Before - Legends Giver of Light - Book 1: Finding a Father in a Memory (JA; AU~Qui, Obi, Xan) *Completed 12/4/04*

Yet another wonderful story from JediMaster_Jen. Superb work, I hope to read all the posts soon, I'm behind!

 

LukesTheMan~Thanks.

You're behind? Didn't I mention that wasn't allowed? Must have slipped my mind. Hurry and catch up.

 

Okay, just a few notes before the chapter. First, there are only three chapters left of this story, plus an epilogue before it's finished and I begin the sequel. Second, as you can see, the full title is now, Giver of Light-Book I: Finding a Father in a Memory. It's a mouth full, but I finally deided what I wanted to call this trilogy floating around in my head. Third, as I mentioned before the last chapter post, the second installment of this trilogy will be moving to the Saga board since it takes place ten years in the future, in TPM timeframe. I hope everyone will venture over there and keep reading.

Alas, the time has come for chapter 8. Key information is explained and revealed in this chapter so....enjoy, please.



Chapter 8

Xanatos stood as well, his pacing matching Qui-Gon’s. He ran a hand through his long black locks before turning to face the Council.

“I’ve done my duty to this Order for the last fifteen years. I’ve been a good Jedi. Now, I want to be a good father,” he told them quietly. “But I need to know who my son really is, what he really is.”

Mace and Yoda looked at one another, silently communicating. They knew that revealing the truth about Obi-Wan could be dangerous to anyone who knew that truth. Xanatos himself was special and of great importance to the future, but they knew he was right. He deserved to know.

“Xanatos, Obi-Wan is a very special young man. He possesses skills far beyond those of his age-mates, far beyond every Knight in this Temple and approaching the skill-level of most Masters,” Mace informed Xanatos quietly.

Xanatos looked at Qui-Gon. He wasn’t surprised to see that nothing Mace had just said seemed new to his former mentor. “How is that possible?” he asked. “It should be impossible for a Padawan Learner, especially one only two years into his apprenticeship to have such skills. His presence in the Force, his power is…immense.”

“Yes, powerful Obi-Wan certainly is,” Yoda said. “Extremely high his midi-chlorian count is.”

Xanatos took a step closer to the Council members at the mention of midi-chlorians. He’d known for many years that his own count was unusually high even for a Jedi, but he also knew it wasn’t anything approaching Yoda’s count. “When you say ‘extremely high’, how high do you mean exactly?” he asked cautiously.

Yoda stared directly into Xanatos’ eyes, green meeting blue. “Over twenty-three thousand, his count is.”

*******************************************************************

“Obi-Wan, you do realize that there is a possibility, however slight, that either our Masters or the Council won’t agree to let us help Senator Palpatine, don’t you?,” Garen asked his friend as the two walked the distance between the Senate Hall and the Jedi Temple.

Obi-Wan just shrugged. “I suppose it’s possible. Master Qui-Gon will most likely forbid me to be involved after the way I ran off.”

“Speaking of running away, I never imagined you for the type to do something like that,” Garen said. “You always confront a situation head-on.”

Obi-Wan stopped walking and turned to face Garen. “No matter what I do in this situation, someone will get hurt. If I decide to go with my father, Qui-Gon will never speak to me again. He and I have been through this once already a few months ago when I entertained the idea of staying on Melida/Daan,” he imparted to Garen. “If I do it again, that’ll be the end. On the other hand, if I refuse to leave the Jedi and stay with Qui-Gon, my father will be crushed. I don’t win in this situation, Garen. Whichever path I take, either Qui-Gon or my father will think I made the wrong choice.”

Garen slowly nodded, finally grasping the seriousness of the problem. He cleared his throat as they started walking again. “Maybe you should forget about what they will think is right or wrong and decide that for yourself. Take the path that feels right for you, Obi-Wan Kenobi.”

Sharing a look as they walked, Garen saw Obi-Wan’s choice reflected in his intense blue-gray gaze. As always, his eyes told the story. His decision was already made; he just hadn’t admitted it to himself yet.

*******************************************************************

Xanatos back peddled and fell into his chair and he rested his head in his hands. He was stunned. His own midi-chlorian count was nearly sixteen thousand and he knew that Yoda’s was somewhere near eighteen thousand.

“Wow,” is the only thing that came to mind for Xanatos.

“A child of prophecy, Obi-Wan is,” Yoda told him quietly.

Xanatos’ head shot up. “What prophecy?” he asked suspiciously. “Surely you don’t believe that he is the Chosen One.”

Mace smiled. “No, he isn’t the Chosen One. As you well know from your studies as an Initiate, that prophecy alludes to the fact that the Chosen One will be born of the Force itself and shall be called the ‘Son of the Suns’, presumably a male child born on Tatooine.”

“Then what the bloody Sithhell prophecy are you talking about, Mace!?” Xanatos yelled, his patience once again wearing very thin. His language always tended to deteriorate when he became angry.

“The Giver of Light, Obi-Wan is. The Chosen One will bring balance to the Force, and the Giver of Light shall bring balance to the Chosen One,” Yoda calmly enlightened him. “As Jedi Knights, together they will walk.”

Xanatos knew vaguely of the prophesized Giver of Light. He’d read about it once when he was a child. The prophecy said that the child would be born into the galaxy amid great sadness, but that he would grow to adulthood and balance the greatest potential for evil by infusing him with his powers in the Light, thus balancing the light and darkness within that evil. It seemed so simple now, but when he’d read both prophecies as a child, he’d never connected them together.

“Has this Chosen One been born yet?” Xanatos asked eagerly. “Is he here in the Temple?”

Qui-Gon, having stayed quiet for the last few minutes, moved forward. He also wanted an answer to that question. He’d been asking for years and had never received an answer.

“Important, that information is not!” Yoda snapped, his demeanor and tone uncharacteristically harsh. “Important, Obi-Wan is. Protected he must be. At a vulnerable stage in his training, he is now. Dark forces I fear are reaching for him.”

Xanatos and Qui-Gon were both startled to hear that bit of information, as were the other members of the Council.

“I have felt nothing,” spoke Micah Giiett.

“Nor have I, Master Yoda,” said Eeth Koth.

“Be that as it may, right about this I am,” Yoda told them, swiftly brushing aside the comments of the other Masters. “Key figure in the future of the Force and the Jedi, Obi-Wan will be. Protected now, he must be.”

Xanatos stood from his chair and knelt before Yoda so the two were face to face. “I understand your concern for my son, Master. If he truly is the Giver of Light, and I believe you that he is, then I want to be the one to protect him. Let him come with me back to Telos, Master, please,” he begged. “I have the resources to protect him from the dark forces you say are beginning to reach for him.”

Qui-Gon’s eyes darkened in anger at those words. “You are the dark force reaching for him. He’s my apprentice and I will be the one to protect him.”

Xanatos closed his eyes and took a deep, cleansing breath before speaking. “Will you allow Obi-Wan the courtesy of making the choice for himself, Jinn?” was his burning question.

Qui-Gon, steaming from having his authority over his apprentice challenged, merely nodded his head. “I will.”

“We cannot allow Obi-Wan to leave the Temple,” Mace interjected. “Under this roof, he is safe.”

“Master Windu, if Obi-Wan is destined to bring balance to the Chosen One, he’s going to need life-experience outside the Temple,” Xanatos argued.

“He gets that on missions with me.”

Smirking, Xanatos stood to face Qui-Gon. “No, what he gets on missions with you is instruction on diplomacy and negotiation, saber fighting and lessons on the Living Force, all of which I agree are important to his training. What I’m talking about is life in general; marriage and a family. He’s going to be a Jedi in a galaxy full of darkness which he will be expected to smother with the Light. The prophecy says that he will overwhelm the greatest potential for evil with Light. When put together, the two prophecies mean that the Chosen One himself is the greatest potential for evil and that Obi-Wan will have to infuse him with the Light, balancing the light and dark inside the Chosen One, if he is to succeed in bringing balance to the Force,” he argued passionately. “Each prophecy is about balance, Master. Should Obi-Wan be denied the chance to understand the evil and the darkness he must one day help defeat? Should he not be given the opportunity to have a balanced life of his own before he’s expected to balance someone else’s? Occasionally, the best defense is a good offense, Master. You taught me that. Knowing all he can about life outside the Temple and away from the Jedi will be his offense when the time comes. He’ll understand what he’s facing,” Xanatos said, his emotions so wild that he hadn’t even noticed that he called Qui-Gon ‘Master’.

Qui-Gon heard the words, though. It was the first time since they’d encountered one another on Praxus that Qui-Gon had seen any trace of the seventeen year-old young man he remembered. “You called me Master.”

Xanatos quickly reviewed his own words in his mind. “Yes, I did. I apologize, I hope you weren’t offended.”

Qui-Gon smiled slightly. “Not at all. In fact, I rather enjoyed hearing you call me that again. I have missed you, Xanatos, despite my anger over the circumstances of our parting years ago.”

Shaking his head in disbelief, Xanatos couldn’t help but laugh. “You could have fooled me,” he told the older man. “I sent you a communiqué once about ten years ago. I asked if we could meet to discuss things as adults. I even apologized for drawing my saber against you and threatening your life. I got no response, so forgive me if I seem hostile and cold and angry towards you. Accepting the assignment to tempt my son, knowing that it would lead me back to the Temple was not easy thing for me to do, but I did it for my son. I did it for the chance to know him. You’re his Master, and for his sake I will be civil to you in his presence. As for you and me, our relationship is beyond redemption. Excuse me.”

With that, Xanatos stepped around Qui-Gon, turned to face the Council and gave a small bow and then exited the chamber. Qui-Gon and the Council members were speechless. Mace and Yoda in particular had always held a small amount of hope that the relationship between Qui-Gon and Xanatos could be mended. That seemed impossible now.

“I never received a message from him,” Qui-Gon whispered so low that only Yoda’s sensitive ears picked up the heart wrenching words.

 

Great! I loved the last two chapters. cAn't wait for the next one to be posted.

 

Another impressive chapter! I'm so glad there is going to be a sequel! Count me in for sure!

 

Laine_Snowtrekker~Thank you.

Can't wait for the next one to be posted

Well, you won't have to wait long--only a few days.

VaderLVR~Thank you.

I'm so glad there is going to be a sequel! Count me in for sure!

I'm so glad too!!! I love sequels (well except for Iron Eagle 2-4, but that's a whole 'nother story. LOL), so I just had to write one for this fic. Thanks in advance for sticking around for it.

 

Great chapter, Jen.


So many things I loved about the last chapter. Obi-Wan being a prophecised Jedi--that's pretty cool. Anakin being in the Temple already and close to Obi's age--also very interesting. And the biggest--his midi-chlorian count is over 23,000 That's high.

Is Anakin the Chosen One as Xanatos suspects? Or are you teasing us?

Great job. I love this fic so much.

 

Really great story, MasterJen, I can't wait for the next few chapters and the sequel!

 

A simple miscommunication. That's the deepest ruin for relationships. Hope that Qui and Xan will make up soon? That fiend Palpatine is plotting again. Xan should stab him through the belly with his lightsaber.

 

Skywalker_Angel~Thank you.

Is Anakin the Chosen One as Xan suspects? Or are you teasing us?

Would I tease you, sis?

Briman~Thanks.

ZaraValinor~Thank you for reading.

That fiend Palpatine is plotting again. Xan should stab him through the belly with his lightsaber.

I agree, but Xan hasn't really been listening to me lately. He's just got a mind of his own. Maybe he'll shape up soon.

 

Hey Jen, I thought of another question--not that I think you'll answer me.

Obi-Wan's gonna leave with Xan isn't he?

Post the next chapter soon please.

 

Mace smiled. ?No, he isn?t the Chosen One. As you well know from your studies as an Initiate, that prophecy alludes to the fact that the Chosen One will be born of the Force itself and shall be called the ?Son of the Suns?,

okay, I can buy that.

presumably a male child born on Tatooine.?

ummm...... That's being a little too specific..... I mean Anakin is like 5 years away from being born.

Other than that, your doin' a great job!

 

... *comes in*
*looks around*

I missed posts?! How did that happen?!
Hmm... Giver Of Light... very creative.

Cool chapter.

Keep going,
DarkDream

 

To coin a popular phrase from Dickens, "Please can I have some more?"

 

Skywalker_Angel~Of course I'll answer you.

Obi-Wan's gonna leave with Xan isn't he?

It's 50/50 right now--I don't think he's made up his mind yet. How's that for an answer?

General_Karrde~Mace smiled. ?No, he isn?t the Chosen One. As you well know from your studies as an Initiate, that prophecy alludes to the fact that the Chosen One will be born of the Force itself and shall be called the ?Son of the Suns?,
okay, I can buy that.

Good, so were square on that one.

presumably a male child born on Tatooine.?
ummm...... That's being a little too specific..... I mean Anakin is like 5 years away from being born.

Remember it's an AU. Oh, and in TPM, Obi was 25 and Anakin was 9, so he was born when Obi was 16, and he's already 15 in this story so he's not five years away from being born.

Other than that, your doin' a great job!

Why, thank you very much.

DarkDream~Thanks a bunch.

Hmm... Giver Of Light... very creative.

Thank you. I could not come up with anything else, I hope this doesn't sound too corny.

zaraValinor~To coin a popular phrase from Dickens, "Please can I have some more?"

You sure can. Here it is, right now.


************************************************


Chapter 9

Watching the initiates compete in their annual lightsaber competition was supposed to calm his nerves after the session with the Council. Instead, it was making him curious and his nerves were as on fire as ever. His position in the balcony above the training room gave him a great view of all the younglings hoping their day would end with becoming newly chosen Padawan Learners. One boy in particular caught his attention.

“Thinking of choosing a Padawan, Father?” Obi-Wan asked as he came up behind his father.

Xanatos, this time having sensed his son, merely smiled. “Possibly, my boy. I’m trying to forget a completely unforgettable meeting with the Council. Coming here was supposed to calm me down, but I’ve found myself watching a young man down there that has my mind working a few million parsecs a minute.”

“Which one?” his son asked.

Xanatos pointed to a tall, blonde-haired young man around eleven or twelve years old. His high-flying, aggressive style of saber fighting was admirable and impressed Xanatos.

Obi-Wan spotted the boy his father seemed interested in and smiled. He recognized the boy. “That’s Skywalker, Father. Anakin Skywalker. He came to the Temple as a nine year-old.”

Xanatos was startled. “Nine? Why so old?”

“Well, apparently he’s very strong in the Force. He was discovered on Tatooine by Master Giiett. He brought him back here and the Council reluctantly agreed to train him,” Obi-Wan informed his father.

“Tatooine, hmm? Anakin Skywalker, a son of the suns,” Xanatos muttered to himself. “Interesting.”

“Why is that interesting? I mean, beyond the fact that he came here as a nine year-old.”

“Do you recall ever reading about the prophecy of the Chosen One?” Xanatos asked.

Obi-Wan searched the archives of his memory. “Yes, once when I was a child. ‘And in the time of greatest despair, there shall come a savior and he shall be known as the Son of the Suns’. You think Anakin Skywalker is the Chosen One?”

Xanatos laughed. He couldn’t ignore the tone of voice in which Obi-Wan had asked that last question. He sounded as if he thought he, Xanatos, might be crazy. He couldn’t let him know that he was completely serious. “Not at all, actually; it just seems odd that a child of nine years would be taken into the Order for anything less than extraordinary circumstances. You never know, maybe he is the Chosen One,” he said, hoping he sounded as if he was joking.

“I don’t think so, Father. The Chosen One is said to be the one who will bring balance to the Force. Little Anakin there can’t balance even his own emotions on a good day, he certainly isn’t capable of balancing the Force,” Obi-Wan informed his father, resolute in his conclusion about Anakin Skywalker.

“You seem to know him pretty well,” Xanatos commented.

Obi-Wan shrugged. “Not really, it’s just that his temper and lack of emotional control have become somewhat legendary in his short time here in the Temple. He’s always angry about something. Basically, Anakin Skywalker is a hothead with a bad temper and a short fuse, Father. He’s twelve years old and I imagine in another year he’ll be headed for the Agri-Corps.”

Xanatos slowly nodded his head. So, young Anakin Skywalker was from the twin sun planet of Tatooine, he had a bad and quick temper, anger issues and he was on the verge of being dismissed from the Temple and into the Agri-Corps. Shaking his head, Xanatos knew he had just stumbled onto the secret Yoda obviously didn’t want anyone to know. The Chosen One was in their midst in the form of an angry, aggressive twelve year-old boy. The greatest potential for evil lived among them.

“Perhaps the boy just needs a firm hand and a stern voice to guide him,” Xanatos spoke. “Children naturally get angry Obi-Wan, that is the way of a child, particularly when they feel they are being treated unjustly. Master Jinn told me you harbored no small amount of anger yourself as a child.”

Obi-Wan blushed. “Yes, I did. But I can’t even remember now why I was so angry all the time.”

Xanatos draped his arm over Obi-Wan’s shoulder and smiled. “Good. It no longer matters. You’ve grown much since you were a child. You’re a mature young man well on his way to becoming one of the greatest Jedi Knights the Order has ever seen. I’m proud to call you my son.”

Obi-Wan smiled widely at his father. “I’m proud to be your son, Father.”

They stood that way for a few moments before Xanatos spoke once again. “So, tell me what happened earlier. I felt your emotions flare and then your presence was gone from the Temple. Where’d you go?” he asked, keeping his tone light.

Obi-Wan hung his head slightly. “To the Senate Hall. Garen and I were in the Hall of Chancellors when Senator Palpatine came in and requested to speak with us.”

Xanatos stayed quiet. //Dark forces I fear are reaching for him//, Yoda’s words ran through his mind at the mention of Palpatine. He’d met the senator once several years before at a political function on Palpatine’s home planet of Naboo. He didn’t like the man; something about him made Xanatos’ skin crawl.

“Tell me about your meeting with him,” he commanded Obi-Wan in his best fatherly tone of voice.

*******************************************************************

“Come around, he will, Qui-Gon,” Yoda said, referring to Xanatos. “Stubborn, like his Master he is.”

Qui-Gon had again taken a seat. Sadness and guilt had engulfed his spirit and he hadn’t the energy left to stand. “It’s my fault,” he whispered.

“Perhaps it’s the fault of whomever, or whatever didn’t get that communiqué sent through properly,” chimed in Council member Oppo Rancisis, a Thisspain Jedi Master.

With that statement hanging over the quiet room, every Council member except for Yoda and Mace exited the chamber. Qui-Gon’s ears were ringing with Oppo’s proclamation that there might have been someone or something behind the fact that he, Qui-Gon, hadn’t ever received a message from Xanatos.

“Is that possible, Master Yoda?” Qui-Gon asked, the barest hint of hope creeping into his voice. “Could someone have deliberately intercepted the message from Xanatos and prevented me from seeing it?”

“Hmm, possible it is,” Yoda acknowledged. “But who, and why, harder to answer.”

Mace touched Qui-Gon’s shoulder. “We’ll figure it out together, Qui. Right now, however, we need your report of the situation on Praxus.”

Gathering his wits about him, Qui-Gon stood. “Obi-Wan and I were successful in getting the five regional governors to sign a peace accord. How long it will hold though, I have no idea.”

“Do you anticipate an escalation in tensions in the near future?” Mace questioned.

“I believe it is inevitable. The people of Praxus have been at war with one another for three generations. I do not see this peace accord as a cure-all for their troubles. Peace cannot be achieved overnight; it is a long, drawn-out process.”

“We must not let Praxus descend into chaos once again,” Mace declared.

“Reign on Praxus, chaos will again,” Yoda entered into the conversation. “Play a role in the future of the Republic, it will.”

Mace and Qui-Gon didn’t know what to make of the small Masters words, but they did know that his predictions usually came true. Yoda was rarely wrong.

*******************************************************************

“Garen and I were in complete disbelief that senators with such influence as Vex and Khalrim could be involved in weakening the Republic,” Obi-Wan relayed the tale to his father.

Xanatos’ eyes were still focused on young Anakin Skywalker while he contemplated the situation with Senator Palpatine. It seemed that the story was true. But like Obi-Wan and Garen, he could not believe that two highly respected senators, the Supreme Chancellor of the Republic, and a Jedi Master of Dooku’s standing would ever be involved in a plot to harm the Republic they all fought for on a daily basis.

“You mentioned that Palpatine has sent a request here to the Temple to procure your services in his little investigation, correct?” he asked Obi-Wan.

“Yes. He’s asked for the permission of the Council as well as from Master Qui-Gon and Master Clee.”

Xanatos sighed deeply. “Perhaps I’ll speak with Palpatine myself.”

Obi-Wan looked up at his father. “Be patient, Father. Maybe you should wait until the Council has made their decision on the matter before you speak with Senator Palpatine. They may say no to his request, in which case there will be no need for you to speak with him at all.”

Xanatos chuckled. “Patience isn’t my strong suit, Ben.”

The look on Obi-Wan’s face was that of utter confusion. “Ben?” he asked carefully, sensing that the name had special meaning for his father.

Xanatos smiled fondly. “Yes, that’s your name, well, you’re given name. Benjamin Renashaii. When you were born, your mother insisted that you be named Benjamin after her father, your grandfather.”

“What was my mother’s name?” Obi-Wan asked quietly, reverently.

“Dhalia Kenobi. Son, she was the most beautiful woman in the galaxy. She had reddish blonde hair and the most sparkling blue-gray eyes I’ve ever encountered,” he told the young man as he looked down at him. “You have her hair and her eyes. You are definitely her son.”

Obi-Wan smiled, tears gathering in the corners of his eyes. “I wish I could have known her.”

“I wish that as well, son. You would have loved her as she loved you; with your whole heart and soul. You were the thing she treasured most. You were her light, her obiwan.”

“My name means light?” he asked curiously.

“Yes, it does. It is Old Corellian for ‘light’. Dhalia was Corellian to her very core. She was cocky and brash and stubborn as a Gundark. But when she loved, she loved forever,” Xanatos whispered. “Your mother saved my soul, Obi-Wan. She taught me how to love, but more importantly, she taught me how not to hate.”

Obi-wan nodded his understanding. “Father, do you…I mean, did you mean what you said on Praxus?” he asked timidly.

“There is something you must know, Obi-Wan, before I answer that question. Come; let’s go to the Room of a Thousand Fountains.”

Obi-Wan followed his father out of the training room, neither of them noticing the pair of blue eyes that watched their retreat from below.

 

wow, cool post, let me guess, the pair of blue eyes is..... Anakin Skywalker..right??

post soon please.!

 

Just finished chapter nine, and I loved it, especially how you introduced Anakin and his really aggressive way of fighting. Can't wait till the sequel, you are doing such a great job with this story. I am eagerly awaiting the next chapter, hope it comes soon.

GREAT JOB...

 

Xanatos and Anakin, Master and Apprentice. Hmmmm? I like it. I always thought Obi-WAn and Anakin should be like brothers.

 

Okayfirst I'm behind sothisisn't a review but a sudgestion.

Would you please put a link to the next section of the story in this thread please?

 

son-of-kenobi~wow, cool post

Thanks.

let me guess, the pair of blue eyes is..... Anakin Skywalker..right??

Right, you are.


Briman~Just finished chapter nine, and I loved it, especially how you introduced Anakin and his really aggressive way of fighting. Can't wait till the sequel, you are doing such a great job with this story. I am eagerly awaiting the next chapter, hope it comes soon.

GREAT JOB...

Thank you.

ZaraValinor~Xanatos and Anakin, Master and Apprentice. Hmmmm? I like it. I always thought Obi-WAn and Anakin should be like brothers.

Thanks. I agree--they seem more like a bickering pair of sibs in the PT.

TarxxasJedi~Okayfirst I'm behind

That's not allowed. Three hours of meditation for you.

Would you please put a link to the next section of the story in this thread please?

You mean the sequel? It doesn't exist yet. But when I do begin posting it, I will link to it in this story thread. But for now this fic is all there is.

 

That is what I meant. and I'm no longer behind. (amazing!)

 

TraxxasJedi~That is what I meant. and I'm no longer behind. (amazing!)


Excellent!

Just so you know--and for everyone else reading this as well--do not expect the sequel for a few weeks after this one is done. Unlike with this fic which has pretty much been done on a chapter by chapter basis, I plan on writing most of the sequel, or at least planning further ahead than I did with this one, before I actually begin posting it.



AUTHOR NOTE

Chapter 10 is written, but it hasn't yet been sent to my beta so it most likely will not be posted before I go away for the weekend for my brother's wedding. So, I've decided that it will be posted on Monday evening after I get home from work.

 

Nice chapter Jen!

Okay, so you proved me completely wrong.
Anakin is at the Temple?!

 

Can't wait for Chapter Ten, I'm hooked.

 

General_Karrde~Thanks.

Anakin is at the Temple?!

Yes, he is at the Temple. He's twelve years old in this fic--three years younger than Obi.


Briman~Thanks very much. Ch. 10 on Monday--I promise.