Before - Legends The Powers that Be Ch2 Pt1 4/02 (JA AU Obi/Qui/Xan) Adventure/Angst

Summary An AU after A Day of Reckoning (JA #8) chapter 16. Xanatos did not die on Telos instead he escaped the planet and is now researching the mysteries of the Sith. What he gets is more than he bargained for. What happens when Xanatos starts messing with powers he has no understanding or control over?

Prologue


He would not lose Xanatos now. No doubt he was heading somewhere he would be safe, or perhaps toward transport off-planet. Xanatos always had an escape route.
--Jedi Apprentice: Day of Reckoning Page 119

However much Qui-Gon wished they had taken his former Padawan by surprise it was not enough of a surprise to capture Xanatos that day. He had fled safely to a small shuttle that he had hurriedly piloted off Telos. Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan had been given permission by the council to track Xanatos. This time they were on the trail to find the headquarters of Offworld Mining Corp. A former Offworld worker had given up what he knew about the company to be granted leniency for charges on contract violations and corrupt business practices. So far they had checked up on three leads. They felt like they were getting closer each time and each location proved to give them more clues, but in the two months since the meeting on Telos there had been no sign of Xanatos.

?Master, the Council wants a mission update in an hour?s time,? Obi-Wan said disrupting Qui-Gon?s musings on their situation. They were currently on a small resort moon where Offworld owned an as yet undeveloped mineral mine. The government officials had been shocked by what the two Jedi had told them of Xanatos? prior record. Evidently they had not done the proper research on Offworld. Xanatos had simply sweet-talked them into the deal, promising untold wealth from a properly developed mine.

Upon finding out the truth the owner of the resort and the Republic appointed Magistrate had allowed Qui-Gon full access to what information they knew about Xanatos. The information that had been the most useful had been the financial transactions. The bank accounts could be traced. Normally Offworld used throwaway accounts that showed up as dead ends in investigations, but these accounts were still active because mining workers and supplies were supposed to be arriving in a few days. The transactions were tied to an account under the name of a Mr. Crix of Graamin, a mostly agricultural planet that preferred to remain isolated. They were not a member of the Republic but had favorable diplomatic ties with it. They were planning on leaving for Graamin in a few hours.

Qui-Gon nodded to Obi-Wan. They had regularly reported to the Council since the beginning of the mission both as a matter of routine and for the Council to evaluate Obi-Wan. The young man was still on probation. However, after what had happened on Telos, Qui-Gon had finally decided he would accept Obi-Wan back as his Padawan and had made no secret of it to either Obi-Wan or the Council.

The only reason Obi-Wan had been allowed to continue on this mission instead of returning to the temple was because Qui-Gon had asked the council to allow him to remain. Obi-Wan was communicating on a daily basis with members of the council and was following a precisely worked out schedule of meditation and study designed to help him, Qui-Gon and the Council all find out if his commitment to the Jedi was true, whether it was the path he wanted to walk.

Deep down Obi-Wan was surer than ever that his place was with the Jedi. He had spoken with Qui-Gon about his new found dedication but he had confessed his fears as well that the Council might not recognize the depth of his commitment and not allow him to remain with the Jedi. Qui-Gon had helped him to see that the Council was only doing their duty to make sure this was truly where Obi-Wan?s desire lay. They had to be firm and unyielding to test his allegiance. When Obi-Wan had spoken these same fears in a conversation with Yoda the venerable master had simply asked him, ?Want to be a Jedi you d

 

Nicely done. I like the setup and the way you wrote both Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon. I liked that the path to their information was so convoluted. Looking forward to more.

 

Nice start. I can't wait to see where it leads.

 

Then what we say matters not. Be a Jedi

Nice line. Very good start. I hope I can find my way back here to see where you go with this

--shan

 

Great start katey! Obi-Wan and Qui are going to have their hands full.

 

Excellent beginning.

 

A very interesting beginning -- I can't wait to see where you go with this I will be keeping my eye on this one for sure

 

Wow, I am overwhelmed by the response to this. You are all so kind! And just a bit intimidated that I am getting such responses from some of you whom I know are such fantastic authors.

dianethx Your approval of my characterizations of Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon means a lot, thanks. About the information pathway...well you didn't expect Xanatos to make it easy did you. Don't worry it gets even more convoluted in this chapter.

jodiwent Thanks for reviewing. I actually love this story and where it leads, I just hope I can do it justice.

shanobi Thank you! I like that line too. And I actually got the idea of it from CYNICAL21 in "An Untimely Frost" where Yoda sends Obi-Wan his lightsaber with the message that Jedi are not made in the temple but in the heart. (Or something like that.)

tangled-sphere Yep, wait til you see just how full their hands get. Xanatos is smart, but he is going to over reach himself and come up with something he does not expect.

Healer_Leona I figure Qui-Gon has to agree with the council at some point, so it might as well be with Yoda on that point. Qui-Gon won't be so agreeable later when he does something pretty controversial. Thanks for reading and responding!

Gina Thanks!

Layren Thank you for reading! I can't wait to see where I go with it either! just kidding I do know where this is going. I'm just still working out the getting there for some things.

And...on to the chapter! It is a rather long one. And I am not at all sure I got Mace Windu right.

Chapter One
Troubles and tomorrow come soon enough

Graamin had not been as fruitful as they had hoped. The information, though, did reveal a new connection that was even more worrying: a storage and freight conglomerate with warehouses and ships on thousands of worlds. If Xanatos had his fingers in that business than his holdings had grown quite a bit indeed. Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon had left after only a few days and were heading back to Coruscant where the headquarters of the business were located. Obi-Wan was more than a little nervous, fearing that, as he was on planet the temple might just revoke their permission for him to accompany Qui-Gon.

The duo reported in at the temple to update the Council in person and to allow Obi-Wan to speak with them not over the comm unit.

As they stood in front of the council Obi-Wan focused on what Qui-Gon was reporting and gave his input when asked. It was a rather long meeting and Obi-Wan was trying to inconspicuously shift his weight from one foot to the other by the end of it.

"To Qui-Gon we will speak alone, Master Windu with Obi-Wan will speak," Yoda said when they had finished rehashing every tidbit of information they had. Obi-Wan bowed to the council and followed Mace Windu out of the Council Chamber. They entered one of the gardens and Mace indicated for him to sit with him on one of the raised garden walls.

"Are you nervous Obi-Wan?"

"Yes Master Windu."

"Why are you nervous?"

"I am afraid that being here in the temple will make you change your mind about allowing me to remain with Qui-Gon on the mission," Obi-Wan answered honestly, his face flushing slightly.

"Do not be ashamed for feeling that way, it is natural. But you should meditate on them and let your anxieties go."

"I heard what you said to Qui-Gon, that I would have a final evaluation at the conclusion of the mission, I asked Qui-Gon to help me meditate so that I could focus on the mission. I did let those anxieties go, but coming back to the temple has brought some of them back."

"Obi-Wan it is not our desire for you to feel uncomfortable in your home. Returning to the temple should bring relaxation and peace. How can I help you achieve peace?"

Obi-Wan was silent, contemplating the question as he gazed at the shrubs in the garden. "I understand that I should let my anxieties go and simply focus on being a Jedi, but at times it is difficult to do so whe

 

Cool story so far. Lots of intrigue. I'm not following EVERY detail of the mystery and clues, but I understand enough to get by. (Probably not your fault that I can't follow, by the way . . . I've had a persistent headache for several days now.) Anyway, I look forward to seeing where you go with this.

 

So the slice was a front-job for a deeper slice. I liked how you explained where the information was coming from and how the daughter knew what was going on with the slicing. And now the road leads to Offworld...

Good job.

 

Soo how is Xanatos going to use this scroll?

Even though Obi-Wan knows his weeknesses, it sounded omious when Yoda said Xanatos knew them too.

 

Most interesting developments! I look forward to reading more of this ..

 

This looks really interesting.

 

this is so cool...so technologically advanced it is great

 

Glad to see that the Council and Obi-Wan seem to have resolved some issues. So, now they have a lead. Looking forward to more!

 

Wow - i'm not used to posts that long on this site Not that i'm complaining mind you.

I really enjoyed the Mace/Obi scene - very well done and he seemed to really put Obi at ease. I thought you did Mace very well.

Lots of intrigue - I feel like I've missed something though But - as long as it leads to Xan, that's all I need to know. Very interested in your version of Xan

--shan

 

Ok, now that the Writers Race is over I can probably get a new chapter out over the weekend.

Maychorian I hope your headache is gone. Perhaps if it is and you still find things confusing you could let me know so I can make sure it is clear.

dianethx Thank you! I actually know nothing about programming and hacking computers so I'm glad it sounded good.

Jodiwent Xanatos is going to use the scroll to cause havoc! And yes, Xanatos is going to try and use Obi-Wan's weakness against him--to mixed results.

Layren Glad you liked it. Thank you for reading and responding!

Padawan Kitara Glad to have you here.

son-of-kenobi heh, well, I'm glad it sounds good-I am pretty much technologically-illiterate where it concerns more than using the internet so I have fine tuned the art of pretending to know more than I do for my writing.

Gina It becomes important later that the council and Obi-Wan have reached somewhat of an understanding,

Shanobi I am used to writing on ffn and for the most part they are long posts. I don't ususally like making short posts. Oh, good, I'm glad you thought Mace was done well. I was nervous about that.
Missed something? well, if you tell me what is confusing you I'll see if I can make it clearer.
I don't particularly like Xanatos so I'm not sure how you'll like him in this, but I think my characterization of him is fair. Basically he is Evil!Xan and has a big grand plot but something happens that he does not count on and his "back door" is efficiently cut off by his own arrogance.

 

ok, stealing time on my roommate's computer to write more of the chapter because my computer needs repairs. I will try to get at least part of the chapter out tonight, but it won't be the whole thing.

 

Ok, here is the first couple of pages of chapter two.

Chapter Two: Closer to you

ooOOoo
?light and dark together only can create the needed emergence.

There was something wrong with that translation. It was close, but slightly off. Studying the text again Xanatos rubbed his head. This translating was frustrating work. He had been at it for hours and he had already had the urge to fry the scroll to a crisp five times.
He concentrated on the scroll again trying to figure out the last sentence again.

?light and dark together only can create the needed emergence.

Emergence. That was where the problem was. It wasn?t quite the right meaning. He tested out other words.
Disturbance? Vergence? Distortion!

?light and dark together only can create the needed distortion.
Finally it sounded right.

He studiously bent over the next couple of lines trying to work out their meaning. It took him twenty minutes and his end product made even less sense than anything previously.

This fashions the dispassionate door within the obligation wherein courage and cowardice can intermingle and thus exposes it to empowerment from the most powerful. But, take heed in the facade of power that you not invite your ferocious vrelt to the conference chamber.

It was utterly, utterly wrong.
He groaned.

ooOOoo

Haritha 3 was not a planet to stand out in the galaxy. It was not beautiful like Alderaan. It was not covered in ice like Hoth, nor was it a desert like Praesitlyn. It had cities but it was no Coruscant. It had workers but it was no Vorzyd 5. It was just your average planet with its share of fields and cities. And Obi-Wan was utterly bored.

Five days of this planet had revealed nothing. It seemed that as soon as they got a promising lead the next step was just a dead end. Xanatos was too good at escaping situations. Neither covert nor overt investigation into the Offworld office gave them anything.

So they were back to square one. Again.

Obi-Wan was reviewing the communications logs from the past three months. He was supposed to correlate what they knew of Xanatos? actions with the off planet comm bills that told the when and where but not the what and who of the exchanges.

The communications from Talus had been the only easy ones to identify. For all he knew half these calls could be requisitioning more janitorial supplies for the cleaning droids. At first, he had thought that the length of time of the call might be a better indicator of whether Xanatos was involved or not, but was quickly disabused of that notion after he had found out (through careful questioning of a jealous secretary) that one particularly long conversation had actually been the manager of the Haritha facility speaking to his mistress who was vacationing on Corellia. Plus, Xanatos? communications from Talus had been of average length.

The teenager sipped at his tea and made a face as he discovered it had gotten cold. He set the cup back down and scrolled to the next section of the logs.
There were an awful lot of communications in the past two weeks to the planet Pimeys. Obi-Wan studied the numerous calls trying to divine whether or not they were important. He had never even heard of this planet.

Standing, and stretching his aching back, Obi-Wan walked to the galley on their shuttle to find Qui-Gon. The Master looked to be making himself a fresh cup of tea, taking a break from the records he had been reviewing. He glanced at his Padawan. ?Find anything?? He asked, not really expecting a positive answer.

?Maybe,? Obi-Wan said, ?have you ever heard of a planet called Pimeys??

Qui-Gon took a sip of his tea and leaned against the counter. ?Yes, its near Honoghr.?

?There are quite a few communications in the last few weeks to there. Would Xanatos take refuge there??

Qui-Gon set his cup down and held out his hand for Obi-Wan?s datapad. Handing it over, Obi-Wan waited to be told if this was important or not. The Master let out a sigh as h

 

Xanatos is sneaky

 

Oh, this is scary what he has planned. And I can't wait to find out what happens!

?True this is. But prepare him you must. Xanatos knows this weakness Obi-Wan has. If meet him you do, try he will to use that knowledge against him,? Yoda said.

?I will prepare him. But Obi-Wan knows his own vulnerabilities now and he will not allow himself to be easily swayed.?

This mission definitely has me on the edge of my seat!

 

Quite a lot of information to sort through, but that is how Xanatos is he loves setting traps,
and don't forget he always has a back door.
Nice writing.

 

PadawanKitara Yep Xanatos is very sneaky and manipulative and calculating. Everything works wonderfully in his plan right up to the moment it succeeds. Then the result is something he didn't count on.

Although I am almost afraid that I am setting this up *too* well ad the result will be anti-climactic. Because although Xanatos succeeds in his plan, he also fails spectacularly and Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan are almost bystanders in that event. *Shrugs* It'll work out...I hope...

Tangled_Sphere I hope this story can live up to your expectations (see note above). I'm glad you are anxious though-warms my heart as an author.
I can't wait to see A Shattered Mind

Gkilkenny Thanks for reviewing! Yep, Xanatos is not making it easy for them, even if he does want to lead them to him now. Yes Xanatos always has a back door, but eventually in this story he will...overstep himself and his back door, won't be as good as he thought.

 

Hopr your computer is fixed soon. Can't wait to see Xan and the boys interacting.