Before - Legends The Vigil (Obi/Qui, JA) -- Updated July 13 --

Title: The Vigil
Author: Jedi Obi-Wan
Timeframe: Pre-TPM, JA
Summary: When Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan are captured and wounded, a group of Jedi meet to reflect on their lives.
Notes: I want to use this story to explore the Obi/Qui relationship in a series of vignettes and short stories through the eyes of people they have affected, and attempt to tie it all together with a plot.

*

The moon was directly above the Temple on Coruscant, its silvery rays reflecting off of the heads of the assembly of Jedi on the outer balcony. They stood talking amongst themselves in low, worried tones. There was only one reason for the Council to call them here in the middle of the night.

A vigil had been called.

Several Council members stood in a circle around a small, intricately decorated pillar. It was one of the few treasures that the Temple owned. It was made of jade from the planet Orchas, and had small purple stones inbedded in an ancient design that somehow reflected the peacefulness of the night sky in the violet and soft emerald colors.

Sitting on top of the pillar were two thin rods on circular bases of their own. The first one was made out of a silver metal that shone in the moonlight. The one sitting beside it was identical except that it was several centimeters shorter, symbolizing that the person it represented was of a lower rank. A ball of fire hung in the air over each of the rods. The bases were mirrors, reflecting the rods, the glow of the fire, and the celestial body above.

Master Windu lowered the hood that had been covering his face, revealing a stoic expression. He raised both hands, and the balcony was instantly silent, even the space traffic noise seeming to fade.

?My fellow Jedi,? he started, his voice soft yet strong. ?The Council has received word that the negotiations on Chaasim have failed, and the system has once again plunged into civil war.?

There was no audible response to the news, but a surge of emotion in the force was sensed by the entire group, even the younglings. Some Jedi accepted and released their anger easily, while others had to push aside their frustration with the system whose leaders acted like children throwing a temper tantrum.

?A Jedi team was sent to the system to negotiate,? Windu continued. ?When the war broke out, the pair was outnumbered and captured, one by the Chassim ruling body, and one by the rebels who oppose them.? The Master?s brown eyes seemed to darken. ?Most of you are familiar with the methods used by both parties to keep their prisoners under control.?

The Chaasim were experts in pain and disfigurement. The last Jedi that had returned from Chaasim still bore scars in intricate designs on his face and chest. One of his hands and both legs had been cut off. It had taken him months to recover, but the force had been with him. He was the only Jedi to ever return alive.

When the calm once again returned, Windu scanned he crowd. He made eye contact with several Jedi, conveying his concern in his expression. ?The Jedi team was Master Qui-Gon Jinn and Padawan Obi-Wan Kenobi. We have been informed that Master Jinn is greatly injured, and that Padawan Kenobi may be dead.?

The reaction was expected. The two Jedi, especially Obi-Wan, had formed close friendships with several of the Jedi gathered. There were a few audible cries, and the emotions charged the air with their intensity. All twelve Council members could feel a more turbulent fight to release them. Simultaneously, the twelve Masters raised their hands and closed their eyes. They sent cold waves of peace and contentment over the assembly. They did not have time to wait for all the Jedi to regain control.

?At this time, none of the Council members have felt Kenobi?s death, but we all sense that both Jedi have been seriously harmed,? he stated. ?We have called you here tonight to reflect on our memories of Master Jinn and Padawan Kenobi, and in the process send the healing force to them, since the Senate has denied our request to send in additional J

 

A very interesting and unique perspective! I look forward to seeing where you go with this

 

Sombody save my Men!

 

Cool! I'm loving this story so far. Great idea, and great writing. I'm looking forward to hearing this story of how Qui-Gon helped a Master and Padawan stick together. Guess he can speak from experience, eh?

Keep it up! I look forward to reading more.

 

Really cool idea. I like this and look forward to more.

 

wow...really neat idea. Especially about sharing memories to give strength idea.. very origional. I look forward to more!

 

Very good.
How sad to think they might not make it
good idea to have memories shared.
Hopefully it wil give them enough strength to
BREAK FREE.

 

Layren - I'm glad you thought so!!

LilQui-Gon - They can't be saved until we have a little fun first.

maychorian - Thank you so much! I'm a big fan of your writing, by the way.

Opal - Thanks! I'm glad you liked it!!

Lady_Snow_Kaguya - Thank you! I hope you like this next bit just as well.

Gkilkenny - We'll see if the memories are powerful enough.

*

It was getting a bit late. Not late enough to worry, not even late enough to try to reach her on her comm unit, but late enough to make him nervous. They had only been a team for a little over a month, but she had never once been late.

Master San Reslyya drummed his fingers nervously on the table, his datapad sitting in front of him. His eyes were on the screen, but his mind was too cluttered with his swirling thoughts and emotions to register any of the words.

The Masters had been right. He hated to admit it, but taking Yeni as his padawan had been a mistake.

His hand ran agitatedly through his short brown hair and sighed. Why tonight? Why did she have to be late on the night he had finally worked up the courage to do it? With every minute ticking by his resolve was lessening. But he had to do it. The sooner she was placed with another Master, the better it would be for both of them.

San nearly jumped out of his seat when the door opened. ?Hello, Master!? Yeni called cheerfully.

?Where were you, Padawan?? He demanded, the words coming out much more harshly than he had intended them to.

?I was with Teena and Raquel,? Yeni looked completely confused. ?I told you that before I left.?

?You told me that you would be home twenty minutes ago,? he said, much more calmly but with an extremely authoritative tone.

Yeni glanced at her chrono. ?I?m sorry, Master. I wasn?t paying attention. It won?t happen again. I promise.?

San sighed. ?Attention to the moment, Yeni,? he reminded her for the hundredth time. He moved closer to stand directly in front of her and looked her directly in the eyes. ?This isn?t working.?

The young girl was uncomprehending. ?What do you mean??

?Are you happy with me?? he asked. ?Answer me honestly.?

Yeni thought for a moment. ?Well, I wish I?? she trailed off and looked hesitant.

?Go on,? San instructed.

?I wish I could talk to you more,? she said sheepishly. ?And I wish I understood you better.?

?You understand then,? San said. This was going well. She saw the problem too, and she probably didn?t want to be his padawan anymore than he wanted to be her Master. ?We are too different to be an effective team.?

Yeni looked directly at him. ?Are you saying you don?t want to be my Master anymore?? The confused and pained expression he had not expected.

?I?m saying that we are an unfitting pair,? he stated gently. ?I am going to request a new Master for you tomorrow.?

The tears that pooled in her sea green eyes caught him off guard. Her young face was disconsolate. ?What did I do?? she cried. ?I tried to do what you told me!! I wanted to be a good padawan! Master, please, I promise I?ll do better!! I?ll be whatever you want me to be, but please don?t send me away!? she pleaded, the tears now flowing freely. ?Please, Master!!?

?Padawan, no, Yeni,? he nearly growled in frustration. ?You are? well, you?re not a boy.?

A look he had never seen before crossed her face. ?So much for attention to the moment,? she snapped. Her dewy eyes shot sparks. Anger rose like a wave in him, and he fought to accept and release it.

?It is not the Jedi way to address any Master in that manner,? he said, trying to regain some control over their conversation. He took a deep breath and released it, more of his frustration leaving him. ?This is not your fault, Yeni. I failed. The Masters counseled me against taking you on, and if I had listened you and I would both be in better places right now.?

The tears that she had fought back started to flow again. She bit her lip and turned

 

I love this idea.

Poor Yeni. I know everything will turn out all right, but still...poor Yeni.

Looking forward to seeing how Qui-Gon resolves it.

Nice job!

 

Awwwwwwwwwwwwwww felt so sorry for Yeni....


A most excellent update!

 

Nice chapter. I love it so far. Poor Yeni! Can't wait till tomorrow.

 

I absolutely love this approach to an Obi/Qui story!
I wonder how Qui is going to talk some sense into Yeni's master. Both masters are head strong...this is going to be a highly entertaining conversation between the two of them!

 

What a haunting and chilling picture you have painted for the vigil - I almost felt as if I were in the room with them, wondering over the fates of our two favourite Jedi as their representative beacons ominously guttered and stirred.

I hope to see more of this soon

 

Wow. I'm very impressed!

Your writing style is captivating. Smooth, effective, personal--all the things all writers should strive for. I, too, was especially captivated by the vigil part of the fic. It's all too easy to picture, and the way you worded it was flawless. Poor Bant and Garen! Poor everybody, huh? Anyway... yes, please continue soon! I wait with bated breath.

 

Wow, very cool idea! More soon!!

 

Happy 4th of July!!



Kadi ? Qui-Gon isn?t a typical Jedi, so how he resolves it may not be so typical either. You?ll just have to read and see.

Layren ? Thank you! I hope you like the next one just as well.

LilQui-Gon ? Thanks! Well? I almost got it up on Sunday. I?m about twenty minutes late by my clock, but by board time it's still Sunday so I guess it counts.

RingThane ? Yes, Qui-Gon is very stubborn and San is almost as bad. I hope you enjoy this next post!!

River_Stone ? That scene took me a very long time to write, I?m so glad you liked it!!

Fluff-Slayer ? Wow? you actually made me blush. Thank you so much!! I hope you like this next part just as well.

Arwen-Jade_Kenobi ? Your wish is my command?

*

San was incredibly flustered and getting angry. He was about to retort when it occurred to him that he was acting just like the teenage girl he didn?t know how to be a Master to. He started to laugh at himself, but it wasn?t a happy sound. ?My apprentice reminded me of that earlier,? he stated somewhat bitterly.

The older man rose and crossed to the younger, taking a seat beside him. ?Being a Master can be trying.?

San shook his head. ?It?s impossible. She?s so? young. She?s always talking and I can never get her to pay enough attention to her lessons. She cries about everything, and she talks constantly. I don?t get a moment of peace unless I leave our quarters.?

Qui-Gon laughed again, the sound sending another wave of calm over San?s sharp nerves. ?This is where I come to find peace as well,? The Master looked at him pointedly. ?Obi-Wan and I struggled for years to adapt to each other, and even now I still have days when I don?t know what to do with him. He can be headstrong, though not nearly as much as his stubborn Master.?

Hearing the Jedi he respected so much admit to the same problems he had with Yeni was astonishing. But? ?Master Jinn, Obi-Wan is a male. You can relate to him. Yeni? she?s so different from how I was. I don?t know how to be her Master. I can?t be her Master anymore,? It suddenly seemed like a much weaker argument than it had in his quarters.

Qui-Gon smiled. ?All Masters feel like that occasionally. A girl would be a challenge, but not a harder one, simply a different one.?

San shook his head. ?You don?t understand. She?s a girl. A moody, irritating, terrifying girl. I can?t teach a girl.?

Qui-Gon studied him for a moment, his piercing azure eyes making San feel like a padawan again. ?If I may speak pointedly, Master Reslyya, I believe that her gender has become your excuse. Your relationship is not right, but it is a problem to fix, not to run away from.?

Forget feeling like a padawan, he felt like he had just been brought to the Temple and had been caught sneaking muja muffins from the kitchens. ?I don?t know how to fix it,? he admitted. ?The Masters advised me against taking her. They told me-?

?More excuses, Master?? The words were not said with malice, but they stung.

San ran a hand through his hair with enough intensity to rip it out. ?Force, I don?t know what to do. I told her I couldn?t be her Master anymore. I might as well have told her that she was a worthless swamp rat. She was so hurt,? he said, remembering the devastation that had been so apparent. ?I hated doing that to her, but I don?t know what else to do. I?m not a competent Master.?

Qui-Gon placed a hand on his shoulder. ?Do you love her??

That had been the last thing he had expected the big Jedi to ask. San blinked in confusion. ?What?? Qui-Gon watched him, waiting for an answer. San thought for a moment. ?Are you saying that loving her is enough??

?No,? Qui-Gon said. ?But your love for her will get you through the rough patches when you have come to an end. Obi-Wan has made mistakes, some larger than others. I have been angry with him, but I will always forgive him because he is in my heart. No, love is not all that is needed, but

 

Qui-Gon waited until the other Jedi was out of earshot before allowing himself to chuckle at his parting comment. So you?ll believe it when you see it, Master Reslyya? he thought. Experience is the best teacher.

He removed the commlink from his belt and activated it. ?Padawan,? he said, ?I need you to do something for me, but you?ll have to move fast??

What is Qui-Gon up to? Can't wait to find out! I loved the interaction between the two Jedi.

Now I have to wait until Tuesday?

Nice job!

 

San seems to be a bit of a blockhead to me. He's uncomfortable with change and wants to do the first thing he can do to halt the change...getting rid of his padawan.
?And you, Qui-Gon Jinn,? he muttered under his breath. ?Are just as stubborn as everyone says you are.? I think a certain master hasn't looked in the miror recently!

I can't wait for another amazing post!

 

Oh, how funny! You've made me cry... How'd you do that?! Grrr... you and your eloquence, JOW... will you please just tell me up front if this is going to kill me? If it is, let me know, and I'll start getting my assets in order... hmm, this IS a dilemma. Who will I give my pogo-stick to?

Very lovely. I especially love the part about our young Master friend not being able to teach a "moody, irritating, terrifying girl". HAH! So great. I've often wondered how a master/padawan pair of different genders would interact with one another... Oh, how funny. And yet, there is an overlying layer of sadness, as we are reminded how much Obi and his master will be missed if they're dead... WAAAAAH!!!

(Now look what you've done! You've gone and shattered my resolve. I am not an emotional person by nature.)

Funny how Qui-Gon's so calm about the whole thing. What're he and Obi going to do to set things right, I wonder...? Update super-soon, please! Happy Fourth!

 

This is wonderful. I sincerly hope Obi-Wan and Qui-gon pull through, and that the Force is with them. Kepp up the good work!

~Padawan Jodie-Wan Darksaber~

 

This is looking fantastic! I'm really scared for Obi and Qui, but I love the idea of memories making them stronger.
I wonder what Qui-Gon's up to? Unconventional teaching methods indeed!
Looking forward to more!

 

Awww, this is really good. It looks at both Qui-gon and Obi-wan in a different light. Wonder what great plan Qui-gon has.

 

Aww, this is a great story! I'm loving the flashback, I wonder what Qui-Gon is up to. But then I remember the reason why there's a flashback, and it makes me so sad! I hope my men are alright! Can't wait for more story!

 

I wonder what qui needs Obi to do....

Great work once again!

 

Goody! Oh, I love the way you write Qui-Gon--he's so wise and kind and understanding. He empathized with San but didn't condone his actions, and tried to guide him right. Wonderful! Perhaps he could be a kind of mentor for the younger Master? San is a bit of a jerk, and very frightened, but his comments are having a chatty, frightening teenage girl were funny. I look forward to seeing how they find their way together.

Hmm, what is this mission Qui has for Obi?