Before - Legends Nothing As It Seems (Obi-Wan, Qui-Gon, Siri, OCs) Author's Note 07/03

Prologue


?What are you doing?? Aiden Kenobi asked, flopping on his elder brother?s bed.

Ben, formerly the Jedi apprentice Obi-Wan, eyed his brother with a look that told the boy it should
be obvious. ?I?m preparing for father?s ?talks? with Boss Unngol. I?m attending the meeting as
security.?

At eight, Aiden had not yet learned the fine art of sarcasm and missed the tone Ben applied to the
word ?talks?. ?Are you going to fight, Boss Unngol??

?We?re hoping my presence will convince him not to cause any problems.? Since Ben?s return to his
family, Aiden had taken to worshiping the ground Ben walked upon. The boy was not aware of their
father?s illegal affairs and the fact that Ben had once been Jedi didn?t help matters. ?Sit upright.
You?re going to make all the blood rush to your head.?

Aiden switched from his prone position on his back to lying on his stomach. He propped his head
in his hand. ?Boss Unngol isn?t going to be very pleased with father, is he??

?Most likely,? Ben answered. He sighed, half amused, half exasperated. ?Was there something you
needed, Aiden??

?Just bored,? the boy answered with a grin. It was at such times that Ben was struck by how similar
Aiden looked to a young Obi-Wan Kenobi, despite the fact that they did not share the same mother.
The same arresting blue eyes, the Kenobi dimple in the chin, and the ruddy brown locks. It made Ben
miss the boy Obi-Wan had been. ?When you?re done with the meeting will you come and play
VirReal games with me??

Aiden was an addict of virtual games and had become so proficient that even with Ben?s training, the
boy could give him a run in the gladiator arena.

He nodded. ?Of course, but after the meeting, which means I must get to my research, Aid.?

The boy shook his head in exaggerated morose. ?Research, study. Gads, Ben, you sound like my
tutor.?

?Speaking of which?? Ben said with a sadistic **** of a his brow.

?I know. Homework.? He slid off Ben?s bed, threw his brilliant blue eyes to the ceiling, and
stomped towards the door of his quarters.

?Get Elli to help you,? Ben called after his sulking half-brother.

?Sure. Sure.?

The amused grin faltered as soon as the boy was out of his sight. Despite his previous words, he set
aside his datapad that consisted of all the personality traits of those inside Boss Unngol?s retinue, and
walked a circuit around his quarters.

Seven times the space he?d had at the Jedi Temple, Ben often found himself bemoan the luxury.
Where he?d always found his Temple quarters homey and warm, he found his home room empty and
cold. Eventually, he stopped at his transparasteel viewport, gazing out at the stars beyond.

He did not let himself think which one belonged to Coruscant.

He made his choice, he?d left the Jedi once again and was now a part of one of the largest criminal
organization in the galaxy. There was nothing he could do to change that now.

---

Qui-Gon Jinn sat inside his cabin, distracted from his mission parameters by the dazzling starlines that
represented space at lightspeed. The Council had been particularly cruel in their wisdom and he
wanted to give himself a few moments distance before taking his lead in the mission. Apparently,
Master Adi Gallia had been called away on important Council business just before she was to depart
with her Padawan to the Noayt system, leaving the mission and the apprentice in Qui-Gon?s hands.

His relationship with Siri Tachi, once one of respect and affection, had dwindled to awkward
acquaintance since Obi-Wan had left the Jedi months after being told that he had to reign in his love
for his fellow apprentice.

Qui-Gon was sure that there was a fair amount of blame being directed on both sides, but each Jedi
doing their best to maintain the honor and respect of their positions. The continued awkwardness
was most likely one of the reasons the Council had deemed Qui-Gon the Master to attend this
mission.

Petty jealousy and unfo

 

Obi-Wan?s in the mob!

You have me hooked. I loved all the detail, that Obi-Wan kept his braid, how he straightens the silverware. Lovely.

And the ending?

A ghost of a smile flitted on his severe features, there and gone in a blink of an eye. He?d almost
looked just as he had before Obi-Wan left. And he? d nearly smiled at her. Maybe he did not blame
her as greatly as she imagined, as greatly as she blamed herself.

I can already tell I am going to love it.

 

Now this is different, Obi-Wan living with the mafia.

He has brothers too, how old is Obi-Wan?

Has he really left the Jedi order

Keep writing

 

I wanted to do a family story for Obi-Wan, but I wanted it to be a bit different. So thanks for reading.

Brothers and a sister, though we haven't been formally introduced yet.

 

Well I can already tell that I'm going to love this! Please PM me when you update!

 

Cool story! I like this approach. Please PM me when you update!

 

Obi left because of the attachment rule but Siri didnt?
I assume they will meet again. Pm me when you update Zara.

 

Wow, thanks. You're on the list.

I will indeed.

You are very smart. Thanks for reading.

 

Chapter 1:

Boss Unngol arrived late. Ben watched his father for any signs of displeasure, but saw none and
felt only a vague sense annoyance.

Ben had not met the crime boss before, but in this instance he was grateful for his Jedi training.
Unngol?s carapace had been shined to an ebony that in the right light, looked to hold a swirling
mix of color. His limbs in contrast were crimson, knobby and joined. Four he planted firmly on
the ground and four he kept at his side, one set just below the first where the shoulder line would
have been on a human. The head was seed shaped and planted on a long stem of a neck in the
same hue as his hard midsection.

Unngol had no teeth, but a large beak-like mouth that he used to chop his food in half before
swallowing it whole. And if that did not help, the double set of pincers, each honed to a edge of a
nanometer, at the end of his arms would take care of anything that meant to put up a fight.

Ben had researched Araknians but the visuals did little for the live sample before him. Every
angle of the crime boss was hard, sharp, and dangerous.

Raith embraced Unngol as though they were long friends instead of wary competition. One of the
first rules Ben had learned after returning to his father was that everyone was family under the
Kenobi cartel until they weren?t.

Resting a hand on Unngol?s ridged spine, Raith directed the Araknian?s attention to Ben.
?Unngol let me introduce my son and the future of my Empire, Ben Kenobi.?

Ben dipped a bow in favor of shaking the vicious claw. ?Boss Unngol, a pleasure.?

?I did not know you had another son, Raith.? Unngol?s voice was a rising and falling hum, like a
bow string against the cords of an out of tune lute. It was oddly beautiful and hypnotic. Ben
tightened his mental shields and placed a layer of protection over his father. ?Been hiding him
have you??

?Ben was taken away from us for many years, he only found his way back two years ago. Yet he
has already proven to be a valuable asset.?

The pride in Raith?s voice was unmistakable and Ben felt all the eyes in the room fall upon him.
Before, he had only been Raith?s son, the muscle of his father?s arm. Now in just a few words,
he?d become more than competition, he was their future boss. Both gan Dral and gan Aussier had
been vying for the position.

In one swift move, Raith had taken the two divided entities and had united them against him.
What did Raith have in mind?

?A difficult position, young Kenobi,? Unngol hummed. ?Are you up to the task??

?I will not let my father down,? Ben answered. ?But that is all in the future, Boss Unngol, and
tonight is about the present. Shall we sit??

Raith gave him an approving nod and led the Araknian to his place at the table. Ben pulled the
chair for his father and gave a nod to the caterer to bring in the dinner. The diner itself went
smoothly, though tension built with every mouthful of the species inclusive grains and vegetables.

Gan Dral was a Corellian with skin the color of creamed cocoa. When he smiled, he flashed his
teeth, white and stark against his skin. He was handsome the same way a sculpture was, chiseled
out of cold rock. And shared about the same mentality. Raith kept him at hand because he could
make a kill mark with any blaster, at any distance. As per orders, he didn?t speak unless spoken
too, and tried to get by with a shake and nod of his head in all the right places.

The younger Kenobi was surprised on how well it worked.

The ability to speak does not mark intelligence, his former Master?s words came out of the
recesses of his mind before he could remember to shutter them.

He closed his eyes and worked on keeping his breathing even. Perhaps gan Dral showed a type of
wisdom by keeping his mouth shut.

On the other hand, there was gan Aussier, gan Cordala Aussier. Everything about her spoke of
high breeding, from her sunlight shimmersilk hair, to the jewels that decorate

 

This is good and I love it that Ben doesn't try to kill everyone he meets
but I did not understand this next remark

Ben breathed out a sigh and winced as the motion pulled at the wound. [b]?Master Thagger. But
what else could be done?? [/b]
?Only what you did, Ben. They could still hurt you. Until you are Lord Kenobi, we must keep
you masked.?

Who is Master Thagger?
Ben is in danger
Excellent story.

 

Raith sat Ben down once the room had been completely emptied of all save the boy and his father.
?How are you??

Ben had often marveled how quickly Raith could change from cold, ruthless crime Lord to
concerned father in a blink of the eye. He wondered if both were a facade or a facet of the man.
?I have had worse.?

?I did not expect him to charge you,? Raith said. He wrapped his hand into the other sleeve of his
tunic and gave a violent jerk. He pressed the torn sleeve to Ben?s side. ?I knew this step was
necessary but I would not have your life at risk.?

Loved the whole post, but this part in particular stood out for me.

 

This is really great. I love how vividly you paint these pictures. I also love how Ben is still acting like a Jedi (well, somewhat) even in a different situation.

I do wonder though, who is this "Master Thagger?" (Or was it Thaggar?)

Anyway, I hope you update soon-- I want to read more!

 

Excellent action!
It's hard to believe that Obi-Wan would be ok with organized crime. I am glad he goes by Ben now to separate the two.
I think a little bit of conscience shows up in the form of Qui-Gan's words. What will happen when the two are on opposite sides?

 

WOW! A truly excellent story. I can't wait to see how this unfolds!

 

Very interesting story. I liked Qui-Gon's voice in Ben's head and that he tried to negotiate with someone who was trying to kill him. Very Nice.

I can't wait to see where this is going.

 

In the next chapter you'll get some of your questions answered, especially concernly Master Thagger.

Raith is a complicated man and him switching from usurping his fellow criminal to being a doting father was definitely something I felt was important.

Ben still has much of his discipline. More soon.

Action is fun and we'll be seeing a lot of it. It's very difficult to see Obi-Wan as a criminal and its difficult to write. Qui-Gon's voice does remain with him though, it guides him in some ways and reminds him of all that he's left behind. It won't be easy for him to shake.

Thank you. More soon.

Qui-Gon is sort of haunting him and soon they will be together face to face.

 

Chapter 2

Vardan city was a stark contrast compared to the other parts of Da?cargen that Qui-Gon and Siri had
traveled through. It was cleaner, the buildings more grand. Lights in neon colors directed the
travelers to come to this gambling establishment or to that club.

On the outside, none of it was illegal. Gambling had been opened to a number of systems and there
was no law against sharing a drink with a few friends. Qui-Gon would not have looked twice at them
if he was not sure that there was something else going on.

Yes, everything looked cleaner, but he couldn?t help but feel dirty.

He?d felt it before, in Hutt space, where life was bartered for such simple things as pleasure and
domination. There were slaves on Da?cargen, no doubt. He felt their silent suffering echo out to him
through the living Force. It was a sick twist in his stomach.

Next to him, Siri was pale. Though the girl had not mastered all her gifts yet, Qui-Gon new that she
shared his gift in the living Force and that she felt that distortion of spirit just as harshly, if not more,
as he did.

?Breath. Draw yourself in. It will pass in time,? he instructed softly.

She did as she was told and color returned to her face. ?Thank you.?

Qui-Gon gave a brief nod and returned to his survey of the streets before their hovercar came to a
halt in front of a set of stone stairs. The stairs led to the state building. It lacked the bright lights and
cultivated a more subtle beauty of white glistening stone.

The new magistrate of Da?cargen had based his campaign on cleaning up the streets of Da?cargen and
bringing stability to the planet, through trade with the Federation. Qui-Gon had not found anything
in the records indicating that any of Grizal?s words had been false, but he would be careful of giving
the magistrate too much benefit of the doubt.

On a planet like Da?cargen, leadership was not voted on, it was maneuvered and bought. Of course,
those with the credits were clever of creating the deception of civility.

They exited the hovercar and mounted the stairs. A girl, close to Siri?s age with auburn hair, soft
brown eyes and a round face greeted them.

?I?m sorry we did not know of your arrival, Master Jedi,? she said in a voice that was still slightly
girlish but had ventured into the realms of womanhood.

?Nothing to worry about,? Qui-Gon assured her. ?It was our pleasure to get a chance to mingle with
your people.?

The girl gave him a wry smile and locked gazes with Siri. ?Pardon my lack of faith, but our citizenry
is not always welcoming in the best manor. They can be a little touchy.?

Siri returned the girl?s smile with a grin of her own. ?You might find a change in protocol.?

The girl?s laughter was bright and light, like early morning rays from the sun. ?I had heard the Jedi
were persuasive. I?m Catalya, I?ll take you to see the Magistrate.?

As they followed Catalya, they passed a number of transparasteel framed offices, obviously rented
out to attorneys and business men to generate the cost of the building. They varied in degrees of
flamboyance, until they came to the Magistrate?s office. It was not austere by any means, but in
comparison it was stylish in its less-is-more approach.

Qui-Gon and Siri stood silently in front of a unmanned reception desk while Catayla disappeared into
a shadowed hall to inform Magistrate Grizal of their arrival.

Magistrate Grizal was a large being. He towered over Qui-Gon by a number of centimeters, had a
thing covering of grey fur and bright blue eyes. A native of Da?cargen, Robarans had fought their
way into Republic space.

Grizal had a paws in place of hands, the padding soft and leathery under Qui-Gon?s skin as he shook
the Magistrate?s paw in welcome.

?You do not look like you could be Master Adi Gallia,? Magistrate Grizal said on a huff. His voice
was naturally large and bold, as the man himself was.

Qui-Gon found himself smiling at the large

 

Another excellent post. I am enjoying this story as you reveal the plot bit by bit. It keeps me on the edge of my seat and wanting more! So, more please!

 

I want to keep my facts straight- Thagger was not the person Ben killed with his lightsaber because Obi-Wan would have known him on sight. If Ben didnt run Thagger threw then Ben is being set up to look like he did it.
Cant wait for more Zara!

 

Intrigue and murder most fowl, ah but was Master Thagger murdered.
I would like to know more.

Qui-Gon is sad, and so is Siri, they both miss Obi-Wan.

Brilliant update

 

Love how you're reeling out the facts bit by tanatlizing bit!

WOnderful!

 

Okay, I'm hooked!

Poor Qui-Gon and Siri. If/when they come face to face with Obi-Wan, it will be hard for all involved.

It's good that Obi-Wan/Ben is thinking/relying on his previous Jedi training. Then again, after eighteen years of knowing nothing else, it makes sense that he would fall back on what he knows best.

I can hardly wait to see where you take this. I've read your fics with Ben Skywalker, though I lurked on those threads, and loved each and every one. You have an incredible way of bringing characters to life and making them believable in all they do.

Please update soon!

 

Interesting.
Obi-Wan not a Jedi?

I have to know more!

Wonder what will happen when/if Qui-Gon and Siri meet Obi-Wan....

Looking forward to more!

 

can you add me to the pm list please?

 

Good story. please PM me when you update this.

EG