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  1. In Memory of LAJ_FETT: Please share your remembrances and condolences HERE

Saga - Legends Cloak and Shadow (Obi, Qui, Anakin plus many more.) Updated 010416

Discussion in 'Fan Fiction- Before, Saga, and Beyond' started by ZaraValinor, Jan 31, 2012.

  1. ZaraValinor

    ZaraValinor Jedi Grand Master star 4

    Registered:
    May 31, 2002
    I'm nervous and anxious for you all to find out. I skim too. If there's a story I've been waiting on and I don't have the time, quick read and then a more thorough one. Or like with Fallen, I think I read that four or five times.

    That's true. We all do have a blindspot for our Obi-Wan. Thanks for reading.
     
  2. ZaraValinor

    ZaraValinor Jedi Grand Master star 4

    Registered:
    May 31, 2002
    I was arrogant. I’d tricked too many people, saved too many lives. I thought myself and everyone around me invulnerable, protected by the shadows that clung around us. But anybody who fought for the cause, who aligned themselves with Ben Kenobi, allowed themselves to be illuminated.

    Mace watched the holofeed of Anakin Skywalker’s friend once again. He studied as Qui-Gon slumped against the table, his head smacking against the hard wood. The girl quickly donned the gloves she’d removed and leaned over the Jedi Master. Mace had called up every angle of the recording, but couldn’t tell exactly what the girl had done to him. Qui-Gon had claimed fatigue and had asked for a brief respite from the Temple. The healer’s had encouraged this self-diagnosis and Qui-Gon had left with the Council’s blessing.

    Yet, something still troubled Mace.

    He had no doubt that Anakin Skywalker was the reason for the security breach in their archives and for the recorders going dormant throughout all the Temple corridors. But the hand that waived at Antares, just visible in the holding room, was too feminine to be Skywalker’s. Someone else had helped them escape the Temple.

    The information dump had been too random to discern what exactly Skywalker and Kenobi had been looking for and why they had wanted it. He had felt the boy deceive him when he spoke of returning to the Jedi. It had been clear that the young man had chosen his side. The fact that Obi-Wan Kenobi had died on Naboo had been true. It was a sad blow. They could have rationalized with Obi-Wan. He’d been raised a Jedi, obedient and true. How often had the Council mourned their hasty decision to allow Cyell to eradicate him?

    He could only hope that Xanatos could discover the identity of Ben Kenobi on Stewjon or at least pick up a lead. In the meantime, he needed answers to who was helping Skywalker and San get outside the Temple.

    He hated to admit it, but they had a traitor in their midst…possibly more than one.

    +++

    Siri accepted the cup of freshly brewed tea from her former Master. “You don’t have to wait on me, Master.”

    “It must have been quite a scare,” Adi said. “You’re not protesting as voraciously as usual.”

    “You tend to drop your guard at the Temple. These are troubling times, I should have known better.”

    “A Jedi should always be alert,” Adi agreed. “Still, the Temple should be secure. This Ben Kenobi goes too far.”

    Siri took a sip of the tea, then watched her Master over the rim. “Are we sure it was this Kenobi character?”

    “The evidence points to such. I’m relieved they meant you no harm. The break into your quarters was a diversion to allow Skywalker and his friend to escape the Temple.”

    “It all seems so elaborate. What was their goal?”

    Adi shook her head. “We aren’t sure. But what Master Windu was able to keep from Skywalker before they left has given us an idea. I know Obi-Wan was a friend of yours, but we believe that Ben Kenobi is connected to him. That somehow he is related.”

    Siri felt her gaze go distant. She always hated this part of working with Obi-Wan. She had to lie, to cajol information out of her Master. Adi clearly cared for her. It was a manipulation, pure and simple. It was dishonest. But she hoped that one day that this would save her Master and the rest of the Jedi.

    “You miss him?”

    Siri shook her head and gave her Master a smile. “It is hard to let go, when this false-Kenobi uses his name as though it were currency. But I’m glad he is not here to see it used against him. I do not mourn him anymore.”

    Adi patted her knee, gave it a comforting shake. “That is good. As indulgent as it is, I am proud of you Siri.”

    “Is there anything I can do to help in the investigation, Master?” she asked, instead of basking in Adi’s false pride.

    “I considered you for a mission to Stewjon, but we sent Xanatos Deastil instead. We wanted someone with a connection to Obi-Wan.”

    That caught her attention. “I hope he’s able to bring this imposter to justice.”

    “Force willing,” Adi agreed.

    ++++

    Anakin crept into Obi-Wan’s quarters without calling the lights back on in case his Master was still meditating or, hopefully, sleeping. He glanced around the meticulous room, the bed was made with sharp corners and his meditation mat was folded in one corner. The boy rolled his eyes, feeling for a moment that his Master had once again slipped out into the bowels of the ship to troubleshoot some problem or another.

    “I’m in the kitchenette, Anakin,” Obi-Wan called.

    Waving the pocket door open, Anakin found his Master forking into a full plate of food. He paused, taking in the scene with a sense of wonder.

    The younger man grinned. “I thought you had decided digestion was uncivilized.”

    “We might be luminous beings, Anakin, but I’m still human and must eat,” Obi-Wan gestured to the stool next to him. “There’s more, if you’re hungry.”

    “I already ate with Master Qui-Gon.”

    “Ah,” was all Obi-Wan said for a moment. “Where is he now?”

    “Padme is showing him the training level.”

    “Good idea having a politician display our legion army.” The sarcasm was dry enough to snap at the slightest pressure.

    “Be nice, Master,” Anakin chided. “Besides, our meager army consists of you and me and he already knows what we can do.”

    “Possibly.”

    “I thought you’d been meditating. You’re usually less grumpy afterwards. I take it your conversation with Tar didn’t go so well.”

    Obi-Wan swallowed and gave a bark of laughter. “Quite the understatement. Your diplomacy really is improving.” There was a beat of silence, then Obi-Wan killed the banter. “She’s leaving.”

    “What? And you’re letting her?”

    “Contrary to what you believe, my apprentice, I’m not Antares’s keeper.”

    Nice block, Obi-Wan, but I know the truth, the young Jedi thought. “But you are her friend or are you even that anymore, Master? You know the moment she is outside of our protection she’s in danger of Dooku.”

    “I will not force her to remain,” Obi-Wan finalized. “Now, you came here to discuss something other than Antares San and Qui-Gon Jinn.”

    Anakin huffed a breath of air, dispelling his frustration with it. He had to trust his Master to do the right thing. Even if he was being Gamorrean headed about it. “We have Fett’s location. The transmitter is sounding loud and clear. And it’s so easy to get information out of Guerra. Not so. I lie.”

    This caused Obi-Wan to crack a smile. “He’s very good at what he does, Anakin.”

    “How can you tell? He’s worse than Master Yoda.”

    “Where is Fett hiding?” Obi-Wan cut off his grumbling.

    “He’s gone somewhere short of the Rishii Maze. It’s odd. He’s on Kamino.”

    “And?”

    “Their cloners, Master.”

    “Cloners? That doesn’t sound good.”

    Anakin had to agree. He thought of the near empty training levels of the Chu’unther. If the clones really were a trap for the Jedi, it would only be he and Obi-Wan plus a handful of warriors to stand in the way of their destruction.

    “We’ll have to investigate.”

    “I was thinking the same thing,” Anakin said. “I was thinking me and Antares…well before…

    “No, I want Padme with you.”

    “Padme? Why?”

    “If you’re caught, you’ll need to talk your way out of it. Your negotiation skills tend towards…”

    “…aggression?”

    “Well, yes. And Antares only encourages you. Padme in the least can buy you time.”

    “Why don’t you come with us?” Anakin wondered. “It’ll be like old times.”

    Obi-Wan swung and arm over his shoulder and squeezed him close. “Unfortunately, that won't be possible. I’ll be on my way to Stewjon. Siri tipped us off that a Jedi has been sent there. But be careful, Anakin. I have a bad feeling.”

    “Are they sniffing for you?”

    “Presumably. But it’s a potential thermal detonator ready to go off. The Separatists are very jealous of the system. If they learn that a Jedi is there, it’s likely to spark the very war we’re trying to avoid.”

    Anakin nodded. “An extraction?”

    “Yes.”

    “And you’re going yourself?”

    Obi-Wan turned back to his food. “Yes.”

    Cringing at his Master’s nonchalance, he said, “That sounds dangerous. You haven’t only made yourself known to the Jedi. The Separatist and Sith could be looking for you too.”

    “I’ll be careful. And I won’t be alone.” Anakin could only hope that not going alone meant bringing Qui-Gon, but his Master had yet to even speak with the Jedi Master. “Which reminds me, I don’t want you telling Antares you’re leaving.”

    “Master, I really don’t think that’s…”

    “I want to make sure she’s coming on my transport, Anakin. I said I wouldn’t keep her from leaving if she wanted to. I didn’t say I wouldn’t try and change her mind.”

    Anakin knew his Master would prove him right. “Clever. And Master Qui-Gon?”

    Obi-Wan spooned the last of his food and chewed, deliberating. “I’m not sure,” he said once he swallowed. “What have you been telling him?”

    “As close to the truth as possible without countering your orders.”

    “I’m sure you’ve built me up so much in his eyes that I will be quite disappointing when he meets me.”

    Anakin rolled his eyes. “Master, you’ll be back from the dead. We’ll be lucky if he doesn’t have a coronary episode. Besides, everything I tell him is true.”

    “From your point of view. We’ve got work to do and I would like another short meditation before we all depart.”

    “Right,” Anakin said, slipping off the stool.

    Obi-Wan stopped him with a hand. “I hate to beat a dead gundark, but remember our bargain.”

    “I know. If my relationship with Padme gets in the way of our mission, we’ll be sent to opposite sides of the galaxy. She reminds me of it more than you do.”

    Anakin used to worry that he was so different from the Jedi he knew. Somehow less. The Force seemed to amplify all his emotions. He had a hard time finding peace in it. But he’d also been Temple raised, taught that love was dangerous. When he began to realize his feelings for Padme, he’d fought against them until the point where the fight was more of distraction than the love he had for her. He and Obi-Wan had worked hard to form a compromise, to let him learn balance between love and duty.

    “Good. And please be careful.”

    “You, too. I don’t like it when we’re separated. We always work better together.”

    Obi-Wan rose from his stool as well, clamped a hand on Anakin’s shoulder. “I have a feeling we’ll meet up before this ordeal is through.”

    “You seem more concerned than usual.”

    “Things are coming to a head, I believe. We may not be able to circumvent this war. Do what you can to keep the Jedi from using the clones. I still believe there is something dangerous about them. But if you can’t, keep out of sight and gather intel only.”

    +++

    Asajj Ventress bowed before the blue glow of a holoprojector. Count Dooku looked very regally down his nose at her. “You summoned me, Master.”

    “I need you to go to the Stewjon system. I’ve learned of a Jedi presence there. And I wish for our governor not to lose his position.”

    “Who will I be looking for, Master?”

    “Xanatos Deastil.”

    +++

    Adi watched her old Padawan as she ran through a litany of forms with her lightsaber. She did not like doubting Siri. The girl had told her no lies, had shown no disturbance in her countenance or underneath the surface. And yet something was wrong. She could not decipher it. All she knew was that she needed to watch Siri. Watch and learn.

    +++

    Obi-Wan was just coming out of his meditation when the door slid open to his quarters for the second time.

    “Did you forget something, Anakin?” he asked without opening his eyes.

    The silence that followed piqued his interest. He looked up at the door and found his Master, Qui-Gon Jinn, standing there with his arms folded over his chest with an expression Obi-Wan had not seen since his troubled Padawan days.

    “Hello, Obi-Wan.”
     
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  3. jacen200015

    jacen200015 Jedi Grand Master star 4

    Registered:
    Jan 11, 2002
    WOW! [face_hypnotized] So Qui-Gon figured it out... Siri might be in trouble...

    You constantly amaze with each chapter you post. :)
     
  4. serendipityaey

    serendipityaey Jedi Master star 4

    Registered:
    Jan 24, 2004
    Love it, love it, all the interactions are packed with intensity and so interesting. I especially love Anakin and Obi-Wan, especially their talk about how they dealt with Anakin's feelings for Padme (yes!) and how Anakin thought they worked better as a team :D So fun to read, and so much better and more interesting and awesome than what we were given. Especially loved this: “I want to make sure she’s coming on my transport, Anakin. I said I wouldn’t keep her from leaving if she wanted to. I didn’t say I wouldn’t try and change her mind.”

    yes yes yes!!! A man with a plan, I love it and hopefully there's lot of Obi and Tar coming up sometime in the near future... and perhaps a mending? and make-up? (and make-out?) :D

    Anyway, still enjoying this so so much and I can't wait for more. Love Qui at the end again, of course he would find out! Can not wait to see what follows with all of them! So awesome! [face_love][face_love][face_love][:D][:D][:D]
     
  5. ZaraValinor

    ZaraValinor Jedi Grand Master star 4

    Registered:
    May 31, 2002
    Thank you so much!

    Yes, Obi-Wan definitely has a plan. He is the Negotiator after all. Thanks for reading!



    Many of the truths we cling to, depend greatly on our own point of view.

    “Currently, these rooms aren’t being used very much. Sometimes, for entertainment and to keep their skills sharp, Ben and Anakin use it for sparring,” Padme explained as she lead Master Jinn through the long corridor of training rooms. “Antares teaches a class at the furthest training room on the left, one of the smaller rooms that Ben says used to belong to the younglings here.”

    “He has a great deal of Jedi knowledge,” the tall man pointed out, looking into the shadowed depths of one of the rooms as though he could see two combatants striking and leaping at each other.

    Padme offered him a smile. “Of course. He has no desire to see the Jedi tradition end. He does, however, have a problem with how it is being directed now.”

    “And do you agree with him?” The question was pitched low, seemingly innocent and benign, but Padme heard the steel behind his words.

    “I have personal reasons, but yes, I do.”

    The Jedi Master cocked a silver brow. “Personal reasons?”

    “I was on Naboo when Obi-Wan Kenobi and Antonee Cyell were sent to deal with the blockade of my planet,” she explained. “Obi-Wan saved my life.”

    “Ah, the handmaiden, who is not a handmaiden,” he said knowingly. “So is your participation here about loyalty or truth?”

    “One does not negate the other,” she countered.

    “When will I meet him? This Ben Kenobi?”

    Padme hesitated. He was testing her, she knew that much. But what was the right answer for this situation? Ben wanted privacy for the time being, a chance to sort everything out. “I’m not sure. You must understand he is extremely busy.”

    “Creating an army?”

    “A safe haven.”

    “For whom?”

    “People like me,” she answered.

    They had reached the end of the corridor when she noticed the little room, Antares dance studio was lit and that the Mon Cal symphony could be heard in a drone against her ear drums. A moment later, she felt an inexplicable sadness touch her heart, as though an invisible hand had wrapped its cloying wet fingers around it and squeezed.

    “What is that?”

    “Antares, she must be teaching a class.” Padme hoped not.

    She tried to speed up their tour without looking like she was in a hurry. Antares abilities were a strictly need to know issue. If Master Jinn felt her, which he probably already had, she would have to resolve the other woman’s disquiet before they could continue the tour. Thankfully, there wasn’t much left to show of the training level.

    Antares was alone, swaying to the music. It was better than having a handful of children in tears due to the other woman’s current lack of control.

    “She’s a dancer,” Master Jinn said with surprise.

    “Yes, quite an influential one on Serenno. I’m told she was being courted by a galactic traveling troupe when circumstances caused her to leave the art.” Tears were beginning to prick at Padme’s eyes and it was getting harder and harder to disguise her discomfort. “If you’ll excuse me? I need to speak with her for a moment. Please wait here.”

    Padme signaled the door open and switched the feed to turn the music off. Antares stopped mid-extension, her leg hanging in the air as though it were floating on repulsor jets. Slowly, with a grace that might even give Anakin and Ben a run for their abilities she lowered her leg to the ground.

    Picking up the towel left over a bench, Padme walked over to the older woman and offered it to her. Her hand was only slightly trembling. “You’re projecting.”

    Just like that, the strange sadness was bottled up and corked and Padme’s heart was her own again. “Sorry,” Antares muttered. “I didn’t realize. Are you all right?”

    “Shaken, but fine,” she assured. “You want to talk about it?”

    “Not really.”

    “Don’t you think one of you should talk about it? It’s only festering.”

    Antares shook her head. “Won’t be a problem anymore, I’m leaving.”

    “And you think that’s wise?” Padme gasped. “Avoiding the court case and jumping into the senate.”

    “Either Dooku will come for me or he won’t,” Antares countered.

    Padme sighed. Then fought to lock her gaze with Antares’s. “What happened on Corellia?”

    She saw the flash of panic in the other’s dark blue eyes. Antares jaw clenched and she looked up at the ceiling. Then abruptly the older woman hunched over, practically folding in half and brought a hand to her mouth to stave off a sob.

    “Hey,” Padme said gently. She touched Antares’s back and together they slumped to the floor. “Tell me what’s going on. Keeping it bottled like this won’t help either of you.”

    It was a moment and several steadying breaths before Antares could answer. “When I first started training to be a dancer, do you know what my first lesson was?”

    Padme shook her head. Her childhood had been full of politics, service to her people.

    “Open yourself up. To feel the music and put your own emotions into it. That pain and anger, could be made to be beautiful, if you channeled it the right way. When my father died, I used that pain to join the troupe in Carannia. That release and show of emotion has been all I know. I wasn’t raised the right way for the power I have. And people get hurt.”

    Padme felt a heaviness in her stomach. It wasn’t a foreign feeling like before, but an instinct for something terribly wrong. “Did Ben get hurt?”

    Again, Antares’s jaw flexed and tears welled up in her eyes. “He did. It wasn’t my intention but he did.”

    “How?” Padme asked softly.

    “We were on Corellia, you were right, trying to intercept a munitions shipment. Unexpectedly, Dooku showed up. I don’t remember most of what happened when Dooku took me, but seeing him…,” she drew off.

    “Getting off planet, kept me busy so I couldn’t think, but once we were on the ship. I couldn’t sleep, every time I closed my eyes all I could see was darkness, all I could hear were people screaming, remembered the confusion from the drugs, the ability to feel everything sharply and overwhelmingly.” Antares slapped a hand to her chest. “And the knowledge I had caused it all.”

    “You were a victim,” Padme reminded her. “Dooku used you. Those people you hurt were killed by his hand.”

    Antares sniffled and finally met Padme’s gaze. “That only excuses so much. I just keep doing it. That night as I relived my nightmare, I took Ben’s will away. I love him. I needed him. And my need became his. He had no choice. Just like you moments ago, what I felt, he felt. I forced him to break vows he still holds very dear. Now, we both pretend everything’s fine when we both know it’s not.”

    Padme reached around and hugged the older woman, tears falling on her shoulder. “Shh. It’s all right. It’s not as dire as you think. You know he has already forgiven you.”

    “I know,” Antares sighed, stubbornly dashing at tears. “And that’s why I have to leave.”

    +++

    The face turning wary eyes on him, wasn’t exactly as he remembered. He’d never thought of Obi-Wan with a beard, nor the tense lines highlighting his eyes. “Sorry, Master, I was not expecting company.” The younger man rose and folded his meditation mat, setting it neatly against the wall. Every line, every motion was Obi-Wan Kenobi. “Where is your escort?”

    “Attending to a problem in one of your training rooms,” Qui-Gon answered.

    Obi-Wan stiffened, a small straightening of the back that Qui-Gon recognized well. “I see. Of course, you took the initiative and came to see me on your own. I had requested not to be disturbed. But then again, you always find your way. Is there something I can help you with, Master?”

    “Well I should take some solace in the fact you aren’t maintaining this farce.” He smothered his frustration into the Force. Obi-Wan had always been a deft evader, in saber play and in word play.

    “Farce?” the younger man questioned, cocking an eyebrow.

    “The way Anakin and the others spoke of you, hinted at the man, Ben Kenobi. However, I knew one fifteen-year-old, feeling particularly rebellious about his sleep schedule, saying that depending on my point of view, 6th hour is happening at all times in the galaxy and so he could be awake and asleep at the same time. I realized shortly after this that no one ever said Obi-Wan Kenobi was dead, just that he had died. By that token, he can be both dead and alive.”

    “And have you shared this information?” The sharp edge of protection was inlayed in the steel of Obi-Wan’s voice.

    “I wasn’t sure I believed it until I walked in here,” Qui-Gon assured him.

    “Good. I’m afraid you’ll have to remain with us. I would usually give you a choice, but you cannot return to the Jedi. No one must know I still live.”

    “Why, Obi-Wan? Why all this subterfuge?”

    “I find it easier to move around when my opponents are in the dark.”

    “The Jedi aren’t your enemy, Padawan.”

    Qui-Gon expected a smart quip at this, but instead pain tightened Obi-Wan’s features. They’d been sparring this whole time, but now he had touched upon a nerve. One that might get him the victory he needed.

    “No,” Obi-Wan agreed. “Most of them are not. But some of them wanted Obi-Wan Kenobi dead ten years ago. It is better they continue to believe he is.”

    “And yet you’ve survived, Padawan.” Strike to the raw nerve.

    “That had nothing to do with me,” Obi-Wan countered. “Anakin and Force decided it was not my time. I died. My body would not have survived.”

    Now it was Obi-Wan’s turn to aim true. He had figured the younger man had faked his death. The knowledge that his old Padawan was alive only by the will of the Force picked at a wound that hadn’t even scabbed over.

    “Why?” he gasped. “Who wanted you dead? Knight Cyell? Please, Padawan, explain this to me.”

    There, the pain was exchanged for concealed anger. “Stop calling me that,” he ground out.

    “Why? I have always thought of you as such. It never bothered you before.”

    “That was before I had willfully dishonored your teachings.”

    Qui-Gon crossed the room, ignored Obi-Wan stilling himself, and rested a hand on his shoulder. But it wasn’t enough. He could be imagining this brief moment. Maybe he was injured and he was hallucinating this meeting. He twisted his fingers in Obi-Wan’s flight suit and pulled the younger man into a strong embrace. The huff and puff of the fight Obi-Wan had wanted deflated.

    “You survived by the will of the Force, Obi-Wan. Tell me.” Solid, crude matter, how very reassuring it could be.

    After a moment, he stepped back watching as Obi-Wan tried forced down the shields he built around him and for the first time in over a decade, he felt his Padawan’s signature in the Force.

    “You cut your hair,” the younger man eventually said.

    Qui-Gon laughed, the sound dispelling the last of the tension between them. “I couldn’t keep it long with all the grey. You have a beard now.” Although awkward and superficial, with this short exchange they bridged the ten year gap between them.

    Obi-Wan ran a hand over the bristle of ruddy brown hair. “It helps me keep up the farce. This may take some time, Master. It is not a short tale, nor has it reached its happy conclusion.”

    “I just want the truth.”

    Gesturing to a conforming chair, Obi-Wan began, “It all began a year after I was knighted. Master Dooku came to me and explained that the Council was considering me for a special project.”

    “My Master?” he questioned, then lowered himself into the chair. When Obi-Wan nodded, he urged, “Go on.”

    “I met with the Council that evening and that’s when I first learned there were Jedi Assassins. I balked at the idea at first. It seemed so contrary to our way. But there were Masters Windu and Yoda explaining every detail. We were a last resort. A failsafe for the Republic and under a sub-committee in the Senate. At the time, I didn’t know there was even more to it than petty squabbling between planetary systems. But I felt it was my duty, so I agreed. And I obeyed.”

    Obi-Wan paused, expecting a reaction. When he received nothing but his Master’s encouragement, he continued. “As you may have observed, I was not myself through that entire year of my work. I killed twenty-seven that year in cold blood. I spared five. One of those lead to the deaths of thousands of people.”

    “That’s when the Gesiburic addiction began?” Qui-Gon guessed.

    “Yes. I found myself in an impossible situation. Damned no matter what choice I made. Master Dooku kept assuring me that we would not be needed forever, that eventually stability would be brought back to the Republic and I could return to my original assignment. I had never wanted to rebel more in my life.”

    The younger Jedi paused, his eyes seeing a time and place long gone, his ears hearing the whispers of phantasms. “I was on a mission with you and Xan the last time I killed for the Council. It broke my heart. I wanted out and I was no longer quiet about my intensions. The Council began to question my motives. Their assassin was now a liability. So they sent me to Naboo.”

    “Cyell was sent to make sure that I never returned. He was sloppy. He killed the Neimoidian delegate and then the wrong queen. When he came to kill Padme, I realized I had been sent to die and the two of us became fugitives together.” Qui-Gon noted the fondness in his former apprentice’s voice. “I would not let an innocent girl die to make things easier.”

    “Most of the rest you already know. I sensed you in danger with the Federation and returned to help.”

    “But how does the Sith fit in?” Qui-Gon asked.

    “There’s a war going on, Master. The Jedi are making allowances that are leading them down a dark path. It was why the assassin program was put into place. The Sith are but two, but in their effort to stop them, the Jedi are slowly, sporadically taking themselves down the same path. If the Sith succeed, the Jedi die. If the Jedi triumph, they will have destroyed two dictators to have a thousand more rise in their place. It became my duty to stop both of them, to let the Republic fall and for the galaxy to be shattered and splintered before it could be rebuilt stronger than before. The Force showed me this as I was dying. I knew I had to leave.”

    “I took Anakin and Padme with me to Dathomir and we started a new.”

    “A dangerous place to start over,” Qui-Gon said. “Why there?”

    Obi-Wan placed a hand on one of the bulkheads. “I needed a ship.”

    He shook his head and gave a self-deprecating smile. “And Dathomir is wild, untamed. I was not myself. I was cut off. Anakin and I had always had a connection. But when I set myself to the formal bonding of a Master to an apprentice, I found I could not. In doing my duty as an assassin there were moments, sometimes short, sometimes whole days, where I had to cut myself off. Where I could not feel as a man or a Jedi. I don’t know if this was true for all assassins, but for me, to be able to do what I thought I must, I left holes in myself. Ones more penetrating and more difficult to heal than the one Cyell left me. It was nearly a year before Anakin was able to resume his training.”

    “Why did you not take me and Xan with you?” Qui-Gon asked. “I would have followed.”

    “Many reasons. At first you were ill and I was healing. The Council had been subtly poisoning you so that you would not have your eyes completely focused on me. And that was on activities that I had been silent on. And Xan had other matters he needed to attend to.”

    “Enilee?” Qui-Gon questioned.

    “I wasn’t aware you knew, but yes. I could not make the choice for both of you. Once Anakin and I were established, I kept telling myself I would come for you and let Xan know the truth. But it was five years before the Chu’unther was flyable. In that time, I was circumventing the Council’s will and the Sith’s bid for domination. Once we were in the atmosphere, I had the order set to make for Coruscant but I couldn’t give it.”

    “The dishonor of my training?” Qui-Gon concluded.

    “A task left undone for so long can seem insurmountable. I guess a part of me wanted to come to you with a victory, a reason for the heartache you had suffered, the lies I told and the deceptions I had perpetuated. But even then I wouldn’t have been able to come to you. I would have…,” Obi-Wan stopped himself, his jaw clamping shut.

    Qui-Gon leaned forward in his conforming chair, lacing his fingers in front of him. A warning “You would have what, Padawan? There is no need for secrets between us. I believe in you and I believe you.”

    “Force, Antares was right. I do need you, Master. If only to tell you what must come after I’m gone.”

    “Gone where?”

    “Into the Force,” the young Jedi answered. “A price for my prolonged life. An exchange to keep Anakin from the questionable loyalties of the Jedi and the clutches of the Sith. For there is not a thing under the will of the Force that I would not do to insure his success. When the time comes, and I feel it is imminent, Anakin will destroy the Sith and I will give my life to restore the Jedi. I live on borrowed time, Master.”

    All things had a price, Qui-Gon understood this. Balance had to be achieved. Had he only found Obi-Wan again to prepare himself to lose him a second time? No, he refused to believe in visions. It was best to keep their focus now. “You know my thoughts on such things, Obi-Wan. We live a day at a time. The future isn’t stagnate, it’s malleable.”

    “Master, this is not some uneasy feeling. This is the will of the Force and I am happy to do what it truly wants. I walked down a jagged path before and I will not willfully do so again. Please, Master, tell me you’ll help walk me to the end?”

    He wanted to refuse. Yet, the Force cautioned patience. Obi-Wan was offering him a chance to reconnect. That his former apprentice had been through this ordeal on his own, troubled Qui-Gon. He’d wager against a Hutt that Obi-Wan was not as healed as he’d like to think. The younger Jedi had a habit of forgetting himself in the need of the galaxy.

    “All right. Tell me your plan.”
     
  6. Gkilkenny

    Gkilkenny Jedi Grand Master star 4

    Registered:
    Mar 27, 2004
    Qui-Gon seemed to take that the council were poisoning him well. I believe Qui-Gon will be good for Obi-Wan.
     
  7. jacen200015

    jacen200015 Jedi Grand Master star 4

    Registered:
    Jan 11, 2002
    I got teary eyed over this post. Awesome work! So many feelings in this chapter.
     
  8. obimom

    obimom Jedi Master star 4

    Registered:
    Oct 31, 2010
    Anakin's answer to Qui-Gon "Because we like rebels"

    Like that...so true...:p

    Looking forward to Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan eventual meeting.

    I hope Antares doesn't leave. She seems to be good for Obi-Wan, which is strange for me to say because I'm such a Siriwan fan (note avatar representing that...;)), but I really like Antares and you've written her very well.

    Ok, going to read more.
     
  9. obimom

    obimom Jedi Master star 4

    Registered:
    Oct 31, 2010
    Yikes!! What a surprise. I gasped when the door open and Qui-Gon said "Hello, Obi-Wan." Yes!!:p

    Now I just hope Qui-Gon joins them.

    I agree with everything serendipityaey said, so ditto her comments.

    Loved this chapter.

    Ooopps...Siri is being watched...maybe she needs to finally escape and join them too (although not seeing her and Obi-Wan together might be hard for me...but as I said, I do like Antares.

    I sounds like with the conversation Adi and Siri had, that Siri and Obi-Wan have a history too. :)
     
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  10. obimom

    obimom Jedi Master star 4

    Registered:
    Oct 31, 2010
    Now Qui-Gon knows the truth...I'm glad he is with Obi-Wan, and now will they get Xan? and Siri? (well, they already have Siri, just not physically with them).

    Ah, no wonder there is such tension between Antares and Obi-Wan, she took something it was not her right to take, and did not give Obi-Wan the free choice to make...I can understand how that would have hurt him. But it's evident he does care for her.


    Ok, ready for the next chapter. ;)
     
  11. serendipityaey

    serendipityaey Jedi Master star 4

    Registered:
    Jan 24, 2004
    Oh, yes, love it! Love Obi and Qui's entire conversation, it's just perfect, perfectly in character and awesome. Another fantastic chapter.

    First, I loved seeing Padme really be there for Antares, a friend when she so obviously needed one. Antares admission was sad and heart-felt and made oh so much sense, I really, really feel for them. Sad, but not unfixable, I think...

    I'll have to diverge from obimom a bit here and say (as Padme says) I truly do not think it's as dire as Antares thinks it is in her mind and she's probably blaming herself far too much for something that just happened. I don't think Antares really took something from Obi or forced him to do something he really did not want to do.

    Of course, I immediately had to go back and re-read their discussion in the previous chapter from Obi's pov, and it struck me the way Antares went to reach for him but stopped, and Obi thinks 'she still doesn't trust me' which tells me just maybe he has told her that he is okay, that he can tell the difference between what she is projecting and what he truly feels but she continues to blame herself and not trust him.

    I imagine the time they were together was very difficult for both of them and perhaps at the time all emotions were a jumble for each person, but I do truly hope that maybe they were able to find a moment of comfort with each other :(

    And I really, really hope they can again. Though you said Antares will have to fight for him, it sounds like she'll have to fight for herself too, she needs to overcome this and trust him.

    I'm also wondering if Antares doesn't affect strong Jedi as much as, like, Padme, because there didn't seem to be an immediate affect on Qui like there was on Padme.

    Really enjoyed seeing Obi recount everything to Qui - it's nice to get a recap in a way and to see Obi be honest with his former master and so nice to see him realize he needs some help. A good step I think...

    **No, he refused to believe in visions. It was best to keep their focus now. “You know my thoughts on such things, Obi-Wan. We live a day at a time. The future isn’t stagnate, it’s malleable.”**

    Love this, really Qui and really good. Can he please be right? Obi deserves some good old fashioned comfort when this is over :)

    Just loved all of it, I can't wait for more. Love how the story is unfolding and I love how Obi and Antares' relationship is unfolding, slow and complicated. Such a joy to read, and hoping for some romance at the end of this lovely, jagged path :D

    Edit: And, regarding the incident, to (attempt) to put it in a little bit of perspective - I'd like to see a man (with a woman he cares for) that ISN'T affected by that woman's desire for him. Not such a bad thing :p [face_love]
     
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  12. ZaraValinor

    ZaraValinor Jedi Grand Master star 4

    Registered:
    May 31, 2002
    In the chapter where he speaks with Antares, I tried to let on that he knows something isn't right. But being a Jedi is all he knows. He hasn't seen a better option. Until now.

    Wow. This was very emotional. I had to write and rewrite this chapter several times just to make sure it worked.


    I'm a Siriwan fan too. But I have a hard time seeing those two succeeding in a relationship. Not because I don't think they'd work, I just don't think they'd ever try to make it work. If that makes sense.


    Yep, Siri and Obi-Wan do have a history. And poor Siri is in trouble.



    Its not as cut and dry as Antares makes it out to be. And here's the next chapter in the next post. :)



    Ok, ready for the next chapter. ;)[/quote]

    You're right. It's been difficult for all of them. Antares doesn't understand what she can do. She's been tortured to be used as a weapon to create Dooku's army. It just didn't happen to work in the Sith Lord's favor.

    Yeah, Ben and Antares have a lot to work out. But things aren't exactly as they seem. Even to those involved. . Thanks for reading.
     
  13. ZaraValinor

    ZaraValinor Jedi Grand Master star 4

    Registered:
    May 31, 2002
    What we look for, we find.


    Xanatos scratched at his left arm; the itchy fabric of the homespun he’d been wearing for the past three days was beginning to now wear on his patience. It didn’t help that Stewjon was in its humid season, even outside the low land jungle areas, and he was itchy and wet. He’d tied his long hair back from his face, but even that was a small respite.

    Walking away from the spaceport, he lifted a hand to one of the groundcars waiting to pick up weary travelers and charge them twice their usual fee. The exchange to Separatist currency hadn’t exactly gone in his favor. If the mission proved to be longer than expected, he’d have to find employment until he could find learn what the Council was so desperate to find.

    Obi-Wan’s family lived on Cascade Plateau, more than 100 kilometers from the spaceport. He gave the driver the address and sat silently as music that belonged in a bad cantina buzzed against his eardrums.

    He wasn’t looking forward to prying into his friend’s background. The Jedi had been Obi-Wan’s entire world. At least until that confusing year where nothing seemed real or right, especially Obi-Wan. Xan knew that Obi-Wan had two brothers and a sister, all alive and thriving, and a potential reminder his brother. Which is probably why the Council had sent him. What better way to deal with the remainder of his grief, than to face the physical remnant of Obi-Wan.

    He shot his reflection a wry smile in the transparasteel. Easier said than done.

    Thump! The groundcar was passing over the tops of the lowland trees when it suddenly dipped with impact.

    A warning in the Force shifted Xanatos a moment before a red energy blade plunged into the groundcar, aiming for his head. The second blade came from the side and cut through the hated homespun, singeing a red line across his biceps and chest.

    What in th…,” he was cut off, as the blades disappeared, only to reconfigure and come at him below.

    He pulled his own saber from his tunic, thumbing the switch on to hear the familiar and comforting buzz of energy. He sent the emerald blade down, burning molten holes through the durasteel. The red blades whizzed backwards, cutting through the bench seat he’d been sitting on.

    Sizzle. Pop. There went one of the repulsor engines. Immediately, the ground car sank into the foliage. Leaves skimmed across the bottom with in a staccato beat.

    Open the hatch,” Xan yelled over the carnage to the driver. “And try to keep this thing afloat.”

    The wide-eyed expression the driver shot him wasn’t very reassuring, but the hatch did open. Deactivating, his saber, Xan crawled out, using the Force to keep his grip on the tiny breaks and groves in the ground cars durasteel. His back, hands and legs stung as branch cut through the homespun and dug into his skin.
    With a growl, he hurtled himself to the top of the groundcar where the initial attack came from. A wraith waited for him. She was ghastly pale, her head hairless, her lithe body cloaked in alternating black and white. Her long fingers coiled around the handles of the two red lightsabers.

    Just when I thought things were going to get boring,” he mused. Louder, he called, “Do I know you? Is there some reason you want to kill me?”

    I don’t need a reason, Jedi,” she said, her voice the crawl of a Parth cat ready to pounce on unsuspecting prey.

    That caught his attention. No one was supposed to know who he was. He’d been traveling under a false name. This attack was the only time he’d brandished his saber.

    Wait a second,” he said, feigning recognition. “This isn’t about that time on Veloz III? What happens on Veloz, stays on Veloz you know?”

    She blinked at him. “Are you some sort of dimwitted Jedi?”
    I’ve been called worse,” he said with a shrug.

    Long held skill and connection with the Force, ignited his blade and brought it up in a block just in time to intersect both hissing red blades. Footwork had never been his forte. He’d nearly given Cin Drallig an aneurysm in his Padawan days. Now, he usually made up it as he went along, trusting in the Force to make up for his lack in skill. However, he didn’t usually battle a dark acolyte on top of a moving speeder.

    He was getting old he realized when he wished things were quite so interesting.

    The two lightsabers struck and hissed at him. Hard pressed to keep up, he realized that he wasn't battling a novice. This was a woman who hadn't just dabbled in the Dark Side. She curled up inside it and had let it envelope her. Revolting hatred rolled off her in nauseating waves. He had a brief flash back to the Sith that Obi-Wan had killed on Naboo. But no, despite this woman's overwhelming hatred, she wasn't nearly as feral as that red and black monstrosity.

    Parry, strike, parry, feint, drop.

    He leaped over her and weighted his landing, tipping the groundcar back. He nearly fell backward, but he'd been prepared for the unbalance. The wraith however had not. She pitched forward, falling to the durasteel, one of her lightsabers skittering over the surface and disappearing into the low land foliage.

    Xanatos took advantage of her distraction, surveying the area and caught sight of the fast approaching plateau. Now it was his turn to go on the offense. She hardly made it to her feet, before his lightsaber was batting away any attempt at regaining the upper hand.

    Half his attention on the approaching land, he almost missed the swipe to his head. The moisture in the air sizzled off the blade and he was sure he was going to need a haircut if he made it out of this alive.

    Which became less and less likely as a second repulsor engine went out in a wisp of smoke and the groundcar took another treacherous dip into the foliage. At this rate they were going to run into the plateau’s edge instead of taking refuge on its smooth surface.

    Once again, Xanatos ran to the back of the groundcar, pressing his weigh to the end as they neared the plateau. The front tipped up just as they rushed forward to the earth. Kicking up a gust of dirt, the groundcar launched into the air. Xanatos didn't survive the launch, he dropped to the ground, one knee going out underneath him, hitting the ground hard.

    Ah, Sithspit,” he cried.

    Suddenly, the wraith was their, raising her blade over her head for a downward thrust. Gritting his teeth, Xanatos twisted on his knee and kicked her legs out from under her. He rolled to his back, flinging his elbow into her stomach. The wraith took the hit, but took his arm and turned it underneath her.

    So it was you on Veloz?” he grunted. He felt the bones in his arm creak and his shoulder roll out of its socket.

    His saber arm was free and he stabbed the tip of the blade into her face. The wraith released him, flinging her lithe body in a flip. Clutching his shoulder and blocking himself from the pain, Xanatos rushed to his feet, flung himself into the air and kicked into her flip, sending her over the edge of the plateau and through the canopy of the low lands.

    He hit the ground hard, but he was thankful it was firm and supportive underneath him. He let go of the Force once he was sure the wraith wasn't making her return and pain rushed in a tidal wave, dimming his vision.

    +++

    Antares looked around her quarters, former quarters, knowing there was very little here that actually belonged to her. She'd been watching the mission schedule and knew that two Seinar cloaking shuttles had been appropriated for missions in the near future. She'd requisitioned a satchel to pack her belongings, but it had lain limp on her bunk for the last standard day. She hadn't even moved it to sleep. Touching it would mean the end and she wasn't ready for that yet.

    Her heart ached but she had to take this spacelane or she feared things would be even more difficult for Ben. She’d never doubted that he cared for her but he had an entire galaxy to protect and love. Some of things he knew she could do… and yet he had never treated her as the monster she’d felt she’d become.

    As much as she had been stifled by the Chu’unther, this place had been her home, her protection. Anakin was another brother, in some ways understanding her better than anyone else. How many times had they confided in each other about their frightening power? Even by Jedi standards, Anakin was unusual.

    Blast, could she leave Anakin? Padme? Ben? She had resented Dooku for forcing her into creating a whole new life and now that she needed to leave, she found that she didn’t want to.

    Shaking her head, she chastised herself. Wants were for children and she had not been a child for a long time. Forcefully, she crossed the distance to her bed and reached down to pick up the satchel.

    The bell indicator chimed.

    Come in,” she called, stepping away. She was surprised to see Ben on the other side of the door. She swept a hand over her hair.

    He stood poised outside of the threshold, hands behind his back. “Do you have a moment?”

    Sure. Come in,” she said. “What can I do for you?”

    I have your ship assignment and I thought we could talk.”

    Her heart dropped. “All right.” She dropped onto the edge of her bunk. “What's on your mind?”

    A fresh start,” he answered. “I'd like us to be friends again. So....hello there, I'm Ben Kenobi.”

    Antares San,” she said, glancing up at him in amusement.

    Somebody thought we might be good friends,” he continued.

    She felt a smile split her face. “Well, we'd have to make sure we have something in common. How do you feel about know-it-all women, who stick their nose in places they don't belong?”

    Depending on how you like arrogant men who make unilateral decisions?”
    I count them as the best of friends.”

    Then we're both in good company.”

    They shared a smile. “I miss that,” she mused.

    What?”

    You smiling,” she answered.

    It has been a difficult year,” he agreed. He reached a hand out to her. “Will you take my hand, Antares?”

    She remembered when he first said that to her. He and Anakin had just broken into her holding cell in Dooku's compound. They'd given her their names and had assured her that they were there to help her. But she was afraid. Afraid to touch them, afraid to be touched. Ben's one question had eroded that basic need to not be invaded. Holding his hand, and later letting him carry her through the complex, had been the first time in a long time she'd felt safe.

    He wanted her to trust him. She didn't understand why. It was never him she didn't trust. She took a steadying breath and clasped his hand. A moment later their fingers laced together.

    The door spurted open and Anakin burst through. “Tar, do you want...,” he trailed off, seeing the two of them. A grin pulled from one ear to the other. “Sorry, Master, am I interrupting something?”

    We were talking about my ship assignment,” Antares answered, letting their hands fall apart. She yearned for the warmth as soon as it left.

    Then you’ve agreed to go to Stewjon, great!” His smile hadn’t dimmed an iota. “Anyway, I was going to see if you wanted to have last meal with Padme and me. Of course, you’re welcome to come, Master. It could be a farewell of sorts.”

    At Antares’ questioning glance, Ben said, “We’ll be there shortly, Anakin.”

    All right,” Anakin said. Antares was beginning to worry that ridiculous smirk would freeze on his face. “See you there.”

    That boy,” Ben mused as Anakin disappeared as quickly as he came. “Does he always flounce in here unannounced?”

    He always peaks to make sure I’m appropriately dressed or that I’m not sleeping. I don’t mind. It reminds me of home. He is my brother,” she answered. She turned around to pick up her satchel. It did not seem so final now that their argument had been reconciled. Once she had some distance from him, maybe her feelings would fade and it would be safe again to return and help the League. “So Stewjon? I’m assuming you’ll be on the transport?”

    A Jedi has been sent to the planet. I’m hoping to stave off the war.”

    You don’t sound that hopeful,” she pointed out.

    I fear it is inevitable.”

    Then why go?” It was a searching statement. One she wasn’t sure what she wanted the answer to be.

    There’s still a Jedi there, unaware of the danger they’re in. It would be good to have more than Anakin and me. You brought Qui-Gon to me, but if war does come, the Jedi will be on the front lines, dying for the Sith. I’d like to spare as many as I can.”

    Jedi are not the only ones who can help you,” she thought out loud.

    Then you will come with me to Stewjon?”

    I will. But after…I don’t know if I can stay, Ben.”

    He stepped close to her again, reaching down to clasp her hand. She kept the protections he had taught her in place. Was it enough though? Did he touch her because he wanted to or because she wanted him to? But even without her power, the feel of him was electrifying. It recalled memories of that time both cherished and hated.

    I do owe you an apology for before,” he said, breaking into her thoughts. “You were right about Qui-Gon.”

    She sighed, giddy relief making her chest light. She'd felt the older Jedi's love for his former apprentice. She'd known if anyone was going to help Ben fully heal from everything that had been thrusted upon him, it would have to be Qui-Gon Jinn. As she had unloaded on Padme, Anakin and Ben, a grief was easily born by many shoulders.

    I'm glad.”

    Which doesn't...doesn't mean I should have made an issue of your family on Serenno.”

    I do miss them,” she explained, giving the obvious answer. “I'll think about, Ben.” She threw the satchel back on her cot and pulled on his hand. “But we should go to the galley before Anakin eats all the food.”

    +++

    The healer pressed his security code into the lighted panel. “How long has he been unconscious?”

    A few hours,” the resistance fighter answered. “He's a Jedi. The driver saw him fighting another of his kind.”

    What are two Jedi doing here of all places?” He stepped away, allowing the two younger men to heft the Jedi through the door and onto the nearest gurney.

    The Jedi moaned as they set him down.

    The healer pressed a hand to his forehead. No fever, no infection. That was a small victory. With deft hands, he felt along the Jedi's limbs. The knee was shattered, the shoulder severally dislocated, he would need physical therapy if the arm was ever to work properly again. A number of cuts and bruises were just visible through his soiled tunics.

    Here,” he gestured to the younger men. “Hold him down. That joint must be reset. If he isn't awake now, he will be soon.”

    The two men came on the opposite of the gurney, weighting the man down. He took the flopping limb into his strong hands. The healer leaned down and whispered into the unconscious Jedi's ear. “I'm sorry, my friend, this will hurt.”

    He was surprised when the man did not cry out. Instead, he opened midnight blue eyes and gasped all the air out of his lungs in one bellow. The Jedi bolted up into a sitting position and breathed through the pain. Frantically, his eyes jumped around the examination room. “Whe...Where...,” he blinked at the healer. “How...,” he huffed. “Ob...Obi-Wan.”


    The healer chuckled. “I'm afraid not, my young friend. My name is Devid. Devid Kenobi.”
     
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  14. serendipityaey

    serendipityaey Jedi Master star 4

    Registered:
    Jan 24, 2004
    Ohhh!!! Please tell me there are two men in the galaxy that look like that! :D

    Loved seeing Xan again, you do such a fantastic job writing that fight. I can't do that at all :p Just clean, crisp writing, to the point and detailed at the same time. Love it.

    Loved the section with Antares and Ben, and glad she agreed to go with him readily. This seemed to be a softer side to her and I enjoyed seeing it. And I loved the way they could reconnect here - it was sweet and moving, and she even trusted him enough to hold hands. Looooooveeee.

    The hints you drop of her attraction to him are wonderful, him carrying her, the feel of him electrifying and this: "memories of that time both cherished" Yes!!! Can I pretend the rest of that sentence isn't important....

    The hints you drop of a very painful history and a painful road ahead make me just want to sob :( And so much mystery! Things aren't what they seem? Oh that's driving me crazy. I hope nothing terrible happens, I'm worried :(

    They have a history, hm? I totally agree they did not have a reason to make it work... And i think two born and raised Jedi would have trouble with that in general because they would both always have the excuse to put duty first. I do like siriwan but I like the humanizing factor a non Jedi Oc brings to a character for Obi. :)

    Oh please! I need to know!! I need more happy! I want them to heal. And make babies. :D

    Lovely writing as always. I'm really glad they got to smile and have a moment of connection and it leaves me yearning for more!
     
  15. Gkilkenny

    Gkilkenny Jedi Grand Master star 4

    Registered:
    Mar 27, 2004
    Saved by a Kenobi, one that looks like Obi-Wan. Nice and Xan will be in good hands.
     
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  16. obimom

    obimom Jedi Master star 4

    Registered:
    Oct 31, 2010
    An Obi-Wan lookalilke...yummm :p ..

    Great chapter...glad Antares and Obi-Wan made up.

    What is going on on Stewjon...i hope the other Jedi get there in time. ;)
     
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  17. obsessedwithSW

    obsessedwithSW Jedi Master star 4

    Registered:
    May 24, 2005
    Just got caught up and dying for more! Love this story! You have always been a deft storyteller and nothing I love more than to see Obi in all his glory, You really upped the stakes as we approached the AOTC timeline. What really works for me is the truth in the Jedi-Sith war and the downfall of the council. The way it shadows the events from TMP and now AOTC , although different it works so well. And your handling the relationship with ObiWan and Antares with such skill its making us Siriwaners-Obimom and Seredipityeay and I happily accept thier relationship and even root for it. Please post more!
     
  18. ZaraValinor

    ZaraValinor Jedi Grand Master star 4

    Registered:
    May 31, 2002
    For the last few weeks my computer has been dead. Thankfully, today Best Buy called me and told me they have it fixed. My mother board had a freakout and had to be replaced. So I'm back! Yipee!
     
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  19. serendipityaey

    serendipityaey Jedi Master star 4

    Registered:
    Jan 24, 2004
    Woo!

    I wouldn't quite call myself a siriwan-er...lol. I think I'm more for Obi and Aala ;) but I am definitely rooting for Antares! She's lovely :) And I'm praying for some romance :D
     
  20. obsessedwithSW

    obsessedwithSW Jedi Master star 4

    Registered:
    May 24, 2005
    Ok serendipityaey maybe the more accurate term is obi_wan shipper! I like your pairings too.
     
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  21. ZaraValinor

    ZaraValinor Jedi Grand Master star 4

    Registered:
    May 31, 2002
    Chaos is everywhere, you cannot control it, but try and get ahead of it.


    Anakin knew he was dreaming. At the same time, he knew it just wasn’t a dream. Nor was it the first time he’d had such visions from the Force. But he wondered at what it showed him and he worried for the future.

    Flashes of half formed pictures filled his mind’s eye. Antares stood with a blaster in her hands, the muzzle digging into her own unprotected stomach. ‘I have to, Ben,’ she stuttered.

    In another flash, he and Obi-Wan hugged, tears in their eyes.

    Flash.

    A voice low and gravelly ordered, ‘Execute Order 66.’

    Another shift and Obi-Wan’s blue blade was linked with Master Windu’s violet. They stared each other down, waiting for the other to break free.

    Everything danced around him, until one final picture formed. A cloaked figure with a hand held out to him, as Anakin struggled on his knees. ‘I told you, you would bow down to me. Now Kenobi will die and you will be mine.’

    Anakin gasped, as he woke from the nightmarish visions. Several haggard breaths rattled through his chest. Force, this one had been worse than the other. Extricating himself from Padme, he sat up and ran his hands through his sandy hair. Around him the ship was quiet, only the soft hum of the hyperdrive and Padme’s soft breathing could be heard. It only magnified the cloying vestiges of the dream.

    Watching his friends on the brink of death over and over again had taken its toll. He knew the Force was trying to tell him something, most likely that Obi-Wan’s vision ten years ago was on the verge of decision, but he couldn’t exactly translate.

    “Ani,” Padme asked, rubbing sleep from her eyes. “Are you all right?”

    He shook his head. This was his weakness; he and Obi-Wan were working hard to make it a strength. He worried for what was coming, what the prophecy had told of him and the Sith. For the galaxy to rebuild, he would have to destroy the Sith with Obi-Wan by his side. Yet, time and time again, the Force warned him that Obi-Wan would be distracted by Master Windu and that Obi-Wan would die.

    “The visions again?” Padme asked, rubbing at his back.

    “I know they’re telling me something. I just don’t know what it is I’m supposed to do…or not do.” He took a long breath, than slowly let it out, breathing out the last of his frustration. “I’m sorry I woke you.”

    “What does Ben say?”

    “That we will be mindful, but that everything will work out,” Anakin answered. “The Force set us out on this path. He’s right, I know. It’s just, these dreams haven’t changed.”

    “It must be difficult,” Padme soothed.

    “Obi-Wan went through this while he was dying,” he reminded her.

    Padme frowned. “He has no self-preservation, no care for himself. He worries me.”

    “Hopefully, now that Master Qui-Gon is with him that will change. In some ways, he’s still very old fashioned when it comes to the Force. He accepts Qui-Gon as his superior, he’ll listen and think at least before he acts.”

    “You worry me too,” she said. She wrapped her arms around his chest and tugged backwards until they were once again cushioned in the ships bunk. She kissed his temple, his shoulder. “We need some sleep. It won’t be long before we’re on Kamino.”

    Kamino. Cloning. Jango Fett. Master Sifo-Dyas. How did all of this add up together? Obi-Wan had a bad feeling, which usually ended with them in a lot of trouble. As he settled deeper into the mattress, he wished that Obi-Wan hadn’t been needed on Stewjon.



    +++



    Blurry eyed, Xanatos returned to consciousness. Not really sure where he was. He remembered vaguely waking up and thinking that he had joined Obi-Wan in death. The healer had given a name. He put his hand on his forehead. The fight he'd had with the wraith had been harsh, but he hadn't expected this confusion.

    “How are you feeling?”

    He looked up and saw the healer that he'd mistaken for Obi-Wan. Now that he was more lucid, he could pick out the difference. The eyes were blue like Obi-Wan's, but this man was older than his Padawan brother would have been. His hair, more brown and receding, was missing the red undertone of Obi-Wan's. But the smile he graced Xanatos with. The smile was painful.

    Instantly, cool fingers were on his forehead. “Are you experiencing any pain?”

    The voice was full of professional concern, lyrical, but missing the lilt of years spent on Coruscant. Then it struck him. This was Obi-Wan's older brother, Devid Kenobi.

    He gave a shaky laugh. Of course, the one Jedi who had avoided all healers in the Temple would be related to one.

    “I'm fine,” he answered. He knuckled a corner of one eye. “Confused, but I feel a lot better.”

    “You went through a coup of Sniper trees. You'd been infected with their venom. It can cause hallucinations, paralysis, memory loss. I ran a course of anti-venom, so you should be feeling more like yourself.” He picked up a datapad and reviewed it for a moment. Subconsciously, Devid rubbed at his mustache. “We'll have to do another, I see. You got yourself into quite a mess.”

    Gingerly, Xanatos raised himself into a sitting position. For a moment Devid Kenobi turned into two and then merged into one. “Yeah.”

    “Mind telling me why?”
    Xanatos stilled, his midnight gaze tracing the older Kenobi's face. “You know who I am.”


    “I know what you are, who you are is another matter entirely,” Devid responded. “It is incredibly dangerous for a Jedi to be on Stewjon right now.”

    “And yet you still took me in.”

    “I'm honor bound to do what I can.”

    Xanatos would have taken this at face value, how often had he heard something similar from his Padawan brother, but he'd been taking in the small medical facility. The equipment was old, the metal rusted and stained, the permecrete cracked.

    “What aren't you telling me?”
    “Much,” the other man admitted. “But I'm willing to make an exchange. You give me some information and I'll return in kind.”


    “What do you want to know?”

    “First, I'd like your name.”

    “Xanatos,” the Jedi answered. “Why are you in hiding?”

    “Being a Kenobi can also be dangerous on Stewjon.”

    A frown furrowed Xanatos' pale forehead. “Yet, you still helped me.”

    “Not everyone is happy about that. My mother and father will be here soon. They do not look upon the Jedi the same way I do. Neither does my brother, Owen.”

    “Then, I shouldn't linger.”

    Devid stopped Xan rising with a hand to his shoulder. “You still haven't told me why you're here.”

    “Actually, I came here for you.”

    That caused the medic to still. “Me?”

    “You and your family. We're investigating the man who calls himself Ben Kenobi.”

    “He carries my brother's name,” Devid mused out loud. “But my brother is dead. So that means the Jedi suspect someone in my family. What will you do if you find this Ben Kenobi pretender?”

    “I'm not sure,” Xanatos answered. “There is a lot to be discussed. Other than the name, there's nothing that hints it is a member of your family. We need answers. It’s difficult to make any decisions until we know who we are dealing with. It sounds like your family has reason to dislike the Jedi.”

    Before Devid could answer, a young man, one Xan vaguely remembered seeing from his previous stint of consciousness stalked into the room. He handed Devid a hypospray while turning a sour face at Xan. It had enough of Obi-Wan in it to tell Xan that this was his Padawan brother's nephew.

    “He gonna make it?”
    Devid gave his son a wry smile, taking the hypospray. “Thank you, Ben.”
    “Grandfather and grandmother are here. They want to see him.”


    “Run interference for a little longer. We're almost done here. Xanatos needs rest. They'll only have ten minutes.”

    “Dad...”

    “Now, Ben,” Devid insisted. “Don't worry, I'll rescue you before your grandparents get out of hand.”

    “Fine,” the boy blew out. “But if you aren't out there in five, I will not be responsible for what they do.”

    The older Kenobi chuckled and gave his son a playful push. “Go!”

    The boy stalked off. “You named him, Ben,” Xanatos said.

    “It's a family name. My brother, my cousin, a great uncle, they all share the same name. I don't want this to become a wild bantha chase. These people are my family.”

    “I understand,” Xanatos assured him.

    “I meant what I said,” Devid continued. Always a professional, always clinical. “Ten minutes, then I'll cut them off. You need to rest.”

    Xanatos sat up higher on the gurney. “You're family is in danger for as long as I'm here. There’s someone, a dark Force-user, someone trained. They nearly had the upper hand on me. If I survived, she probably did too. We've got a little time.”

    Devid sighed, dropping the hand with the datapad to his leg. “The Republic keeps bringing their battles here.”

    “I will do whatever I can to keep you out of it,” Xanatos assured.

    Devid arched a brown brow “Why is that?”

    “Your brother was my brother, that makes us family.”



    *****



    Abruptly, the elongated starlines of hyperspace collapsed into tiny pinpricks of light as Obi-Wan brought the shuttle out of lightspeed. He stilled, something elusive passed over his consciousness. A stirring of dark and light, like dappled sunlight shining down through a forest canopy. As quickly as he felt it, it vanished into the eddies of the Force.

    “What is it?” Antares asked from the co-pilot’s seat.

    “I felt something strange,” he mused. “We’ll have to be careful.”

    She nodded, her eyes searching the variegated green orb in front of them. “This was where you were born?”

    “So I’m told. I don’t remember much, just playing in the grass with my older brother. When I became an apprentice, I put those memories behind me.”

    “How?”

    He studied her. Antares had been away from her family for more than four years. Her brothers had been only children when she’d been taken by Dooku, her father recently deceased. The credits she’d earned as a dancer had kept them comfortable. On her behalf, Obi-Wan had asked Dex to make inquiries into the family. To them, Antares had vanished without a trace. They had no idea that their Count had betrayed them.

    She’d been relieved to learn that they were unharmed and doing fine without her income. He should have known that she still had concerns. While he had put the memories he had of the Kenobi family behind him, he’d found it infinitely harder to do so with his Jedi family. While he may always balk at the idea of attachment, he had quickly realized how intrinsically Qui-Gon, Xanatos and others of the Jedi Order were a part of him. He had missed their presence, their influence in his life.

    Yet, the Force had taught him that what was a part of him would also remain. It was only the pieces he had dug out himself that were to be feared. If you left holes in your soul the Dark Side was quick to swoop in to exploit them.

    “It is not the same for you as it was for me. I didn’t spend a lifetime with them. Your family will always be with you.”

    One side of her full mouth quirked up. “Yes, Master Obi-Wan.”

    “That used to be Anakin’s immediate response for when he wasn’t quite listening but wanted to appear dutiful. You spend too much time with my Padawan, Antares. He’s becoming a bad influence on you.”

    She blinked at him. “I'm sorry, were you saying something.”

    “Too much time,” he repeated.

    Behind them the door to the cockpit hissed open and Qui-Gon entered. “I felt the ship come out of hyperspace.”

    He watched as Antares immediately stood from her seat and guided his aging Master into the chair. It was still strange to see Qui-Gon here with them. A gift, Antares had called him. And he was. Qui-Gon had been nothing but understanding and supportive, but Obi-Wan knew the older Jedi still had misgivings. He had been given the choice to join the league and he had yet to accept.

    Obi-Wan would have been concerned if he had thrown in with them so quickly. In the past, Qui-Gon had seemed unpredictable, reckless, willing to change on the tip of a credit. All of this was true, but there was more. He followed the Force. Sooner or later, Qui-Gon would see the truth and he would become a member of the League.

    “I'm going to prepare for our arrival,” Antares said.

    Obi-Wan turned in his chair and stopped her with a hand on her arm. “Do you need help? You reacted poorly on Coruscant.”

    “No, I'll be fine. Promise.”

    “Your young lady keeps disappearing every time we're in a room together,” Qui-Gon pointed out once Antares was gone.

    Obi-Wan refused to rise to Qui-Gon's bait. “Heavily populated planets can be overwhelming for her. She is going to center herself.”

    “You've been training her?” his Master asked.

    “In certain necessary areas.”

    “I thought you had agreed no more secrets,” Qui-Gon reminded him. “And no more evading.”

    Obi-Wan sighed. “Master, it's not necessarily a secret. But it is hers to answer. She trusts you. In time, you'll know.”

    “Then why does she leave?”

    “She wants to give us time to talk. As you might imagine, I've been busy and for a while I was wearing myself too thin.”
    “And that,” Qui-Gon said, gesturing to where Obi-Wan's hand had begun to rub at the scar tissue at his chest. “Does she worry about your wound?”
    Obi-Wan dropped his hand into his lap, studied his fingers. There were times that his body didn't feel like his own. That any moment he could slip away. He had accepted this since he'd learned of the miracle that Anakin and the Force had gifted him. Still, running his fingers over the scar had made him feel real...alive. It had become a habit on Dathomir, when he'd been healing. Now it was a tell, something that had already betrayed him to his friends.


    “Obi-Wan?”

    “It's a reminder, nothing more,” he assured his Master. “What I was given to help this galaxy succeed.”

    “Or a badge declaring your penance?”
    Forcefully, Obi-Wan returned his attention to guiding the ship. The thick green canopy of the lowlands would sallow them up, hide them from curious Separatists who would soon find their transmitted code was stolen.


    “You cannot deny it is fitting,” Obi-Wan said, as he searched for a break in the flora.

    He felt more than heard Qui-Gon's sigh. “Life is a gift to be enjoyed. It's never a curse, my Padawan. If the Force saved you, as I believe it has, than it wasn't as a punishment.”

    “Nothing happens by accident,” Obi-Wan recited. “That's what you used to say. If not accident, than there must be a purpose.”

    “Redemption?” Qui-Gon offered.

    Obi-Wan shot him a crocked smile. “Isn't it the same as a punishment?”

    “No. Punishment is justice. Redemption is about saving you.”

    Frowning, Obi-Wan's forehead furrowed. The line between his brows deepening, he tried to make sense of the whirlwind of thoughts in his head. Proximity sirens sounded, cutting through his thoughts. He was pulling up the proximity screen, when a flash of light shot past the forward viewport. The ship rocked, tossing himself and Qui-Gon against their crash webbing.

    Obi-Wan’s hand tightened over the controls.

    “This is why I hate flying,” he muttered.

    He reached out into the Force, feeling its energy envelope him, calming his anxiety. He cut the ship to the starboard, avoiding another barrage of laser light. The other ship zoomed by him, as he decreased the power to sublight engines. It was standard separatist fare, no doubt piloted by a Trade Federation battle droid.

    With a burst of warning from the Force, he juked the ship to the left. And nearly tore off their engine against one of the plateaus.

    Antares stumbled into the cockpit. “What’s going on?”

    “The Separatists are more intelligent than we gave them credit for,” Obi-Wan told her.

    “It was bound to happen eventually,” she quipped, throwing herself into the seat behind Qui-Gon and snapping her crash webbing into place.

    Struggling with the controls, Obi-Wan searched the canopy of the lowlands for the break he needed. Battle droids wouldn’t expect him to crash the ship on purpose. He just needed to give it an air of credibility. He caught what he was looking for a couple of click’s away.

    “Hold on,” he warned, before he allowed one of the battle droid’s to clip him.

    He arrowed the ship down through the break in the canopy and braced himself for impact.
     
  22. serendipityaey

    serendipityaey Jedi Master star 4

    Registered:
    Jan 24, 2004
    Oh so much mystery and tension. Anakin's visions are horrible! Oh dear :( You weave such an intense deep story, great job. Can't wait for more. Oh, sigh! I'm on pins and needles here!

    I've heard kissing a Jedi master really helps to center oneself ;)
     
    obsessedwithSW likes this.
  23. obsessedwithSW

    obsessedwithSW Jedi Master star 4

    Registered:
    May 24, 2005
    I love stories where they acknowledge that truth.[face_love]
    I am worried about that vision, but I like the fact that Obi-wan has addressed Anakin's weakness and that Anakin is able to discuss it.
     
  24. Gkilkenny

    Gkilkenny Jedi Grand Master star 4

    Registered:
    Mar 27, 2004
    A crash landing coming up. =D=
     
  25. ZaraValinor

    ZaraValinor Jedi Grand Master star 4

    Registered:
    May 31, 2002
    For years my home had been inside a grand temple. A place of safety and rest. On the run, I thought I would never feel that way again. I learned an important truth. It did not matter whether I was in the Jedi Temple or living in a simple hut on Dathomir, I was home.

    Qui-Gon blinked through the darkness and the haze as he returned to consciousness. Two heads loomed over him. Antares hand rested on his forehead, while Obi-Wan gazed with concern.

    I’m afraid you’re piloting skills have not improved, my Padawan,” he grunted.

    Obi-Wan knelt down in the forest moss and helped Antares lever him into a sitting position. “Anakin would agree with you.”

    Resting his aching head in one hand, Qui-Gon cast his eyes about the forest. “Where are we?”

    Not as close as I would like to the plateau,” Obi-Wan answered. “But it shouldn’t be more than a couple days’ walk. Are you feeling up to it?”

    Of course.”

    Antares moaned and her eyes fluttered closed. She pressed a hand to her forehead. “He needs a few more minutes.”

    Gently, Obi-Wan moved the other hand that was resting on Qui-Gon's shoulder away from the older Jedi. “You're supposed to be careful.”

    I'm being careful,” she argued. “I just need a moment.” She hadn't opened her eyes and she stumbled a step backwards until Obi-Wan steadied her with a hand.

    Instantly, the pain in Qui-Gon's head seemed more aggravating. He could suddenly smell blood and taste it in the air. The forest around him was different. The trees were home, the roots food. And something, anything had to answer for the pain jig-jagging through his skull. A growl, feral and needy formed in his throat.

    And just as abruptly, the pain remained and everything around him returned to being foreign.

    He looked up to see Antares' eyes were open and she was forcing her vice-like grip away from Obi-Wan's hand. It hit him then, full force and with no reservations. Antares San was an empath. An extremely powerful one from what he'd just felt a moment ago. He’d never felt such a raw unbridled connection to the Living Force. He’d just experienced what it felt like to be a part of this forest.

    Obi-Wan was watching him and Qui-Gon raised innocent brows. His former Padawan surely had guessed his deduction. Obi-Wan's lips thinned, a sign that he didn't believe in Qui-Gon's obliviousness. Another thing between them. Qui-Gon sighed. He was overjoyed to find that Obi-Wan was alive. He could also see why his former apprentice had been forced to hide his identity for so long. But even though Obi-Wan was right before him, he still felt lightyears away.

    Come on,” Antares said, breaking the tension. “We have a distance to go before we make camp.” She shouldered a pack and started off.
    Qui-Gon forced himself to his feet. “Determined, isn't she?”

    As I said, heavily populated areas can be difficult for her.”

    And they don't have to be sentient?”

    Obi-Wan shook his head, watching the woman as she climbed over a fallen tree. “Master...”

    I mean her no harm, Obi-Wan. I promise you that.”

    Now you hold knowledge that is doubly dangerous. It could mean her life. It could mean yours. You must understand that it cannot be taken lightly. There is one who will kill, demoralize and devastate for what you know.”

    Master Cristoff?”

    Yes. And the Sith if he were to learn what she could do.”

    That is why you protect her? Teach her?” Qui-Gon knew that there was much more to that. Obi-Wan cared deeply for this girl, though she was different from the women he had always been attracted to before. Except the strength. Beneath the disappearances, the tentative touches, this young woman was solid. Obi-Wan had always been an admirer of quiet strength.

    It is better for her if she is kept safe. It is better for all, if she can keep herself safe.”

    How so?”

    Antares has always been talented,” he hedged, still afraid to say what they both knew out loud. “Her power lay below the surface and only came out when she was dancing with her troupe. Until then, she had control. She could keep it at bay. It wasn’t until Dooku used a cocktail of psychotropic drugs and torture that she lost her control. People died. Countless others lost their minds. She was all but broken when Anakin and I found her.”

    To what purpose?”

    Imagine what you felt moments ago a hundred fold. Pain and terror that was not your own and could never be escaped. Or to become animalistic, feral, and all civilized thought torn from your mind. It would make any being desperate. Desperation, hopelessness those are the true paths to the Dark Side.”

    You think the Jedi.”

    Dooku has become corrupted and he is currently the Sith’s pupil, but he is still somewhat loyal to the Order. He does not want to see it destroyed.”

    Qui-Gon gaped at the possibilities. “The entire order, is it possible?”

    There’s the potential inside of her. Many would die and others would be useless, but those he turned would follow him. It was how we found her. We knew that there were several plots against the Jedi, the threads led us to one of Dooku’s compounds.” His former apprentice shivered. “I hope to never see her like that again.”

    They grew silent, Obi-Wan either having nothing more to say or not wishing to return to unpleasant memories. They caught up to Antares and the three of the trekked through the dense forest growth. The heat and moisture of the day turned to chill as the sun dipped towards the horizon. Qui-Gon was about to suggest them make camp when Antares held up a hand.

    We’re being watched,” she hissed.

    What do you feel?” Obi-Wan asked.

    Hunger. Several hungry things. And their smart. We’re being hunted.”

    Qui-Gon stretched out with his senses and caught a hint of danger and malice. He told Obi-Wan, “They’re coming from above.”

    As if to justify his statement, a shrill cry pierced through the heavy silence of the forest. Qui-Gon’s gaze scanned over the area. He would have thought the trees would have afforded them from an aerial attack.

    Let’s keep going,” Obi-Wan said. “They may be hungry but we don’t know if they are capable of actually hurting us. We’ll move to a more defensible position, set up camp and keep watch.” He eyed Antares. “Stay between us.”

    She nodded, her eyes slightly glazed. “I’ll let you know if they get closer.”

    They continued more carefully this time, making as little noise as possible. The unseen creatures waited, watching, communicating in their alarmingly high trills. It made Qui-Gon wonder if they were being cautious of a harmless avian. He did not know the limits of Antares’s powers. But Obi-Wan took the warning seriously. The younger man may have sensed a warning himself.

    Duck,” Antares cried, dropping to the ground. She grabbed Qui-Gon’s tunic and tugged him to the ground.

    It was just in time to avoid the creature,s talons, sharp as a vibroshiv. Its body was thin, almost serpentine, covered with mottled green feathers that blended into the canopy above. Its wings slopped into its body which made it easy to dodge through branches and leaves. It didn’t have a beak, but a yawning jaw of teeth that were just as menacing as the four inch talons on its feet. It was easily as big as Qui-Gon was high and as rangy and muscular as a gundark.

    Once it had passed, the two Jedi leaped to their feet, lightsabers out in front of them. The energy hum reverberated in the closed space. The creature disappeared back into the trees.

    There at least five others,” Antares warned, her voice coming brokenly with her effort to maintain contact with the creatures and to speak as a human being.

    Draw away,” Obi-Wan ordered.

    Antares shook her head even though Obi-Wan watched the foliage above them. “I can’t. You need me.”

    I need you lucid,” he countered.

    I can fight,” she grunted. “I’ve been practicing. Besides there are more coming. They’re a hive mind.”

    Their argument was cut short as three of the creatures swooped down at them. Qui-Gon spun and aimed for a long neck, but missed as the creature swerved midair. As it passed him, Qui-Gon felt a buzz at the edge of his senses.

    She’s right. They communicate telepathically. And they’re reflexes are impressive,” Qui-Gon reported.

    Her eyes still glazed with effort, Antares stumbled to her feet. She pulled a blaster from her hip and leveled it in front of her. “If we could…wound one…and I could touch it….,”

    She didn’t get to finish her through before Obi-Wan said, “No!”

    More swooped in on their position and the space over their heads and under the forest canopy became clouded with the creatures. Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon took several out with their lightsabers, but the creatures seemed never ending.

    Ben,” Antares pleaded, as she shot at one who came far too close.

    Taking a moment from his onslaught, Obi-Wan said, “Watch my back.”

    Abruptly, he launched himself into the air, snatched at a sinewy neck and threw himself onto one of the creatures. A sharp cry came from his flying mount and the creature adjusted its trajectory for the forest floor. Its speed only increasing.

    Ben, it’s going to kill itself,” Antares shouted.

    Obi-Wan deactivated his lightsaber. He wrapped his arm around the neck and threw his weight backwards. This time the cry was cut off with a gurgle. With another jerk, Obi-Wan caught the creature’s wings. The next move sent them upside down with Obi-Wan’s hand stretched outward. Qui-Gon felt the Force crest around his Padawan and watched as their descent slowed. Would it be enough?

    Dirt, moss and rocks kicked in the air as the Force hit the ground before Obi-Wan and the creature. They hit hard, but it wouldn’t kill them. Qui-Gon wrapped an arm around Antares and helped the dazed woman over to his fallen apprentice, battling back any of the winged creatures that shot their way.

    Obi-Wan staggered dizzily to his feet and plucked Antares away from Qui-Gon. “Use me as an anchor.”

    Right,” she said, fumbling to pull of her elbow high gloves. Doing the breathing exercises that were taught to younglings at the Temple, Antares pressed a hand to the creatures head. It did its best to snap its teeth at her but Qui-Gon forced it down. Antares leaned into Obi-Wan's hold. “There are so many of them.”
    Convince it that there is something wrong. You can do that. Think of the Chu'unther,” he breathed into her ear. “Think of home, make them yearn for a place to be safe.”

    Home,” she muttered under her breath. “Home.”

    Qui-Gon watched in amazement as the creatures began to turn away. With powerful flaps of their wings, they disappeared into the trees. Soon he no longer had to chase them away with his lightsaber. His breath came in ragged gasps and the sound filled up his ears as the forest once again became silent. Eyes wider than credit chips, Qui-Gon studied the empath. His encounter with her in the Temple, the incident earlier had only been a taste of her power. For the first time, he understood Obi-Wan's reticence to share Antares with the galaxy.

    Let go, Antares. Come back,” Obi-Wan whispered. He took her hands from the creature and lifted her into his arms.

    Qui-Gon waited until they were a distance away before relinquishing his hold on the creature. It erupted into the air. Feeling safe for the moment, he hurried over to Obi-Wan where Antares laid limp in his arms. “Will she be all right?”

    His voice stirred the woman and she nestled deeper into Obi-Wan. She whispered, “Home.”

    The younger man nodded. Thoughtlessly, he ran a hand through Antares hair, smoothing it down and setting her deeper into sleep. Qui-Gon wondered if this was a show of Obi-Wan’s trust, let him see this unguarded moment. “We should be safe for now. But I think we should seek cover under something other than trees.”

    I’ll make camp.”