Saga The Water's Edge (cowritten with Happy_Hobbit_Padawan - Updated May 31 - *COMPLETE*)

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This title (and story) will no doubt be familiar to some of you. I'm reposting it from the Classic board, as that board is really slowing down (and we get time to write posts ). I'll repost it from the beginning, with a new post every day or so. I'm not changing anything. I will be posting once a day or so. Many, huge thanks to the readers of the old thread - we love you! And we hope to see you here, too.

New readers, I'm asking you not to go to the old thread to read the posts. I'm not going to take it out for various reasons. But - think of this as an opportunity to catch up more easily. You won't have to read huge chunks, just read as it's posted.

This story is in-progress, which means that after I catch up here, there will be new posts to read (hopefully immediately thereafter, as my co-writer and I will be writing during the reposting.)

I'm obaona. My first co-writer was vader_incarnate, who has since left the story (we love and miss her dearly ). My current co-writer is Happy_Hobbit_Padawan, who joined recently. All my posts will be in black, vader_incarnate's will be in midnightblue, and Happy_Hobbit_Padawan's will be in indigo.

I'll doubling up posts (for the most part), so most posts will be by two people, hence the color-coding (thanks HHP for the suggestion ).

Title: The Water's Edge
Summary: The Obi-Wan of Ep. III leaves the trauma of his own universe to go to another - quite unexpectedly. There are no spoilers.
A/N: WIP repost.

Feedback is, and always will be, treasured and adored.

Here we go.


*~*~*
Chapter One.

The warehouse was not extremely large; it was designed to hold small but fragile cargo. It had been well built, made of steel with a foundation of duracrete. But the years and wars had taken their toll on the building; the duracrete foundation was crumbling, the steel walls were dented and had jagged holes. The most intact part of the building was the slowly deteriorating roof.

At least it keeps the rain out, the man mused. He sat on the floor of the mostly empty building, his black shirt and pants worn but still intact. He clung to an old, worn brown robe with rough hands like it was life itself. Shifting where he sat in a mediation pose, he wrapped the robe around his body, putting his arms through the loose sleeves and pulling it tight.

He gazed up at the roof, where a distant pattering sound could be heard. Little drops of water fell on his face, wetting his shoulder length ginger hair and trailing down unshaved cheeks like tears.

He turned his face down, letting the water fall on his thick hair instead of his face. Weary blue eyes blinked, looking at the stained duracrete floor. He sighed.

Finally, he rose to his feet, shaking unsteadily. His stomach growled, reminding him that he had to go out and find food soon. His cheekbones were clearly visible, his skin drawn and pale. He had been running for a long time on this miserable planet, shifting from location to location. The Empire had come and taken it easily ? not that the government officials had put up much of a fight. The Empire settled down in the industrial oriented planet and suddenly he found himself trapped. A Jedi Knight, trapped within the Empire.

He frowned slightly, walking forward among empty boxes, rags from other homeless occupants ? now gone ? and other debris. He growled as he did not find what he wanted. How could he have just thrown it so carelessly when he come here? His lightsaber was his life. Blue eyes restlessly searched the area.

He closed his eyes for a moment. Then, with a growl of frustration, he kicked a box. Then his hand swept out, knocking over other

 

One of my favorites. Do you plan on having it archived when it's complete?

 

I don't know. vader_incarnate is okay with the idea, I don't know what HHP thinks. And thank you.

 

Just because I'm now a co-writer doesn't mean I can't reply to the posts I never got a chance to before I found this story, right?

I thought this opening was one of the most intriguing I've ever read. Talk about an attention-getter.

And I'm cool with the idea of archiving this when it's finished.

 

*giggles* Thanks, HHP. And awesome. We'll definitely have to think about submitting it, then. And sure, I don't see any reason why you shouldn't reply.

Next postie. A nice long one, in fact.


*~*~*
Chapter Two.

For what seemed like the hundredth time that day, Xanatos nodded wisely with an understanding smile on his face. He had spent the last two days working on a labor dispute on the mostly industrial planet of Wekkeran. The dispute involved the workers at the component factories ? they made computer parts of droids ? and their bosses, who were unwilling to concede everything. Negotiations had begun a month ago, but no progress had been made. It was a fairly routine matter, but the last time it happened, several years ago, massive riots had resulted. The droid and computer manufacturing business was very important on Wekkeran ? they had no virtually no tourist industry, though it was a pleasant enough world, so their entire economy depended on it.

Xanatos sat at a long, oblong table made of sleek black stone native to the planet. With him were the delegates from both sides of the dispute, sitting at opposite ends. Xanatos sat in the middle, and off by himself as he was here as a objective person.

Currently, the leader of the workers? was letting his fury build into a full tantrum ? and it was not the first time that day he had done so. He stood and waved his fist in the air, presenting an intimidating figure with dark bushy eyebrows set above menacing eyes. The executive of the company regarded him with glacial coolness. Xanatos, with his tall but slender frame, did not appear to present much of a threat so he was mostly ignored.

Closing his eyes in irritation, Xanatos let his focus wander. A smile touched his classically featured face as he remembered what had happened at the Temple just before he left on the freighter ? the ship that would get there the quickest ? to reach Wekkeran.

Qui-Gon. After so many years of Qui-Gon?s never ending grief and pain, Xanatos resentment of Qui-Gon?s treatment of him ? and Xanatos? own guilt for his actions ? peace had been made between them. It gave Xanatos? spirit a strange buoyancy, which held even with bickering parties shouting nearby.

The table trembled with a powerful thump. Xanatos? eyes snapped open and he would have gone for his lightsaber, hanging loosely at his belt, but he did not sense any danger. He raised his head and looked up at the furious man ? the workers? leader. Rean was his name ? Xanatos had always been good with names, a useful skill in a Jedi.

?What?s so damn funny??

Xanatos blinked slowly and let his smile widen. Not deliberately antagonizing the man, but Xanatos did not care for missions requiring more diplomacy then lightsaber action. A quirk of his personality. ?Nothing,? he said calmly. ?Merely remembering a . . . pleasant event, as this discussion doesn?t seem to be going anywhere.?

Rean just looked at him, surprised at the strange response.

Xanatos stood, pushing back the plush chair. He cast his eyes around the table, meeting each gaze. ?Gentlebeings, perhaps we should continue this tomorrow,? he suggested, resisting the urge to use the Force to ?persuade? them he was right.

Fortunately, the whole group reluctantly nodded, shooting each other glares as they did so. They didn?t want to agree on even that small thing, Xanatos thought sadly.

Once he made sure the delegates got to their respective rooms without a fight breaking out, he headed for the outdoors rather than his own room. While the room was plenty comfortable, with plush and elegant furnishings, he wanted to take a walk.

He was fairly certain he wouldn?t be bothered, even though there was little doubt in his mind he would recognized as a Jedi. With the cream tunics, dark brown, heavy robe and a lightsaber, he could hardly be mistaken for anything else. But people respected the Jedi, and in many cases they respected and cared for the Jedi enough to leave them alone. Xanatos hoped that was the case on Wek

 

Glad to see the re-post so it gets the attention it deserves.

 

How, how, how did I ever miss THIS!!?? I should have known that if you were involved, Oba, that the work would be incredible! And V_I's and HHP's stuff is awesome as well!

I was hooked as soon as I read the first bit, feeling Obi-Wan's utter despair and lonliness. Oh, how I wish that I had the talent that you three do to wring so much emotion out of the English language!

I have to confess that I went and read this on ff.net at first, after your reply at the SJRS page, Oba. Now, I have to say I'm a little miffed at you as I didn't realize it was a WIP! Not to mention the fact that I have stayed up until two in the morning reading the blasted thing, knowing I have to get up in four and a half hours to get my youngun to school on time....aaarrrghh!!

Ah, well, it was worth it!

 

PadawanKitara: Thanks.

kayladie97: I don't know, how did you miss it? And aye, aren't they awesome?! I love my lovely co-writers. And thank you. Glad you're enjoying. I am rather upset you've already read so much of it - I'd hoped you'd go along with the repost. Ah well. *sigh* Nevertheless - that you like it. And aye, it's a WIP, but it's nearing the end. (Honestly!) Get some sleep , and I hope to see you here again!

 

Oops, I certainly don't want to upset you...it might disturb that muse that so many of us here want to kidnap!

When you left me the reply over at SJRS, I just assumed it was a finished story as I didn't realize you were currently working on anything longer (I don't get over to the Classic JC Board very often) so I went to ff.net because I figured it would be easier to find it over there. When I realized it was a WIP, I immediately came over here to look for it!

Don't worry, I will be sure to leave LOTS of lovely feedback for you here!

 

kayladie97: People want to kidnap my muse?! I don't see why - she can be such a fickle little thing.

Well, I can see your reasoning. But I've been working on The Water's Edge for a . . . long time. It's in my bio, too. But glad to hear you've finally found it! And that you're going to give me feedback . . .

Thank you!

I'll post again soon.

 

Elli (vader_incarnate) liked using italics, but due to the fact that my computer is freezing up regularly, I'm not going to bother. (Why redo the markup five times just to get the damn thing up?)


*~*~*


Xanatos had long since concluded that Kenobi wasn?t the best of people, but it really surprised him that the fallen Jedi had become insane. Kenobi had been perfectly mentally stable ? he was just evil, that was all. And that was why this Kenobi was so confusing.

Because this Kenobi didn?t appear to be very evil. He threw hysterics and kept ranting about someone called Vader, but that was not evil. It was not the darkness that Xanatos was familiar with. He didn?t try to manipulate Xanatos, as he would have before. He didn?t try to invade Xanatos? mind with the Force, as he would have done before. In fact, the idea didn?t even seem to occur to him.

What was going on?

Xanatos breathed deeply, trying to release the tension in his shoulders. He stood in the middle of his small, gray cabin aboard Bethos? ship, attempting not to pace. Pacing, he could almost hear his Master reminding him, was a waste of energy. He should channel it into more useful things.

Maybe I should channel it into beating Kenobi, Xanatos thought most uncharitably.

After a few moments of Sithly consideration, Xanatos dismissed the thought. He could never do such a thing. He was like his Master in that sense ? he couldn?t be ruthless. He had a compassionate side ? rarely seen in him, unlike with Qui-Gon ? that couldn?t be stifled or ignored. Even when he wanted to do just that. Kenobi, he remembered, had been quite ruthless when it suited him.

This is getting me nowhere, Xanatos thought, frustrated. Finally, he acted as he knew he should have in the first place. He knelt in the middle of the room, on the hard floor, and meditated. Meditation was something that, as a Padawan, he had loathed. Floors were often hard and uncomfortable ? making it difficult to get up when the meditation was over ? and it was hard to both concentrate on not thinking and to not think at the same time.

Years passed, however, and he became a Knight. He found now that while he didn?t enjoy the hard floor part, becoming one with the Force was soothing. Not only that, but being attuned to the Force had often kept him alive ? he could hear the faintest whispers of warnings that it gave him when his own thoughts no longer drowned out the whisperings of the Force.

He wondered if Kenobi meditated.

Falling deep into the meditative state, Xanatos let go of his frustrations, fears and hate. The Force soothed him with waves of comfort. When he had achieved a state of attunement, he let his mind go back and dwell on those things that now haunted him.

In a word, Kenobi. When Qui-Gon had first taken Kenobi as his Padawan, Kenobi had been young, only ten years old. He had been skilled with a lightsaber and had stood up to people older than him. Admittedly, Xanatos hadn?t liked him at first. He wasn?t sure why, not then, and had finally decided it had more to do with jealousy than any real cause. Kenobi made his Master happy in a way that Xanatos hadn?t seen since his own Knighting.

Kenobi grew, as all the young do. He grew fast and quick witted, strong and confident in his abilities. He also grew arrogant and, in the end, that led to his fall. That mission to Kaomil.

Xanatos swiftly drew away from that memory. He had long since gone over it again and again, and it would not help him now ? would probably only hinder. Instead, he drew his mind to the current day ? and the current Kenobi. This Kenobi was as different from the one that he had known as night was of day. Where the first Kenobi had been confident, this one was beaten; where the first had been arrogant, this one was broken. It was like they were two different people.

Two different people.

What if they were two different people? Was that possible? Kenobi was dead ? Xanatos had seen him die, had killed him himself. There had been a body. There was evidence of his death.

Still deeply

 

still re-reading though I must admit to going back to the other posts and finish what is posted. Love it even more.

 

*Sighs and waits for an actual new post.*

 

I think the reason I didn't read this for a while is that I'm not that big of a PT Obi-Wan fan. And I know next to nothing about Xanatos (although I am intrigued by the little snippets of info that I've gleaned about him. )

I think your story entitled Redemption is what started making me change my mind about PT Obi-Wan, Oba. I read that and LOVED it.

Obi-Wan in this story just makes my heart ache! He's so tormented! I love that, btw. I like the way Xanatos slowly figures out what is going on, even though he probably was shocked as hell at seeing someone he'd thought was dead. Someone he wasn't too fond of, at that.


Tired, miserable and hungry, Obi-Wan struggled not to cry. Xanatos was gone; there was nothing for him to rail against. And when there was nothing to fight against, there was nothing to fight for.

Giving up, Obi-Wan let a few drops of precious water escape. He watched as they fell off his eyelashes onto the floor. His arm was going numb again, but he didn?t bother to move.

That part really got me! I can picture the poor guy, lying there, all alone, no doubt certain that he's soon going to die.


Stop that, he told his stinging conscience. I have to do it.

You?re breaking your word, it reminded him huffily. Just because he?s a liar and an oathbreaker doesn?t mean that you have to stoop to his level.

Shut up.

Besides, he wasn?t really escaping. He was just... borrowing the ship. He wouldn?t leave it, he?d just make sure that it... ended up in a different location.

See? he asked his conscience. I?m not really breaking a promise at all.

Hehehe! I love him arguing with himself! Poor Obi-Wan, still wanting to do the right thing, even as he fulfills that need of self-preservation!

I can't wait for more of this!

 

uppies

 

I started reading the old one but I went on holidays and came back to a mountain load of pages! I'm glad you're starting again - this way I can enjoy it without having to sit for hours at my computer!

Can't wait for more!

 

Here I am! I always told you I'd read it eventually, oba. This is easier, reading it post by post instead of a marathon read. Lovely job, both you and Elli! I'll keep up with it this time, promise.

 

Is it me or does this get better at reading it the second time around?

(im)patiently waiting for more.

 

Seraphena: Thank you. And bad girl!

jacen200015: It'll come. It's my turn right now, and Murphy's Law has taken effect.

kayladie97: That's true. I've mostly seen you in Beyond the Saga. As for Xanatos, most don't know that much about him - he's a fairly minor EU character, albeit one with a comparitively large following. You should be able to follow what's happening regardless of how much you know about Xanatos, though.

And thank you. I'm glad you like Redemption. It was a fun fic for me to write.

Yep, Obi-Wan's very messed up right now. So much so that even Xanatos is realizing it. Really, Xanatos took over so much of this story. He was supposed to have a minor role, believe it or not.

I'm glad you can picture it. It speaks of my writing skills. (That was my part, right?) And yes, I laughed when I saw that part that Elli had written with him arguing with himself. Thank you!

PadawanKitara: Thankiees.

Cat_Orange: That's the idea! And thank you. I know that when I catch up on really long stories, it's difficult to do, especially when trying to find the last spot you read, .

Gabri_Jade: So you did! And here you are. *huggies* I sympathize with the marathon read thing. And thank you!

MysteriousRaven13: Thank you! I hope you keep enjoying it so much.

 

Computers are evil, and the reason for the lateness of this post. Gabri got to see me rant. Anywho, enjoy!

*~*~*

?When will your Trials be, Anakin??

?A few weeks at most, Chancellor,? Anakin Skywalker answered automatically. That particular inquiry had become almost routine in the past few days as the promised deadline grew increasingly nearer. Though he would probably never willfully admit it, Anakin was apprehensive about the approaching date. The bar was set pretty high for him, especially as Yoda?s first padawan learner in decades, he knew.

?Are you nervous??

?A bit. Master Yoda thinks I?m ready, though.?

They were standing in the office and gazing out the wall-sized window, the magnificent view of Coruscant?s lights spread out before them. Nighttime on the city-planet was a wondrous thing, glowing with the sparkle of millions upon millions of lights. The city didn?t truly come alive until after dark-- that was when the fun began.

Supreme Chancellor Palpatine chuckled. ?My, my time does fly now doesn?t it?? he asked with a laugh. ?It seems like just yesterday when Yoda first accepted you as a padawan. Your patience has paid off.?

?Your guidance more than my patience,? Anakin countered.

?Perhaps,? Palpatine agreed with a self-deprecating smile.

Anakin clasped his hands behind his back, content to watch the city-scape from his comfortable viewpoint. Palpatine?s office was large, of course-- opulent and elaborate in every sense, as much so as Qui-Gon?s office was plain. The desk and chairs themselves sat atop a small dais, giving it an almost throne-like appearance when one entered the door. The giant table itself was stone, heavy obsidian rock that gleamed in whatever places were not covered by the paperwork that seemed to clutter every politician?s desk.

?I?d rather thought that you were ready a while ago,? Palpatine continued thoughtfully, giving the soon-to-be-Jedi-Knight an appraising look as the both turned away from the window and walked towards the door. Anakin needed to get back to Master Yoda after all-- his training had only increased with the impending date of his Trials-- and surely the Chancellor had things he needed to do as well. ?But who am I to argue with Jedi?? Palpatine queried with an ironic smile. ?I?m just your lowly friend and mentor.? Anakin had to grin a bit at that-- not everyone had the Supreme Chancellor?s esteem, after all. Palpatine, though, had seemed to take a particular interest in him of all the Jedi, even when he had been brought to the Temple as no more than a young child.

There was a reason to that, Anakin knew-- someday he would find out.

?I have said it many times,? Palpatine continued as they descended the steps. ?You are the most gifted Jedi I have ever met.?

?Thank you, Your Excellency,? Anakin interjected with a small bow in his direction.

Palpatine smiled, stopped walking, and put a hand on the younger man?s shoulder. ?I see you becoming the greatest of all the Jedi, Anakin,? he said with an encouraging smile, squeezing Anakin?s shoulder just a bit. ?I believe in you, Anakin; I just know you can do it.?

For some inexplicable reason, Anakin Skywalker shivered suddenly with a distinct sense of déjà vu.

*~*~*

?I find this very hard to believe,? Kenobi told Xanatos bluntly. He sat in the only chair in Xanatos? cabin with his legs curled up in an unconscious, defensive posture. Xanatos was fairly certain that Kenobi wasn?t aware of it. Nor was he aware, Xanatos was sure, of how vulnerable it made him appear.

?Really?? Xanatos asked, raising an eyebrow. ?It?s a perfectly valid scientific theory ? though your presence would seem to indicate it is not so much of a theory anymore.? Xanatos sat on the bed, hands resting loosely on his thighs, leaning forward in a deliberately non-threatening manner. Kenobi was quick to be suspicious of him ? no reason to simply make the matter worse.

Kenobi laughed shortly, cutting himself off. The sound had no humor in it. ?Alternate universes

 

I'm just gonna settle in and enjoy the repost while I'm waiting for the new parts.

It's just as good the second time around.

 

Opal: Thank you. If my computer cooperates and doesn't shut down entirely and/or erase everything (which is the way things are heading, the way this week has been), I may actually write a post soon, which means HHP would get to write a post, which means we'll have posts saved up . . . I'm glad you're enjoying the repost!

 

wheeeeee

please ignore the brain fried padawan...

 

More posts, we will get, hmmmm? Like this story, we do. Get enough of it, we can't. Love it, we do. Post again soon, you will?

 

Aye, I got to see oba rant. Here, dearest, have some cyber chocolate and thwack the computer a few times. You'll feel better.

Still fascinating and beautifully written, not that I'd expect anything else from oba and Elli (and I'm sure HHP too, once I read some of her posts).