched desert. Praise. Praise from someone. Praise from Dooku - Dooku, whom he had liked, despised, yearned to be, hated - Dooku, who had been his ideal, at one time. Lorian's heart drank his words - precious nectar in a life empty of emotion. "I have my talents," Lorian accepted, modest. "The Jedi may have thrown me out - but that didn't mean I had to curl up in a wretched hole and die." "Exactly," Dooku nodded. "We are fighters, you and I. We're not that different, you know," he said, watching Lorian again. "We were both driven out." Lorian opened his mouth to object, and was silenced. "Hear me out, old friend," said Dooku, his voice like soft selk. "The Jedi are ignorant. Arrogant. They are no longer what they were - no more guardians, peacekeepers of the republic. Now, they're ineffectual, effeminate, dancing to the tunes of whoever controls the Senate. They have no sense of justice- mere attendants at the feet of the mighty. They do not serve the Force - they serve puppets. They are puppets. Do you wonder that I was forced to leave them? How could I stay, Lorian?" Lorian was silent. "We shared a great many things once - ideas, thoughts, dreams. We could share that again. It is never too late to repair the bonds of friendship, is it?" he stood up and put out a well-manicured hand. Lorian looked at him, puzzled. "But - I stole that Sith holocron. I told them that it was you - I lied. I kidnapped you and your padawan -" Dooku waved these trivial details away. "The past serves us only when we wish to learn from it. You have served more than your share of the penalty for those crimes, I think." His eyes travelled over Lorian's weathered, haggard face and body. Lorian's eyes were steady. "Why are you doing this, Yan? You are a Count - I'm a space pirate. What in the stars could make you want to be my friend again?" There, it was out now. No more need to hedge about. Dooku held his gaze. For a long moment, they looked at each other. Lorian felt his resolve, his will, his strength waver. "Because I have realized the error of my ways," Dooku said in a low voice. "I too was arrogant, once. I believed I was Force blessed - the galaxy's hero. The Order made me believe in a silly dream, that the Jedi Order was supreme. Oh, I was a silly, egotistical fool, Lorian. And when Qui-Gon - my padawan - took his life, I could not bear to stay." Lorian's jaw dropped. "Your padawan took his life?" This was something he hadn't heard. Suicide was never an option among Jedi - it had been dinned into them a million times. It was a direct denial of the Force - and as such, was not to be contemplated. "Blasted mines of Kessel." "They drove him to it." Dooku's voice was tinged with an aching misery. "He was a shining light in the Force, Lorian. They drove him to madness, giving him that brat of an apprentice to train. Xanatos fell to the Dark Side and took Qui-Gon with him. Had they observed - noticed what was going on, they could have prevented it. The dark Side was fermenting right under their noses - decay and destruction festering within themselves. But they didn't see it. Short-sighted, egotistic fools! And Qui-Gon paid the price for their stupidity. He repented - with his own life. And that was the end. I was distraught. I could not stay with traitors, to serve them and nod to their wise speeches and dictums. I walked out." He stared at Lorian. "You see, Lorian? They betrayed me - just as they betrayed you. They did not care about Xanatos or Qui-Gon or me - all that mattered was the Senate, and endless meditations and discourses, bowing and scraping to Senators and Royals. Their purpose in the Republic is done, Lorian. They have no more place in the New Order, in the new scheme of things." Lorian wet his lips. "New - scheme of things?" "Yes ..." Dooku's voice was a sibilant whisper. His eyes gleamed with what one might call emotion. His voice throbbed with energy. He bent close to the man. "Soon, you will see change begin to unfurl its wings. You will change the dawn of a new light, of a day so gloriously dazzling that you will no more wish to go back to the darkness that you once lived in. Don't you see, Lorian? You and I were served the best turn by fate when we were thrown out. We can shape our own destiny. We can use our powers for good - for the galaxy, as it was meant to be used. We can rout out darkness and bathe the worlds in Light. And who better, with me, than old friends I trust? Don't you see, Lorian?" Lorian's eyes were wide, as though seeing a picture unfurl right in front his eyes. They no longer saw the room, Dooku's elegant robes, his distinguished face. The Count's hands fluttered; he sat still, listening, his mind a mire of thoughts. "And you were the first person I turned to," Dooku confided. "You were strong and powerful, once. Surely you can be so, again. If you will listen to what I say, do what I tell you ..." his voice trailed away, promising, hopeful. "What?" "You must go to Tatooine. You must retrieve what is rightfully ours." "What is ours?" "A treasure. A treasure beyond everything that has ever been dreamt of. A jewel that will defeat the dazzle of a thousand suns. And I trust you to bring it to me. Only you. Will you do that for me? For the sake of what we were, once?" Lorian licked his lips again. "A treasure? Ours?" "Ours. Yours and mine. The galaxy's. It now lies unprotected, unseen, in a corner of that little dust-ball. I have seen it in my dreams, Lorian. My powers have increased, my vision is enhanced. I now see more than what I could, as a Jedi." Dooku moved away slowly, smiling. His eyes glinted. "My teacher is powerful - far more powerful than Yoda could ever be." And quite suddenly, Lorian saw Dooku. What he had become. The Force rippled and shrieked around him, unwilling to answer his call; unable to resist it. Dark, powerful. It would do what he wanted. Whatever he wanted. He saw it now. It frightened him ... but it fascinated as well. Force, this was what he had wanted. All those years ago, in the Jedi Temple, when he had stolen a Sith holocron from the archives. He had craved this power, this knowledge. This supreme, seductive force. And now Dooku had it. Dooku. Strong, powerful Dooku. Count Dooku. "What have you become, Yan?" he whispered, although he already knew. "I have achieved my potential, Lorian. I want you to achieve yours. Which you will, when you've brought back our jewel from Tatooine." Dooku moved towards him again. "Accept my gift, my friendship. You will receive what is rightfully yours. And you will punish those little fools in their blessed Temple in Coruscant. They wronged you, didn't they? They threw you out. Punish them, Lorian. Take away what they seek." "They seek it too?" "Of course they seek it. They think they have some sort of divine right to take anything that rests in the galaxy. Arrogant idiots. But you will make sure that they can't, won't you?" Dooku's voice was a whisper again. Soft, soothing, strong. "You know the spice routes and trade runs, Lorian. You can accomplish in days what it would take another months. You would be back with our treasure before those plump fools even know that something is amiss. And when they know that it is you who managed to fool them - think of it, Lorian. Think of the sweet triumph. Wouldn't it be sweeter than the best of Alderaan's wines?" Oh, it would be. What a triumph. What a victory. All those years of starvation, hunger. Years of impotent anger that had forced him to seek refuge from the lowest of the low. They had deprived him of everything; stripped him of everything he had been. For months he had wandered, lost, lonely and angry, with no idea of how to restore his balance. They had destroyed him. Almost. "What do you want me to do?" he asked. Dooku's face relaxed into a smile. ~~ "Well?" said the voice. That voice that he had grown to fear, despise ... and yes, respect. "It is done, my Master," Dooku bowed, his regal face showing nothing but deep devotion. "I have convinced Lorian Nod of his duty. He will leave for Tatooine tonight." His face hardened. "I never did think the Jedi's prison sentence was good enough for him. Once this is done - it shall be a pleasure to, ah, serve him his just desserts." "Excellent, my apprentice." The image flickered, blue outlines blurring and clearing. "You are, of course, convinced of his capacity to complete the mission ..." "Yes." Dooku's voice was firm. If the Count felt some unease, his face nor manner betrayed none of it. "His knowledge of the spice routes is extensive, and he has a great many valuable contacts among his cohorts. His hatred of the Jedi is enormous. He is strong enough to achieve the purpose, yet weak enough to control. A perfect balance." " ... since if you are not, and there is some - mishap -" the image smiled. "You will be held responsible." "I am aware of that, my Master. I assure you that there will be no failure." "Our attempts have already been thwarted enough, Tyrannus." His Master's voice grew hard and he could almost feel the waves of hatred that reached across the distance - across their bond. Hate, anger and greed. A sense of urgency that would almost have sent him scrambling, had he not had better control over his senses. "You know of what I speak, and whom." "Yes, my Master." "I am sorely tempted to hold you responsible for that too ..." the image flickered again, as a hand rose. "But I will let it be, for once - because I understand that it was a genuine mistake." There was a pause. "It was, wasn't it?" Dooku felt something slither along his neck, and forbore to twitch with great effort. "Of course, my Master. Had I been able to prevent it, I would have. You know this." "I am convinced - as even you* lack the finesse or power to have done what that one did." His Master was silent for a few moments. "I am seriously displeased about what transpired then, Tyrannus." Dooku bowed his head in apology. "I am your servant, Master. Do with me what you will." "And so I shall. That was a most inopportune and serious check to our plans." An understatement of the highest magnitude, the Count well knew - and further failure would result in a fate even he did not quite care to contemplate. Dooku stayed silent for a moment, and then steeled himself to ask what he had meant to, for a long time. "My master ... why do you desire ... what is in Tatooine? Are you displeased with my services? Have I erred in some way?" His voice held anguish and respect - and the image flickered, as obscene lips drew into a smile. "No, my apprentice. Not yet. However, you will ask no questions. Yours is to obey, my ignorant one. Should you dare to ask any more ..." Abruptly, Dooku fell to one knee. "I beg pardon. It shall not happen again." The image nodded. "See that it doesn't. Do not court my displeasure." Suddenly, the figure grinned, revealing misshapen, distorted teeth. "Or I shall be forced to display the pleasure I derive from torture." Dooku bowed as deeply as he could, hands clasping his cloak tightly. A moment later, the hologram vanished. (tbc...) -----signature----- Perceptions (Xanatos/Obi/Qui/Anakin) AU:http://boards.theforce.net/the_saga/b10476/25276178/p1/?7 - vignette Stones (Li'l Obi/Qui) - http://boards.theforce.net/before_the_saga/b10475/23371821/p1/ Best Author, WFFA (BtS) 05/06 Lore-Master to 7
	Post Reply \| Quote Reply \| Active Topic Notification \| Private Message \| Post History
dianethx Registered: Mar '02	Date Posted: 12/3/06 6:12am Subject: RE: The Learner - (JA, Q/O, AU) - Part 5 updated - 03/12/2006
	Such a lovely, long update. I didn't know where this was going, and I still don't, but I'm along for the ride. So Dooku is a Sith and yet he is being used as a puppet by Sidious to retrieve.. Anakin I would assume. The jewel on Tatooine...... unless... it's Obi-Wan. I like that you brought Nod along. He's a character that could be fleshed out much more than the books and I'm sure you'll do it very well indeed. I'm totally confused as to where this is going but in a good way. Very much looking forward to another post. Soon! -----signature----- Betrayal - http://boards.theforce.net/s/b1/10935143 updated 6/28/08 Fragments of Illusion- http://boards.theforce.net/bts/b10475/28456473 updated 8/16/08 Freeze frame - http://boards.theforce.net/s/b10476/27820434 Master to jedidas3 Impeach Bush!
	Post Reply \| Quote Reply \| Active Topic Notification \| Private Message \| Post History
Valairy_Scot Title: PT Rewrite Winner Registered: Sep '05	Date Posted: 12/3/06 2:53pm Subject: RE: The Learner - (JA, Q/O, AU) - Part 5 updated - 03/12/2006
	Wahoo - such a lovely update that I can almost forgive the fact that there's no Obi-Wan in it. Such lovely language in this chapter, such vivid imagery. Lorian opened his mouth to object, and was silenced. "Hear me out, old friend," said Dooku, his voice like soft selk. "The Jedi are ignorant. Arrogant. They are no longer what they were - no more guardians, peacekeepers of the republic. Now, they're ineffectual, effeminate, dancing to the tunes of whoever controls the Senate. They have no sense of justice- mere attendants at the feet of the mighty. They do not serve the Force - they serve puppets. They are puppets. Do you wonder that I was forced to leave them? How could I stay, Lorian?" Love the language, and it is so Dooku. "Yes ..." Dooku's voice was a sibilant whisper. His eyes gleamed with what one might call emotion. His voice throbbed with energy. He bent close to the man. "Soon, you will see change begin to unfurl its wings. You will change the dawn of a new light, of a day so gloriously dazzling that you will no more wish to go back to the darkness that you once lived in. Don't you see, Lorian? You and I were served the best turn by fate when we were thrown out. We can shape our own destiny. We can use our powers for good - for the galaxy, as it was meant to be used. We can rout out darkness and bathe the worlds in Light. And who better, with me, than old friends I trust? Don't you see, Lorian?" I see that Dooku and Anakin have a lot in common. The jewel has to be Anakin, too bad it's a flawed one (unless in this story he is not). -----signature----- http://boards.theforce.net/fan_fiction_resource/b10304/25405090/p3/?52 Prolific Author thread: list & links there. A million wins; a gazillion "also rans" - not bad at all! So very honored. Thank you!
	Post Reply \| Quote Reply \| Active Topic Notification \| Private Message \| Post History
ctt Registered: Mar '06	Date Posted: 12/4/06 5:05am Subject: RE: The Learner - (JA, Q/O, AU) - Part 5 updated - 03/12/2006
	What a lovely lovely chapter. I absolutely liked the way you characterized Dooku. He's such a twisted suffering character. I loved the contrast on how he was with Lorian - how easily he manipulates & shifts, and to Sidious - how he's confident yet unusually vulnerable.
	Post Reply \| Quote Reply \| Active Topic Notification \| Private Message \| Post History
Princess_Arulmozhi Registered: Nov '04	Date Posted: 12/4/06 8:00am Subject: RE: The Learner - (JA, Q/O, AU) - Part 5 updated - 03/12/2006
	dianethx: Well, I hope you're happy now. The muse has decided that she will be gracious - and you have another update. Hopefully, there should be more. This was the part I had some difficulty with - now I'm past that. Lol, nice to know that you still have no idea - fear not, things will be revealed in due time. Just know that the stage has finally been set. Sort of. Nod has some potential, yes. I'm hoping to use him - but his fate still remains a little unclear. Thanks for reading, m'lady. Valairy_Scot: Lol, thanks. Glad you liked the post, even if it had no Obi. This one has, though. So I hope that satisfies you. ctt: I had hoped that that's exactly how Dooku would come about. After all, he does have enormous magnetism and charm of manner. Thanks so much. Here's the next. Note: Some parts of the post are from JA #1 - The Rising Force. Part VI Despair was probably the darkest of emotions Obi-Wan had ever encountered, until this point. To be sure, he had often felt anger - but that was nothing compared to this ... crippling feeling of loss. He was sure of it. He had had no intention of meeting any of his friends for the first meal, but the meeting with Master Yoda had somehow - he hardly knew how - strengthened him. He still could not bring himself to believe that it was his choices that made him - what choices had he ever made? - but he felt insensibly cheered by the words. And he did have a choice now - he could go to Bandomeer, or he could go to Tatooine. Of course, the former was easy, as his place in a ship there had probably been reserved; all that was required was probably that he board the ship. Were he to decide on Tatooine, now ... But he would not make that choice now. He still felt too overwrought. As much as the thought meditation distressed him, years of training took over. He had always meditated for a half hour early each morning, and knew that it would calm his nerves for what he would face later. Accordingly, when the thirty minutes had passed - during which time he had desperately tried to sense Master Jinn, but had failed - he felt a little better. His future was still bleak - but he hoped he was learning to accept it better, as the minutes wore on. He dressed himself for the day as slowly as he could - but no one could make time slow down to a trickle. At last, he was ready to go down to the Meal Hall. He paused for a moment before he stepped in. When he entered the room, his head was high. No one, looking at him, could possibly guess that he was shortly going to be sent out of the Temple forever - his composure was near-perfect. At the meal table, he found that his friends were already assembled. They were trying very hard to maintain some semblance of normality and he appreciated their efforts. Garen was his comforting best, while Bant sent him warm waves of assurance and acceptance. Reeft was his usual, hungry self - perhaps the only thing to bring a smile to Obi-Wan's face. Not if the whole galaxy was being destroyed would Reeft turn away from food. He gladly surrendered a good deal of his own meal - he wasn't hungry, in any case. Around him, Obi-Wan heard the swirl of conversations at the other tables. Students looked over at him, then looked away. Most gazes were compassionate, and some tried to cheer him. But he sensed that the overwhelming feeling in the room was that everyone was glad that what had happened to Obi-Wan had not happened to them. At Bruck's table, the voices were loud and reached their ears. "Always knew he wouldn't make it," Bruck's friend Aalto said loudly. Obi-Wan's ears burned as he heard Bruck's high snicker. He turned, and Bruck stared at him, daring him to pick another fight. "Don't mind him," Bant said. "He's a fool." Obi-Wan turned away and finished his meal, just as a huge black Barabel fruit plopped on the table near his tray. Juice from the fruit splattered on Bant and Garen Muln. Obi-Wan glared over at Bruck, who had come halfway across the room to throw it. "Plant it, Oafy," Bruck said. "I hear they'll grow just about anywhere." Obi-Wan started to rise from his chair, but Bant put a hand over his and held him down, trying to calm him. Obi-Wan smiled at Bruck, keeping himself in control. He wants to anger me, Obi-Wan knew. He hopes to anger me. How often in the past have others played me like this, making me lose the chance to become a Padawan? Obi-Wan held his anger, and merely smiled at Bruck. Yet a white-hot fury was building inside him. Just then, Reeft muttered, "I don't mean to sound greedy, but are you going to eat that Barabel fruit?" Obi-Wan nearly burst out laughing. "Thank you, Bruck," he said, scraping the fruit off the table and placing it in a cup. "The people of Bandomeer will be honoured when I share with them your gift Ã¢â‚¬â€œ the gift from one farmer to another." After that, it was smooth sailing. Obi-Wan left the Meal room, standing at the threshold for one last look. He ignored Bruck's scornful glance, stared hard at the place he had taken meals at for twelve long years ... and then turned on his heels and left. ~~ In the upper rooms of the Jedi Council Chambers, a review meeting was held, Obi-Wan Kenobi's actions and emotions were discussed, as were Bruck Chun's. It was generally held by Masters Windu, Rancisis and Tiin, that Obi-Wan-Wan had exhibited a shocking lack of restraint, no matter how provoked he might have been. Bruck, of course, was a different matter altogether. He too, would be taken in hand. In the mean time, Obi-wan had already been told to leave for the Agri-Corps. Was this a wise decision, or was it not? Master Windu was rather inclined to approve of his skill in battle and to be compassionate - but others were not. Foremost of these was Master Yoda, whose strident protests against taking a lenient view of Kenobi's actions astonished them a little. Bruck Chun would be dealt with harshly as well. There was no room in the Order for a lapse in judgement - not after Xanatos. Master Tyvokka remained silent, deep in contemplation. They ended their meditation, hoping that The Force and Agri-Corps would grant him the control and peace he lacked. These were the sentiments they voiced aloud ... what they felt within, however, was best left, in the opinion of each individual, undisclosed. Lightening flickered. Dark clouds gathered on the horizon. ~~ Obi-Wan's bags had already been packed, when he reached his room from the Meal Hall. As the hour of his departure arrived, the sensation of upliftment that had buoyed him vanished - and he felt the old, familiar dread of loneliness creep over him. He was alone. So alone. His room appeared small, empty, lifeless. In the end, after standing in the middle of his room for a few minutes, he had resolutely pushed away feelings that threatened to reduce him to tears, picked his bags, and left for the spaceport. And here he was. The Monument was an old Corellian barge, pocked and scarred from meteor hits. It was shaped like a crate, and attached to the front of it were a dozen cargo boxes push to Bandomeer. It was the ugliest, dirtiest ship that Obi-Wan could have imagined. He had certainly anticipated the existence of such ships - but to actually see one was a different experience. So this was the ship that would carry him to exile. For he had decided, sometime during the few minutes on his way here. He would go to Bandomeer. In the bright light of morning, amidst the rush and hurry and screeching voices of the spaceport that surrounded him, Master Jinn seemed very much a hazy dream. He must have imagined the whole thing, Force ghosts, all of it. It must be, he thought, the sub-conscious wish of his mind to avoid going to Bandomeer. Nothing could explain such a magnificently silly train of events. And he had even gone to the Map Room, convinced of this dream - even asked Master Yoda about it! Fool. To be sure, there was an ache somewhere in the corner of his heart that whispered that there might be something to it - but he brushed it away. The strange and mysterious happenings of the Force were destined for great Masters such as Yoda. Not puny, untrained, rejected initiates like him. Either he had imagined the whole thing ... or it had been some freak accident that had no relevance to him, right now. Master Jinn coming back from the dead indeed. He snorted. If all of it had been real, why hadn't Master Jinn attempted any contact later? Why hadn't he appeared during his meditation, when his mind and body were at their most receptive? It had all been conjured up by his tortured mind. Why or how it had happened was not important, though. The lengths to which his fevered brain could go, to turn him away from Bandomeer and the Agri-Corps frightened him a little. He really ought to exercise more control - or he might turn insane. He pushed away the last of confusing thoughts, and stepped into the ship. If the exterior was ugly, the interior was foul. Its battered corridors smelled of miners' dust and the sweaty bodies of many species. Repair ports were left open, so that wires and pressure hoses - the ship's guts - spilled out as if from an open wound. Everywhere on the Monument enormous Hutts slithered about like giant slugs. Whiphids stalked the corridors with their mouldy fur and tusks. Tall Arconans with triangular heads and glittering eyes moved in small groups. Obi-Wan wandered in a daze, his bags in hand. No one had been at the entry port guide him. No one even seemed to notice him. He realized gloomily that he had left behind the data pad Docent Vant had given him. On it was his room number. He looked for a crew member, but he could only find miners being transported to Bandomeer. Obi-Wan trudged on with gathering despair. The ship was strange and frightening. It was so different from the hushed, gleaming hallways of the Temple, where he could hear the sound of the fountains wherever he walked. He knew every corner of the Temple, knew the fastest route to get from the arena, where they practiced tumbling and balance, to the pool, where he would dive from the highest temple . . . Obi-Wan's steps became slower and slower. What was Bant doing now? Was she in class, or a private tutorial? Was she swimming in the pool with Reeft and Garen Muln? If his friends were thinking if him, they would never imagine what a horrible place he had landed in. Suddenly, a huge Hutt blocked his path. Before Obi-Wan could say a word, the Hutt grabbed him by the throat and threw him against a wall. "What do you think you're doing, slug?" "What?" Obi-Wan asked in surprise. What had he done wrong? He was just trudging down the hall. With a sense of unease, he noticed that two particularly evil-looking Whiphids stood behind the Hutt. "B-Bandomeer," he stammered. The Hutt studied Obi-Wan as if here were a morsel of food. The creature's huge tongue rolled from its mouth and slid over its grey lips, leaving a trail of slime. "That's not a ship's uniform you're wearing, and you're not Offworld." Obi-Wan looked down at his clothes. He wore a loose gray tunic. He suddenly realized that the Hutt in front of him wore a black triangular patch that showed a bright red planet, like an eye. A silver spaceship circling the planet became the iris of the eye. Beneath the logo were the words Offworld Mining. The Whiphids wore the same symbol. "He must be from that other outfit," a Whiphid said. "Maybe he's a spy," the second Whiphid growled. "What's he got in those bags, you think? Bombs?" The Hutt pushed his huge grotesque face close to Obi-Wan's. "Any miner who doesn't work for Offworld is the enemy," he roared, shaking Obi-Wan roughly. "You, slug, are an enemy. And we don't allow the enemy on Offworld turf." The Hutt's fingers were like slabs of meat. They tightened around Obi-Wan's neck, strangling him. Choking, Obi-Wan dropped his bags and grasped the Hutt's fingers. His lungs burned and the room spun. Using all his strength, Obi-wan managed to pry the Hutt's fingers from his throat long enough to gasp a breath. He stared into the cruel, blank eyes of the Hutt, trying to summon his Force powers. "Leave me alone," Obi-Wan gasped, struggling to breathe. He let the Force carry the command to the Hutt, to batter his will, change his mind. This was not like fighting another student. He sensed a cruelty without conscience. There were no rules here, no Yoda to call off the fight. "Leave you alone? Why?" the Hutt roared with cruel amusement. I'm getting off to a good start, Obi-Wan thought despairingly. The last thing he remembered was the Hutt's fist coming straight at him. (tbc...) -----signature----- Perceptions (Xanatos/Obi/Qui/Anakin) AU:http://boards.theforce.net/the_saga/b10476/25276178/p1/?7 - vignette Stones (Li'l Obi/Qui) - http://boards.theforce.net/before_the_saga/b10475/23371821/p1/ Best Author, WFFA (BtS) 05/06 Lore-Master to 7
	Post Reply \| Quote Reply \| Active Topic Notification \| Private Message \| Post History
dianethx Registered: Mar '02	Date Posted: 12/4/06 9:16am Subject: RE: The Learner - (JA, Q/O, AU) - Part 6 updated - 04/12/2006 - Date Edited: 12/4/06 4:54pm (1 edits total) Edited By: dianethx
	Ohhhh, does a happy dance. I'm just glad that your muse has returned. Will write more tonight. Am at work right now. Edit: I love that Obi-Wan was still the sweet but desperate boy from the JA books. Loved that he decided that his encounter with Jinn was him trying to get out of going to Bandomeer. I wonder why Qui didn't try to talk to him during Obi's meditations. I'm curious also why Yoda was so adamant about Obi leaving. I wonder if he knows more than he is saying and is pushing Obi in a direction that the Force wants him to go. I thought you did the Monument part quite well. But I'm waiting to see how you are going to get Obi to Tatooine, hopefully in one piece. I'm in for the long haul. Great job as always. May your muse never leave! -----signature----- Betrayal - http://boards.theforce.net/s/b1/10935143 updated 6/28/08 Fragments of Illusion- http://boards.theforce.net/bts/b10475/28456473 updated 8/16/08 Freeze frame - http://boards.theforce.net/s/b10476/27820434 Master to jedidas3 Impeach Bush!
	Post Reply \| Quote Reply \| Active Topic Notification \| Private Message \| Post History

Pages: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 - Previous | Next | Reload

Jedi Council Forums » Fan Fiction » Before the Saga »