Before - Legends The Witch's Tree - (Obi-Wan, Qui-Gon, Adi, Siri) Complete 04/03

Title: The Witch?s Tree
Author: azizah
Summary: Siri and Obi-Wan are given some insight into their true feelings for each other when a witch casts a spell.
Disclaimer: I don?t own any recognizable star wars characters. I just do this for fun.


The ancient stone walls surrounding the city were impressive. They were meant to be impressive, an outward manifestation of power, protection, and privilege. Built in the days before blasters and laser cannons, they had effectively guarded the city for centuries against marauders, and invaders, and change.

More impressive still was the giant tree growing just outside the gates of the city, its massive gnarled limbs reaching outward and upward casting great shadows in all directions, dwarfing the petty stone structure of man, a testament to the power of the Living Force. Its strength and vitality unstinted, unlike the walls that where a dead reminder of bygone days, remaining past their usefulness only because the effort to remove them had become too great. The descendants of the people who built them lacked the will or the fortitude for such an endeavor.

According to legend, the tree had always been there. There had been no seed, no sapling, it had towered into the heavens for the entire recorded history of the planet. It was revered as well as feared. It was said that its sap could paralyze and to taste its rare fruit brought certain death. Yet the locals also believed that to run your hand over its smooth yellow bark brought luck and to sleep in its shade brought strength and wisdom.

Wisdom that was much needed today Qui-Gon Jinn thought with a sigh, as he stood at the window looking out on the city, the treaty papers he had been working on the better part of the day, incomplete and unattended on the table behind him. Time was running short and a solution to the city?s problems had yet to present itself. There was important work to be done. And yet he remained at the window, watching for the return of his apprentice.

Qui-Gon did not know why he allowed the distraction. The work was certainly tedious, but he had known worse. He was a devoted teacher and master, but hardly a doting creche-mother. And yet he found himself at the window each afternoon at the hour appointed for his padawan?s return to the city.

He heard the laughter and voices first, then the massive forged iron gates to the city were slowly opened by the armed sentry droids, an odd pairing of the ancient with the new. A group of teenagers entered, the sons and daughters of the old royalty, the last of their kind. The Jedi were here at the request of the ruling families to help dismantle the oligarchy and establish a more modern form of government. Not an easy task for a society so steeped in tradition and unaccustomed to change.

Qui-Gon?s eyes automatically sought out his padawan learner. A boy of fifteen, a boy who by appearances was very much like all the other boys in the group.

Obi-Wan Kenobi blended easily in the crowd of young people. He joined in the talking and laughter as if he had been a part of the group for years, not the odd handful of days since their arrival, the glint of a lightsaber hilt at his belt the only reminder that he did not share the carefree existence of his companions.

Qui-Gon watched his padawan casually step back and take a rear guard position as the group slowed to move through the security checkpoint, continuing an animated conversation with a young princess even as he checked the area for danger. Few observers would have noticed the slight hand signal motioning to one of his companions to take over the watch position as he kept the rest of the party moving through the gates and into the city.

Even at a distance Qui-Gon was amused to read irritation in the slouch of Siri Tachi?s shoulders as she stepped back and assumed an apparently careless stance, leaning against the wall as she discreetly scanned the area for any sign of a threat. She was not one to take orders easily.

No, these two were definitely were se

 

Interesting to see where this will lead to. Please PM me

 

He bowed quickly and hurried from the room, knowing without turning that Siri was right behind him.

?Well, here is my chance to outshine your boyfriend, Jori. I will actually talk to the witch. I?ll tell you all about it when I get back.

?No you won?t.? Siri said, flashing him a quick smile her eyes bright with determination, a look that he always admired. ?Because I?m going with you.?

That's Siri all right!

Wonderfully done and quite unique.

 

so Yoda can be a witch huh (well, minus the long hair )

bad cover, Siri

This should be interesting, i cant wait to see what hapens to these two

Please add me to ur pm list when u update

 

I like....can't wait to see what happens.

 

Siri was horrified to see a faint blush creep across Obi-Wan?s face. So, she was right!

Then why did she suddenly feel like hitting something, hard?

Because you LUUUV him! ( Sorry, I was momentarily transported back to the third grade) I can't wait to see what happens with *gasp!* the witch.

J_Ro

 

Very nice.

I loved Siri and Obi-Wan teasing each other about their "crushes."

Their trip to the Yelba tree should be very interesting.

Looking forward to more

 

Earlybird-obi-wan ? Thanks for reading.

VaderLVR64 ? Thank you, this was actually for a Halloween challenge awhile ago.

Veloz ? On my list, thanks for reading.

Valairy-Scot ? Thanks for reading.

Jaded_Rose - Because you LUUUV him! Of Course, but its so secret even she doesn?t know.

Kelia ? Thanks, here you go.

 

Part 2


?So you believe this woman, the one who lives under the great tree, could be instrumental in enacting the treaty?? Adi Gallia suppressed a small sigh, it had been a long day of pointless bickering and endless discussions of protocol. She stood before the table of food deciding, and wondering vaguely where her padawan had got too.

She had not seen Siri all day, but she wasn?t worried, there was little danger on the planet. All indications pointed to a peaceful transition, the terms of the new government long ago agreed upon, only the formal signing of the treaty and newly drafted constitution remained a sticking point. Tradition required that the head of the oldest most distinguished family be the first to sign any new law or decree. This had proved to be a major obstacle as several of the ruling families in the city lay claim to the distinction. Endless days of discussion and exhaustive debates over lineage had ensued and little progress had been made.

If Qui-Gon?s research into the old woman?s ancestry proved correct, if she really was the last descendant of the city?s founding family, and if she was willing to sign the documents, it could end the dispute and save further delay.

?If you are right, it is a rather important errand on which to send your young padawan alone,? Adi said, choosing a ripe piece of fruit and her words carefully. She did not want to sound as if she questioned the other Jedi master?s judgement, although if truth be told she rather doubted the wisdom of sending an inexperienced boy on such a critical assignment.

If Qui-Gon picked up on the censure in her tone, he showed no outward sign. He sliced a small red melon with a knife and offered her half. Adi bowed her head, graciously accepting the offering.

He waited until she had bitten into the fruit before responding. ?But Obi-Wan did not go alone. Siri went with him.?

Adi swallowed hard and had to clear her throat twice before she trusted herself to speak without choking.

?You sent her with him??

?No, she decided to go on her own.?

?And you let her?!?

?I saw no reason to stop her.?

Adi closed her eyes briefly and Qui-Gon was almost sure he saw her elegant brows crease ever so slightly in chagrin, before her features relaxed back into perfect serenity, her voice betraying nothing a long moment later when she finally spoke.

?Siri is a fine Jedi padawan, her dedication, loyalty, and natural fighting ability are unquestionable. However, as a negotiator of a delicate situation, I am afraid she still has much to learn. This woman may be difficult to persuade.?

Qui-Gon smiled inwardly. It was rare for Adi to admit weakness openly. ?Siri and Obi-Wan have worked well together in the past, they each have individual strengths that compliment the other?s, I am sure there is no need for concern.?

?I must respect the trust you place in your apprentice, Qui-Gon, but although Obi-Wan has shown some promise as a diplomatic negotiator, he is young and inexperienced, and Siri is not easily lead. I do not believe the council would approve of sending them alone on this assignment. There is still much that could go wrong.?

?Then this could prove to be a valuable lesson for them both.? The expression in Qui-Gon?s green-grey eyes was mild, but his jaw was set. He was not always as cautious as the Jedi council could hope.

Adi looked as if she had more to say on the matter, but seemed to change her mind for all she said was, ?I certainly hope you are right, Qui-Gon.?

&

The afternoon sun was low in the sky and the two young Jedi had yet to return. Qui-Gon and Adi sat in silence in the common room of their shared apartments. If Qui-Gon was worried, he showed no outward sign as he sat diligently translating some ancient cannon of law, several data pads open on the table in front of him, searching for subtle variances in meaning that the language droids often overlooked.

But Adi Gallia uncharacteristically could not settle herself in any occupation. She had started to read the

 

Nice chapter

He was met with only a blank look. Not exactly the advice Yoda would have given. He searched for a bit of old Jedi wisdom.

?Pay close attention to the Living Force and it will lead you to true understanding of others.? Unoriginal perhaps, but it had worked for Jedi masters for thousands of years.

?I want you to meditate on the matter while I am gone.?

So characteristic of Qui-Gon

 

Ha,Ha, that was funny.

I love the stand Qui-Gon took

Keeping out of the way

very nice story.

 

omg this was too funny

Qui Gon was way too funny here, wanting to laugh and leaving Obi Wan alone to figure it on his own... good luck Obi

I'm curious to read what the witch is going to tell Qui Gon and what Siri will say to Adi

Wonderful chapter, i really enjoyed it

And tnx for the pm

 

This was really funny but also intriguing. Why would Obi-Wan think Siri was a frog, why did she black out and what happened with the witch? All questions that I assume will be answered eventually.

Great job with this. I think you've done wonderfully with the characters and the situation. If you have a PM list, please put me on it.

 

Yea a SiriWan! *jumps up and down*

I am enjoying you tale please put me on your pm list!

I loved Qui's generic advice I can relate!

?Remember padawan, you cannot let the good opinion of others, even your fellow Jedi, rule your actions. You must do what you think is right, even if they refuse to see your point of view.?

He was met with only a blank look. Not exactly the advice Yoda would have given. He searched for a bit of old Jedi wisdom.

?Pay close attention to the Living Force and it will lead you to true understanding of others.? Unoriginal perhaps, but it had worked for Jedi masters for thousands of years.

?I want you to meditate on the matter while I am gone.?

?Where are you going??

?I am going to talk to the witch.?

 

?It was really true love that saved him.?

Duh!

I loved Siri's reaction when she realized what it would mean if she had been turned into a frog. Poor girl

Hopefully Qui-Gon will have better success with the witch.

Great update

 

Gkilkenny ? I?m glad you liked it.

Veloz ? Thanks, Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan are my favorites to write.

Dianethx ? Thanks, as far as questions answered, maybe not. This was originally a lot longer with the corresponding scenes at the witch?s house, but it seemed to work better when I just deleted them. I hope so anyway.

obsessedwithSW ? It?s my first SiriWan, glad you liked it.

Kelia ? Hopefully Qui-Gon will have better success with the witch. Check it out and see. Thanks for reading.

 

Part 3

Obi-Wan had washed and changed and sat cross legged on the floor of his sleeping chamber, doing his best to follow his master?s instructions. Maybe if he concentrated hard enough he could figure how to make things go back to the way they used to be, back when things were simpler, back when all he had to worry about with Siri was beating her in light saber practice.

Maybe his master was right, maybe if he listened to the Living Force it would help him understand what Siri expected from him. And so he let go of his emotions, his failure and his frustrations and opened himself up to the Force and he tried, he really tried. But no clear path was illuminated and no absolute truth revealed. It showed him nothing, absolutely nothing.

The Force, he thought wryly, was sometimes as unpredictable as Siri. At least to him. Obi-Wan knew the Force transcended gender and did not possess the characteristic of human pettiness, but there were times when he couldn?t help but wonder if the Force was a not decidedly female.

He was just about to give up when Adi Gallia walked into the room without knocking.

Obi-Wan stood and bowed warily, hoping the perceptive Jedi master had not picked up on that last line of thinking.

?Where is your master, Obi-Wan? I need to speak with him.?

?He is not here.? Obi-Wan answered carefully, not completely sure why he hesitated to reveal his master?s whereabouts.

?I can see that, Obi-Wan.? Adi?s usual mask of serenity had slipped, her irritation evident. ?Will you kindly tell me where he has gone??

?He went to see the old witch, to try to salvage the negotiations.? He could not quite look her in the eye, remembering his failed assignment and the impending consequences.

?Alone?? It was only a word, but it seemed to imply that this too was somehow his fault.

Obi-Wan nodded silently.

?I suppose it is time I go and meet this woman for myself.? Her voice implied she had had enough of this nonsense and it was time she dealt with the matter on her own, and without another word to Obi-Wan she left the room.

&&

It was starting to get dark and the two Jedi masters had yet to return. Obi-Wan and Siri sat in silence in the common room. Neither had spoken a word since Siri had entered, a hard closed expression on her face, now scrubbed pink and shining. Obi-Wan sat on the floor, pretending to meditate. He was not really trying, he wasn?t in the mood and it would have been impossible to focus anyway with Siri in constant motion, for she had begun pacing from one side of the room to the other.

After a final turn, Siri stopped herself and went to look out the window. The room became perfectly still, so still that both padawans jumped when Adi Gallia stormed in, her headpiece more than a little askew and an expression as dark as a thunder cloud on her face.

?Master?? Siri exclaimed, unsettled by the agitated look on her master?s usually calm face.

Gone was the famous composure of the Jedi Master Adi Gallia, her voice shook with emotion when she caught her breath and was finally able to speak, ?It was the w-witch, she did it again!?

?S-She turned Qui-Gon into a frog!?

It was only then that both padawans looked down in unison at the object in Adi?s outstretched hands. It was a rather large and rather muddy green frog. It stared back at them with unblinking yellow eyes.

?What?!? Obi-Wan looked at the creature uncertainly.

?I-I went to her house, to t-talk to her. And there he was, on the table, by an empty teacup!?

Adi must have heard the tremor in her own voice for she took a deep breath and struggled to compose herself. She had some success in reigning in her emotions and she allowed herself a moment to think the matter through before she spoke, this time in a relatively calm voice, ?We must figure out a way to transform him back. The formal treaty signing is due to start any minute and protocol demands that the signature be witnessed by two Jedi masters. Even if we can get them to agree on who signs first, the missi

 

i loved this update!

The Force, he thought wryly, was sometimes as unpredictable as Siri. At least to him. Obi-Wan knew the Force transcended gender and did not possess the characteristic of human pettiness, but there were times when he couldn?t help but wonder if the Force was a not decidedly female.
could be, dear Obi Wan... could be

Gone was the famous composure of the Jedi Master Adi Gallia, her voice shook with emotion when she caught her breath and was finally able to speak, ?It was the w-witch, she did it again!?

?S-She turned Qui-Gon into a frog!?
this was great, i can just picture everyone staring at the poor frog


?Of course I?ve tried kissing him, several times, but it doesn?t seem to be working.? Adi turned to Obi-Wan, ?Was there anything special about the way you kissed Siri??

A horrified Obi-Wan was afraid to answer. Siri and Obi-Wan looked at each other knowingly. There was no way either one of them was going to explain.
i can see Obi Wan's panicked face here ... i dont think u want to hear the answer to that one, Adi

Obi-Wan and Siri stood dumbstruck, a condition that never plagued Siri for long. The length of a breath later she rounded on Obi-Wan, ?If you ever, ever breathe a word of this to any one Obi-Wan Kenobi. I will personally kill you.?

And for the second time in so many hours she stormed from the room.

Obi-Wan looked down at the frog in his hands and slowly shook his head. It did not matter what his master said. There was not enough Jedi wisdom in the galaxy that would ever help him understand women.
go Siri!

Typical men

Tnx a lot for this story... it was really refreshing and i enjoyed it very much... great job

 

That was hilarious. I can just picture the elegant Adi kissing a poor, hapless frog and him trying to get away from this weird human. LOL.

I wonder if the two Masters will ever figure out just what happened between Siri and Obi-Wan. I'm sure Qui-Gon won't let it lie...

Great job. Loved the whole thing!

 

?Of course I?ve tried kissing him, several times, but it doesn?t seem to be working.? Adi turned to Obi-Wan, ?Was there anything special about the way you kissed Siri??

A horrified Obi-Wan was afraid to answer. Siri and Obi-Wan looked at each other knowingly. There was no way either one of them was going to explain.

Very Cute!
Loved the visual of Adi kissing a frog!

Well tat is one way Obi and Siri can recognize their feelings.

Welcome to the world of SiriWan shippers!

 

Qui-Gon a frog? he loves pathetic creatures, but turning into one

Picturing Adi kissing him

And that interaction between Obi-Wan and Siri at the end


"And for the second time in so many hours she stormed from the room.

Obi-Wan looked down at the frog in his hands and slowly shook his head. It did not matter what his master said. There was not enough Jedi wisdom in the galaxy that would ever help him understand women. "

great story

 

Oh poor Adi!!

I certainly hope nobody breathes a word of what happened on this mission to anyone

Very nice job on this

 

What a great story ... I wish there were more of them...

 

Veloz ? i dont think u want to hear the answer to that one, Adi ? uh no . Thank you so much for your comments, they made my day.

Dianethx ? It?s a relief to hear that people thought it was funny. I get a little nervous writing humor because even if I am cracking up while I write, I still wonder if someone else will think its funny.

obsessedwithSW ? thanks for reading. I have another sortof siriwan idea, but I have a few other stories to finish before I will let myself start another.

earlybird-obi-wan ? thanks, and just so you know, I almost did turn Qui-Gon into a frog.

Kelia ? Yes, poor Adi. I particularly enjoyed messing with her. Thanks for reading.

Romola ? Thanks, I am glad you liked it.

azizah

 

Oh boy, love Adi's reaction. LOL, wonder what Qui was up to while they didn't know where he was? And I wonder what really did happen earlier between Siri and Obi. Poor Obi, he'll never really get it.

Great story!