Before - Legends Assassin's Creed: a Jedi Apprentice Era Fic Obi-Wan, Qui-Gon, Xanatos Updated 9/10

Title: Assassin's Creed

Author: Broken_Circle

Timeframe: The early days of Obi-Wan's Apprenticeship

Warnings: AU.

Summary: Xanatos DelThani was ready to become a Knight. He had all but finished his Trials - one last mission would see him Knighted.... Or at least it would have. Taken by Togorian raiders, Xanatos is presumed dead. Eight years later, an assassination attempt on the life of a Senator will send Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan on a quest to find the assassin before civil war erupts on a small planet near the Outer Rim. In doing so, they may just change history.

Disclaimer: SW is owned by George Lucas and Lucas Lt. I do not own the Jedi Apprentice series nor any of its characters, more's the pity.

Notes: I went back through the Jedi Apprentice books and found out that it had been nearly ten years since the Telosian Civil War in Day of Reckoning, meaning that it had been about eight or nine years when Xanatos showed up again on Bandomeer. I have adjusted the math in this story accordingly. I got the idea for this particular fic from the strange coincidence of the Togorian attacks. It was interesting how Qui-Gon's last mission with Xanatos and his first with Obi-Wan were both punctuated by pirate raids and I found myself thinking how differently things could have gone if the timing had been just a little bit off either time. Italics equal speaking through the Master/Apprentice bond unless otherwise noted.
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Prologue:

They had not counted on pirates. The mission itself had been causing enough tension - both Master and Padawan resented the suggestion that Xanatos was unready to become a Knight, and wanted nothing more than to get in, complete their objective, and return to the Temple. The first pirate attack had left the ship reeling - the second came out of nowhere and occurred while the pilot was still attempting to fix the shield generator. The Corellian, a human by the name of Stieg Wa, had been captured and they had perhaps five minutes before they were boarded in Xanatos?s estimation. The pirates would have to secure Stieg Wa, give the order to cease firing, and then they would be up to their ears in furry, stinking, noisy Togorians. They had five minutes to vacate the ship. Five minutes. The sirens were blaring as Xanatos dragged his master toward the escape pod, cursing fluently under his breath the whole way. They could not afford to delay, not for anything; every second lost was a second closer to destruction.

?Hurry!? Xanatos urged as the floor shook beneath their feet.

?Xanatos, what???

?I?ve programmed the escape pod to take us to Telos; if we can get there??

?Why?? The question stopped Xanatos in his tracks for just a moment; he turned to look at his Master with a grim smile on his face.

?I always have a back door,? he answered, then turned and led them deeper into the ship.

They had just barely reached the escape pods when another explosion rocked the ship. Xanatos watched in shock and horror as the lights on the escape pods changed from green to red without his ever pressing a button. A cursory examination told him all he needed to know; they were doomed.

?Master??

?I see. We?ll have to fight them off.?

?In this bucket of bolts?!?

?You were not so dubious a few hours ago, Padawan. We shall have to convince them that we?re not worth the trouble.? Xanatos nodded; they truly had no other option.

?I?ll try and make my way to the cockpit,? he said, anticipating his Master?s plans. Qui-Gon nodded.

?May the Force be with you,? he said. Xanatos nodded in return, not wasting time to return the sentiment.


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The noise was incredible; Qui-Gon could feel a raging headache building as he fought off one pirate after another, their war cries echoing in his ears. He had managed to force them into a tight corridor at last; their only option was to approach him one by one, making his job much easier than it might have bee

 

Very interesting start, Broken_Circle. You threw us right into fast-paced action! And left us with a missing Xanatos, which, together with your summary, makes me very curious as to where this will lead.

I hope you'll update soon

 

Impressive beginning

I loved all the action and the pacing was perfect.

But Xani is missing?

I have a feeling the pirates are going to regret taking him.

If you have a PM list for this, please add me

Looking forward to more

 

Great start!

Great action scenes, wish I could write like that.

I can't wait to read more of this, you've got me intrigued.

 

Seremela- Glad you liked the action! Here's the next update!

Kelia- The pirates may indeed live to regret their foolishness (that is if they don't kill each other first. Togorians have been known to do that!)

Bastet- *Blushes* Thanks! As requested, the next chapter, a little ahead of schedule!

Note: I'm going to try and update once a week until I run out of pre-written chapters, at which point all bets are off.

Chapter Two:
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Five days later:

?Master Jinn??

The question broke the silence, sounded strange against the overwhelming pall of grief that greeted Mace Windu when he walked through the door. He almost gasped at the sheer weight of the despair he could feel rolling off of Qui-Gon in waves. His stomach sank into his boots and without quite knowing how, he knew he had come too late.

?I came as soon as I got your message ? what happened?? he asked softly. Qui-Gon did not speak immediately ? there was a moment of heavy silence and then Qui-Gon answered him, his voice hoarse and strained.

?The bond snapped yesterday. I could feel him getting weaker but ? Force, Mace, I didn?t think?.? Windu gripped the door frame with a suddenly white-knuckled hand.

?He?s?.??

?That?s the only way it could have? could have broken?.? Qui-Gon gave a shuddery gasp of breath and shook his head. When he looked up, his eyes were red-rimmed and bloodshot, and a small part of Mace?s brain wondered when the last time was that the Jedi Master had gotten any sleep. The rest of him, however, was reeling in shock. How could it have happened? How had he? what could have?.

?I should have gone after him,? Qui-Gon said softly. ?I should have landed, explained the situation, and taken off again. No one would have??

?You couldn?t abandon the mission, Qui-Gon,? Mace said softly. ?You don?t even know where they?re headed.? Qui-Gon gave a hollow laugh.

?I?d say the mission doesn?t matter now,? he said bitterly. ?The entire planet?s gone into mourning. The governor?s son is dead.?

Eight years later:

Two lightsabers hummed in the stillness of the tournament room as the two initiates faced off against each other. One of them was taller than the other, with hair that threatened to be red upon reaching adulthood; the other was blonde and had a determined look on her face. Then, unexpectedly, one of them, the boy, lunged toward the other; the duel was over in a matter of minutes, with Obi-Wan Kenobi?s lightsaber resting at Siri?s collarbone. He grinned somewhat apologetically; she gave a huff of disgust but bowed with something resembling good grace.

?He has nowhere else to go, Qui-Gon,? Mace Windu murmured. The argument had been going for quite some time; since the first of Obi-Wan?s matches in fact. ?If you don?t take him, he?ll go to the Agri-Corps. A waste of potential, don?t you think?? Qui-Gon Jinn frowned pensively as he watched the next set of initiates pair off and bow.

?I?ve told you, Mace ? I have no desire to take on another student. Not after?? The name remained unspoken but it hung in the air between them anyway. Xanatos. The Padawan Qui-Gon had lost nearly a decade before, and for whose loss he still blamed Yoda and the Council to some degree. ?You?re lucky, my friend,? Qui-Gon said quietly. ?You?ve never felt a bond just vanish?? He trailed off, clearing his throat as if to change the subject. ?Surely there are other Masters who would take him?? Mace shook his head.

?None. All of them have Padawans or feel that it?s not right somehow. You are the boy?s last hope.? Mace shifted position slightly, putting a hand on the other Jedi?s shoulder. ?Qui-Gon, I know you still miss Xanatos; I know you blame the Council for what happened, and perhaps you?re right. But for Obi-Wan?s sake, will you at least consider it?? Qui-Gon was silent for a long moment. He had felt a certain sense of connection with young Obi-Wan Kenobi; the boy had determination, perseverance, and a strong desire to learn. In some ways he reminded Qui-Gon of Xanatos and yet

 

Wow great job you should consider writing it may be your calling. Looking forward to more

 

Interesting, a different take on the Bandameer episode. Thank the force Obi-Wan
wasn't rejected.

I look forward to more and a PM would be appreciated.

 

Another great part! Qui-Gon's grieve was so vivid in the beginning, and it must have been so hard for him that he had to wait for a replacement before he could go after Xanatos, only for it to be too late by then.

Since I have a firm suspicion that Xanatos didn't die I wonder what happened to make the bond snap.

I have to say I can understand Qui-Gon's resentment with the Council and that he wanted to be sure they wouldn't meddle again. Luckily he did accept Obi-Wan, I like that you changed that, although the 'rule of thirteen years' still seems to apply, stupid rule. But they seem to be off on a good start with each other, which is great.

Only they still go to Bandomeer and Qui-Gon feels uneasy.....

Do you *have* to wait a week before updating??? A pm when you do would be greatly appreciated!!

 

Hmmmm...I can't help but suspect Xanatos didn't die.

And if he didn't, I can't imagine he'd be too pleased that no one came to rescue him.

I'm glad to see Qui-Gon come to his senses and not refuse to take Obi as his apprentice.

Great update

 

Oops, I almost missed this! Do you give out PMs when you update? If so, I'd love one so I don't miss any of this wonderful story!

So the bond snapped but Xanatos didn't die, I wonder how that happened.

I'm very glad to see Qui-Gon taking Obi-Wan as his padawan more willingly than he did in the JA books.

And now their first missin is on Bandomeer, something tells me that can't be good...

Can't wait for more!

 

Dartheater- Thanks! And *blushes* I'm glad you liked it!

Gkilkenny- Thanks!

Seremela- I'm glad you liked the beginning of it - I hadn't included it on the first draft, so I'm glad it seemed realistic. Likewise I'm glad Qui-Gon came across ok - didn't want too much angst in there!

Kelia- You'll just have to wait and see about Xanatos (although the prologue was pretty obviously a set up, I have to say!)

Bastet- no, Bandomeer is just never a good place to be. Poor Qui and Obi!

And now on with the show!

Note: I have retained the presence of Offworld, because let's face it, Xanatos was not the only mercenary corporate type in the galaxy, and Hutts are never, never nice.
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Chapter Three

The Monument was a typical mining transport ship, which meant that it was dirty, crowded, and built more like the warren of some small animal than a ship on the inside. This environment was perfect for the Arconan miners, whose natural environment was predicated on the many caves of their home-planet. Qui-Gon Jinn, however, six feet tall and feeling every inch of it, was not so sanguine about the low-ceilinged corridors and twisting passages down which he could fully imagine himself or Obi-Wan becoming hopelessly lost.

The mission they?d been sent on seemed fairly simple; suitable for a newly paired team not quite used to each other yet. They were to accompany the founders of the Home Planet Mine and their Offworld competitors to the planet of Bandomeer and ensure that a peaceful settlement was made between the two rival companies. The chief problem lay in the Offworlders? reputation for brutality; people who disagreed with Offworld?s policies had an uncanny habit of turning up dead. Qui-Gon had felt the tension aboard the ship before they had even taken off, and the feeling did not improve as the journey got underway. They had settled into their quarters aboard ship and then spent the rest of the day outside them, getting a feel for the relationship between the two groups, and Qui-Gon had spent a great deal of time talking with Clat?Ha, the leader of the Home Planet Mine division.

Qui-Gon, despite every injunction against feeling any particular affinity for either side, liked Clat?Ha. The young Meerian had a down-to-earth, practical approach to life and went about business with a bluntness that was refreshing after what seemed like hours of dancing around the disagreement. The Hutt in charge of the Offworld miners on the other hand was, well? a Hutt. He had an unctuous way of speaking that grated on Qui-Gon?s nerves and his small, darting black eyes held a look of cunning that put the Jedi Master on his guard. Jemba, he had been informed, had a nasty reputation; wherever he went disasters seemed to follow, although they never affected Offworld interests, only those of competitors. After speaking with the Offworld representative for just five minutes, Qui-Gon could believe it.

Impossible though it seemed, the leaders of the two mining groups were at each other?s throats within the first day of the journey. The gist of the problem was that the Arconan tunneling machines had been sabotaged, their thermocoms stolen and their coring couplers rigged so that they would not disengage. This meant that the machines, which dug into rock and soil, would become overheated and, with the coring couplers rigged, the driver would be unable to shut the machine off, causing meltdown and the death of everyone inside the tunneler. Clat?Ha and Jemba had already had one heated exchange over the matter, and Qui-Gon wanted to avoid another meeting which could lead to outright war between the two sides. For this reason he found himself examining one of the more cramped corners of the ship, looking for something about eight centimeters wide.

He?d had to hold Obi-Wan back from storming into the Offworld side of the ship. The boy was young and every bit as hotheaded as Qui-Gon himself had been at that age; having been raised in the Temple, he did not understand tha

 

Haa! the pirates have arrived and Xanatos isn't dead, of course he's not.
He has to give them a hard time on Bandameer!

 

Ooh, this is a cool story! I can't wait for more.

- Serena

 

Pirates coming.....Xanatos not dead afterall.......sounds like there's a connection. Very intriguing AU on the Xanatos story. And nice interaction between Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan.

 

Broken_Circle, thank you very much for the pm! And even more for the update itself

Stieg Wa... now, HIM turning up I had no expected! And what he tells about Xanatos... in bad shape but not that bad...

Hmmmm... what more makes a bond snap besides death? Headwound maybe? A headwound with certain consequences????? One that might explain why Xanatos never came back to the Jedi???????

And now they are under attack!!! Which means worrying about how this may end and what (or who) they might meet right up until the next update, darn.

And I liked how Qui-Gon handled Obi-(young hothead)-Wan in this one

 

Ooohhhh the pirates have struck again!

I certainly hope the outcome will be better this time around



Great update

 

Uh oh, pirates!

And now Qui-Gon knows that Xanatos might possibly not be dead!

Can't wait for more, and thanks for the PM!

 

GKilKenny - Hehe. Wait and see.

JediXManSerenaKenobi- Thanks! Here's the next part.

ardavenport- Intriguing can be a good thing! Glad you liked it.

Seremela- you're more than welcome! Glad I've got you thinking - although I'm afraid you won't get your answers in this chapter.

Kelia- yep, more pirates. Glad you liked the last chapter!

Bastet- you're very welcome. Yes, Qui-Gon is starting to get a clue.

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They were halfway to the bridge when the shields began to fail. The barrage of fire from the Togorian warships rocked the ship, slamming into the sides with devastating accuracy. The moaning of the Arconans became a high-pitched wail, echoing in Qui-Gon?s ears and adding to the nearly intolerable noise-level aboard the ship. A second broadside brought the shields down entirely and knocked the two Jedi and their companions off their feet momentarily. When they struggled to their feet again, they found themselves next to a transparisteel view port. Qui-Gon could see five Togorian warships through the view port, all of them shaped like red birds of prey. Two of them screamed past the port, emitting green bolts of blaster fire as they went. The Monument?s guns had fallen silent, and now Qui-Gon could see why ? the gun turrets had been blown away. All that remained of them and presumably the crew manning them was burning bits of wreckage. Though fire alarms continued to sound, no one was shouting orders from the bridge ? the ship hung dead in space and now a Togorian cruiser raced toward the ship. The direction the cruiser had been headed in meant only one thing ? they were about to be boarded.

As if to confirm his conclusion, the fire from the warships ceased. The entire corridor went eerily silent save for the wailing of the fire alarms ? the Arconans, terrified, had retreated to their rooms and the rest of the ship?s occupants were waiting, tensed. In the few moments left before the pirates were on-board, Qui-Gon turned to his small group.

?We have to wait for them to come aboard," he said tersely. "We can only maneuver once we are certain that the other ships will refrain from firing if only to avoid killing their own men. Clat?Ha, would any of your miners be willing to fight?? The Meerian shook her head.

?They?re mainly Arconans. There may be a few willing to try, but I doubt they would get far.? Qui-Gon nodded. It was what he had expected, but it never hurt to be sure. They would need all the back-up they could find.

?The Off-Worlders most likely will not suffer from the same reluctance,? he observed. ?I think we may count on them to hold their own. Above all else, we have to get the ship moving; if we don?t do that then we?re all dead. Stieg Wa??

?No worries ? I can pilot this thing,? the Corellian said. Qui-Gon felt a brief burst of relief ? he would not have to send Obi-Wan to pilot the ship, would not have to?

?Some of the crew may still be alive and need help ? two people should go,? Clat?Ha pointed out. For a brief second, Qui-Gon wanted to round on the Meerian, wanted to tell her to go along if she was so worried about the crew. Another part of him, however, the more reasonable part, knew that she was not the logical one to go. At least one member of the party sent to the bridge should have a lightsaber, and that meant ? that meant sending his twelve-year-old Padawan into the exact same situation he had sent Xanatos into and hoping that somehow the Force would protect the second apprentice where it had not protected the first. He closed his eyes for a brief second, his stomach churning at the thought of what he was about to do. There was no choice ? Obi-Wan would have to go, and Qui-Gon would have to trust him to come back, preferably in one piece. The situation was not exactly the same ? Stieg Wa would be with him and ?

?Master?? Qui-Gon opened his eyes only to lock onto Obi-Wan?s bright blue gaze. ?Not Xanatos. Not a dingy Corellian freighter. Concentrate on the here and now, Qu

 

Great action!! And now the battle is over... with Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon having survived sofar, although Qui-Gon is hurt....

Where o where is this going????? And nothing yet on Xanathos.

*pondering mightily on all the possible ways this fic might go and hoping for a fast update *

 

Wow, definitely some great action.

At least one member of the party sent to the bridge should have a lightsaber, and that meant ? that meant sending his twelve-year-old Padawan into the exact same situation he had sent Xanatos into and hoping that somehow the Force would protect the second apprentice where it had not protected the first. Poor Qui-Gon! But at least the Force did protect Obi-Wan, though now Qui-Gon is the one who's hurt.

Can't wait for more!

 

The Force always protects Obi-Wan and rightly so as well

 

WOW - that was intense!

I loved all the action and the pacing of this update was perfect.

But...are the Jedi okay?



Great update

 

Seremela- sorry about the delay, but you get an extra long update just for patience

Bastet- Glad you liked the angsting!

Gkilkenny - the Force almost has to protect Obi-Wan - he seems to be the galaxy's punching bag!

Kelia- I confess, I had help from the original novel, but I'm glad you liked it anyway.

And now, on to the next post!

Chapter five:

The battle may have been over, but the Monument's troubles were far from over. Warning claxons sounded everywhere ? monitors showed air leaking from a dozen holes in the hull and the engines sounded rather odd to Obi-Wan's ears.

"We have to land," Stieg Wa announced, his eyes flicking between monitors even as he spoke. He jerked his head toward the nav computer. "Is that thing working?" Obi-Wan shook his head.

"No ? we'll have to fly manually," he replied. "Where are the crew?"

"Not up here," Stieg Wa replied, staring out the view screen. "There!" Obi-Wan could just glimpse the planet ahead of them, a blue orb shot through with white clouds.

"How do we know we can breathe the air?" he asked, frowning.
Stieg Wa gave him a pointed look. "I don't think we have a choice, do you?" he asked, gesturing to the monitors in front of them. The ship shuddered as if to emphasize his point and another warning siren went off, signaling that air pressure aboard the ship was dropping. Obi-Wan nodded, and they began the descent to the planet.

The descent turned out to be more of a controlled crash. They flew over a watery world, going from daylight into darkness. The night was lit by five moons, and by the light they reflected Obi-Wan could see enormous creatures traveling in flocks. They were silvery in the moonlight, with long bullet-shaped bodies and large, powerful wings which were stretched wide. They seemed to be half-asleep as they rode the air currents. Some of them looked up at the ship curiously. Stieg Wa frowned ? it was evident that he did not like the look of the creatures. The ship was bucking and rattling as they came closer to the surface of the planet, and it seemed as though they might land in the water, until a small island became visible on the horizon. They crashed to a halt a few meters from the shore of the island, just short of the high cliffs that rose above them like a wall out of the sand.
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Back at the Temple:

"Qui-Gon still does not trust us."

Yoda harrumphed at Mace Windu's statement. "A long memory, Qui-Gon has. Loved Xanatos like a son, he did."

"Are you certain it was wise to send them to Bandomeer?"

"Ask for Qui-Gon do you, or for young Obi-Wan?" the diminutive green Jedi asked ironically. Mace bowed his head.

"Perhaps for both," he admitted. Yoda sighed.

"Trust, they must build. Proof must Qui-Gon have that mean him harm, we do not," he said. He frowned, leaning heavily upon his gimmer stick. "Failed him, we did," he admitted quietly. "Failed them both. The loss of one, bad enough, but the loss of both?."

"We did not lose both," Mace reminded him quietly. Yoda looked at him with pained eyes.

"Lost, Xanatos should not have been," he answered equally softly. "Doubted him, I did ? sent him to Telos to test his allegiances. Right, Qui-Gon is ? sent, he should not have been."

"You could not have known that he would be killed," Mace said, frowning.

"No," Yoda said, tapping his gimmer stick against the floor. "Danger I sensed, but thought it came from Xanatos, not to him. Allowed my doubts to cloud my perceptions. Allowed him to die." The diminutive Jedi sighed, turning away to look out the window at the Coruscant skyline. The two Jedi Masters lapsed into silence, considering, never knowing how right Yoda had been and how wrong.

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Under other circumstances the draigons might have been beautiful. If, for instance, Qui-Gon Jinn hadn't been hanging on to a nearly sheer cliff face outside their caves inching his way upwards while trying to blend in w

 

A nice twist away from the JA books, not much but just enough.

great.

 

Definitely a cliffie! Literally!

"No," Yoda said, tapping his gimmer stick against the floor. "Danger I sensed, but thought it came from Xanatos, not to him. Allowed my doubts to cloud my perceptions. Allowed him to die." The diminutive Jedi sighed, turning away to look out the window at the Coruscant skyline. The two Jedi Masters lapsed into silence, considering, never knowing how right Yoda had been and how wrong. Hmmm... I wonder which parts Yoda was right about.

I hope Qui doesn't get shot, or eaten!

Can't wait for more of this!