" Darkest Hour, Brightest Hope"JA1**3/29*END OF BOOK 1 !!!!

Reading and enjoying! Sorry ewen for not writing more but I'm swamped right now!

 

Heh, Qui going on a mission with Xan and Obi? I like it.

Oh, btw, ewen, it's the 11th, not the 10th.

 

Our three Jedi (well, two Jedi and an EX-Jedi) are going on a mission? Nice. Uh, btw, it's the eleventh today. Nearly missed this post because of the date. [face_shocked]

Aunecah

 

Yep, I have been a day behind all week.

Thanx.

PEACE ewen

 

looking forward to reading about the mission, ewen. sorry so short, but i worked 9 hrs tonight. going to bed tonight. later, my friend

 

A. Mission. 7

 

Lazybones- I am always pushing for feedback, but I truly know how life gets in the way of the most loyal reader, just like with Aun, post when you have time.

Jedi_Suzuran & Aun- glad you like Xani going with them. Could be just like old times or it might wind up being three's a crowd.

Jedibear- Rest when you can, post afterwards!!!

7- nice to see you smile!!!

On to the post.kinda long. ewen

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Qui-Gon did not get into the older Crion?s opinion of them staying there. He was congenial enough for Jinn at last-meal. He didn?t need his friendship, he needed a safe place for Obi-Wan when he was away from him and he *thought* the Crion house would be that haven.

The only thing the Jedi master did not care for was the reaction of Xanatos? father as Obi-Wan desperately struggled to eat without making a complete mess. With his hands so very shaky and his eyesight non-existent, the boy seemed depressed just with tackling what was to him a very tedious job; lifting the fork and putting it too his mouth without spillage. Xani did solve the drinking problem. Obi would find his glass and use a straw that way he didn?t have to pick his drink up.

Qui-Gon retired early with his apprentice . He and Xani would leave very early before daylight to the meetings.

Obi-Wan?s whereabouts the next day was not yet decided. The senators said Jinn could bring him along. Xani thought it was an excellent idea but Qui-Gon reserved his right to hold his decision until later. He really would welcome time away from the young man and the relief of his worry it would bring, while Obi-Wan would be safely back the Crion home.

#####Three days past##########

It?s the weekend now. My master will be here with me for two entire days. The pressure to do well will be worse. I hated staying here while he went off with his apprentice to the meeting. What am I saying? I am his apprentice, although Qui-Gon seems to have formed an outward bond with his former apprentice. Now I have to try to act like I have improved my abilities with dealing with two handicaps. Yeah, Yeah, Yeah, Xani says they are not handicaps they are minor set-backs in my life that should be met head-on and handled with the copious determination of a healthy young teenage apprentice, *RIGHT*!!!!!. How come I don?t feel that way? What am I saying? I know why I don't hold the same bright bubbly outlook as Xanatos holds for me. I am the one dealing with it and Xanatos and Master Jinn both are the ones sitting back and quoting some mumbo-jumbo from a Jedi book of good behavior or something.

This was the first time Obi-Wan had ever in his entire life said anything negative about the Jedi. It surprised him at first and then it brought sheer terror to the boy. He thought maybe he was turning to the dark side or leaning that way at least.

Why do I think those things? It?s not the force?s fault that the mine caved in. Well the force could have helped me stay healthy, but I heard Xani mention that the healer told he and my master I was stupid for not helping myself with the gas mask.

Just as Obi-Wan suspected, the weekend did not start well land went downhill as the days progressed. Xanatos and Qui-Gon were inseparable. They said it was because headway was being made in the trade agreement talks.

Why shouldn?t they agree Xanatos and his father have absolutely nothing to export and won?t before two years. By then they can renegotiate the agreement.? thought Obi-Wan as he sat in the common room and listen Xani and Master interact as if they had never been separated as master and apprentice. If anyone saw them that didn?t know better, they would think Xanatos was my master?s apprentice.

He could only imagine how well the two got along. with the laughing, jokes and talking of the good old times. Yes the apprentice let his imagination get away with him because of his inability to see.

Obi-Wan knew he was mentally whining about his predicament but didn?t

 

Dear Force - I officially immensely dislike Qui-Gon. What's up with him? Poor Obi-Wan is blind, and Qui-Gon seemed to be wanting to point that at him every single time he got a chance. On the other hand, he seem to want to show Obi how hard his life was going to be, but that's NO excuse for his insensitivity to other's pains.

I'm with Xani [face_shocked] this time - does Qui-Gon have a guilty conscience?

Aunecah

 

I've a feeling I'll be cheering for Xani quite a bit in this story.

Qui is indeed a bucket head.

 

Just upping and telling you I'm going away for a couple of days. I think I'm going to suffer major anguish not being able to read the story until Sunday!!!

 

Go Xani!!!! Maybe you can get through to the buckethead, but I don't count on it happening to soon. That head and it would seem heart of his is sometime far to thick for my liking, thankfully not for my reading pleasure though

Love your story ewen, keep up the great work!

 

What! the hell is wrong with Jinn, listen up buckethead nobody's perfect, and your even less perfect than everybody in this story. I can't believe this. Btw, Xani was right-on even though he's close to being a criminal, he's a better person than Jinn. does that make any sense 7

 

Obi-Wan was not brave enough to seek solitude away from his master. Instead he craved being close to his new master he had bonded too, but couldn?t successfully participate in his padawan duties with.. What he did not crave what the scrutiny he felt he was put through as he sat there, sightless, not far from his master after a large Sunday?s brunch. Obi could not tell if Master stared at him continually and if he did, did the gaze hold a certain disrespect for the padawan.

After the botched-up way I battled yesterday, he probably regrets taking me as his apprentice.

Obi thought about the possibility that Jinn might still release him of his apprenticeship. He could, thought the boy for he never officially taken him . He had not announced it in front of the council or plaited his hair in Obi-Wan?s braid. Qui-Gon told him it was just the ceremonial aspect of the taking of an apprentice. Spoken agreement between master and apprentice is what mattered. It bonded the two together.

If it does then we are master and apprentice. Though I suppose Master could tell the council it might be too difficult to train me and face it , he just might be right, after that fiasco yesterday.

He physically cringed as he thought over the events of his horribly disappointing *first*saber lesson with his new master. The terrible stumbling he had done flashed like an instant replay in his mind. His hands shook and were barely able to retain their grip on his saber that day. Obi-Wan was afraid if he thrust the saber with too much power it would slip from his weakened grip and maybe hurt someone. Then the humiliating aspect of lunging toward emptiness and open space. His saber hitting nothing, only to feel the hot shearing of skin when his master?s saber landed blow after blow until the blow of defeat finally made necessary the conceding of Padawan Kenobi. His assessment of the saber training was opposite of Xani?s. He did not blame his master for being too hard on him, for he thought his master was fair and just battling Obi-Wan. He placed all the blame for his less than acceptable training session on himself whereas Xanatos put the blame solely on Qui-Gon?s head but unbeknownst to Obi..

?Padawan, would you like to go down and practice with your saber??

Qui-Gon looked up and studied his apprentice?s reaction as he waited for him to reply. The dazzling blue eyes of the twelve-year-old newly apprenticed Jedi were dimmed with the blindness suffered in the mine-cave-in.. He certainly wasn?t a typical beginner padawan who had just gotten a new master. No, Obi-Wan had the face of worry of someone years older than him. His brow seemed to have permanently transfixed its self into a frown, told bits of Obi-Wan?s story. One would have to look deeper to know the entire misery suffered by the apprentice. Jinn felt sadness, followed by pity for him at times. Worst of all was the pity. Qui-Gon knew he could not base a master and apprentice relationship on *pity*.

Why did I just ask that? I know how difficult it was for him with his saber abilities so lacking now.

Obi-Wan, two hands resting in his lap began to comb the brown fabric of his tunics making unseen designs; rubbing in a nervous fit that suddenly overtook him. He was glad though, no one else was in the room to see his reaction. It was bad enough for his master to witness it.

Obi-Wan cleared his throat and willed his hands to lay still in his lap long enough to address his master. Obi-Wan thought he could feel Master Jinn staring at him as Kenobi waited for his answer.

?If it is alright with you master, I would rather not . At least not today.?

Qui-Gon waited a moment and continued to study the nervous padawan before him. He was glad, yet disappointed that Obi-Wan was unwilling to tackle one of the most essential training to a Jedi, his saber training.

?Well it is quite up to you for now. Of course it will be very different when we go back to the temple. After the healers have assessed you and given their O.K.

 

*Ehem* - I don't know whether to feel befuddled or angry with Qui-Gon. First he goes on in his usual insensitive, clueless way with Obi-Wan and then he does it some more. I wonder what's wrong with Qui-Gon. Okay, okay, fine. So Qui-Gon wasn't nearly as bad in this post as some other posts. I almost felt happy with him in this one. [face_shocked] The only problem is that the last line just blew it for me. Obi-Wan WILL become a Jedi Knight if he lost all his hands and legs to some stupid blast. As long as he has a brain left, and maybe even if he doesn't have any brain left....

I wonder what's going to happen now.

Aunecah

 

Oh, oh, oh! Most intriguing, ewen, most intriguing. And Qui doesn't know that's a bomb??

Or am I misreading? Mind's on the fritz today.

 

jedi_Suzuran

Qui knows it is a switch to denonate a bomb but did it really come from the mine site or is someone trying to set the Crions' up. Then again maybe it was someone else. I think Qui-Gon is trying to give Xanatos every benefit of doubt because he is starting to come around to being his friend again. Too bad he is so understanding where Xani is concerned but not Obi-Wan.

If anyone is looking for a really DARK Xani in this one you aren't going to find him.

PEACE ewen

 

DRL caught up with me big time. I'm back for now. But it is the start of March Madness, so I may get sidetracked by a game or two in the next few weeks. I love reading your stories ewen, but I'm afraid no one can replace the Bruins in my heart

 

Thanks for the clarification, ewen. I was right, mind is on the fritz.

 

P.Kitara O.K. Go to the head of the class.You are excused to follow your beloved Bruins!!!

I myself have some DRL to tend too this weekend so I am not sure if I can post Saturday. It will depend on if I can get all the things done that I need to do???{Gus wants to go to the petshop to pick out a new Boo Boo suffed animal. He always has to sleep with one. Yes like Obi and the suffed wookie my *little one* needs a teddy for added comfort at night!!!!} ewen

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Padawan Kenobi sat around the fire with the others. They sat close even though the night air was already too hot as it blew a crossed the sun-baked sand they sat on.

Obi thought back to not very long ago he sat in a snow drift on the other side of the planet as he waited on news of his master, his first master, Master Windu. What was winter there, turned just as quickly and as opposite on the other side of the planet Telos, where they had traveled too now.

The summer sun had cast its grueling blazing rays on them all day as they trekked a crossed the desert to their destination. Now the lowered sun still left remnants of its immense heat collected by the heated sand granules.

Although the campfire nearly baked the flushed face of the apprentice, he moved ever closer to the fire to avoid the many bug bites he was receiving from the darkness-drawn insects of numerous species, fluttering in the air almost as thick as the black smoke that came from the fire.

It was everyone?s hope that the smoke deterred the bugs, but Obi-Wan thought he would hate to see how many could amass if some had stayed away from the cloud of sooty air. He was torn between taking his robe off to keep from suffocating with the desert heat or keeping it on to prevent himself from being carried away by them.

A sharp and very embarrassing command came from his present master, Qui-Gon.

?OBI-WAN you?re getting too close to the fire. Your robe might catch ablaze. Move back a little.?

Jinn reprimanded the boy only out of fear that he would accidentally catch his Jedi robe on fire without his eyesight to steer him from it. However, it only caused humiliation the the newly blinded padawan to be shouted at so sharply in front of the others who also hugged the fire as a bug repellant. At that moment, he didn?t much care if he just jumped into it to keep away the critical stares of those around.

They probably think I am not only blind but suffer from some mental affliction, especially if they witnessed my hands shaking violently as I tried to eat.

Maybe Qui-Gon thought he deserved some kind of thank you for the gratuitous shout commanding the boy to stay away from the fire but that was not what Obi-Wan had in mind.

?Excuse me master I still have my mind intact. I didn?t plan to jump into the fire. I am trying to keep the insects from eating me alive.?

?No doubt padawan, but still you have inched very close to that fire. If you are not burnt up then you will surely die from a heat stroke.?

Did the words come out of his master?s mouth with an edge to them. Was he angry or concerned? It didn?t matter to Obi-Wan who was offended by his master?s sharp, quick command, no matter what he intended his words to sound like.

He doesn?t need to watch me like a baby.

?Knock it off Qui. You are humiliating the boy in front of everyone here.?

Xani of course had to put himself in the middle of the argument. He was noted even as an apprentice to vocally object to anything he felt was wrong..

?Xanatos, I don?t think you reached knighthood; a requirement to attain your own apprentice. So kindly leave mine alone. I will do what is necessary to see Obi-Wan is safe. I will not have him injured while under my care again.?

Jinn spoke the words to Xani in a lower tone making sure others around the campfire couldn?t here his curt reply to his former apprentice. Obi-Wan only wished he had been as considerate of his feelings as he was of Xani?s when it came to being *called out* in front of the

 

To give Qui-Gon some credit, he is starting to act more and more like he should. Suffice to say, I'm still angry with him for purposefully humiliating Obi-Wan in front of everybody, but I can share - for once - his concern.

Now, we just have to wait and see what kind of realization and conclusions the Master comes up with.

Don't worry about not being able to post on Saturday, ewen. We'll wait.

Aunecah

 

Aunecah is right, but I will still have to SMACK Jinn upside the head if he does'nt straighten up. 7

 

Could that line actually mean that Qui is seeing sense?????

We can only hope.

 

I do have Saturday's post and I could be talked into posting it tonight.

If anyone is out there?

PEACE ewen

 

So Qui-Gon is starting to get a clue

But I know you ewen, with you he usually takes one step forward, then two (sometimes three) steps back!!!!

Love to see you post as often as you can!

 

here,ewen. and ready for more. sorry i haven't posted lately. busy at work and
at home. go ahead and post. ready and
willing here. see ya.