Time and Again (Obi/Qui/Ani/Xani) [Post 84 April 11] (Completed!)

eek! I'm scared to know what happens next, so I'll just be holding on to my desk with the tips of my talons!

 

The Jedi definitely seemed turned upside down in this story. Seeing how Qui-Gon puts up with Anakin's lying and sneaking around, I am dying to know what Obi-Wan supposedly did to betray the old coot.

Will your extra post be arriving shortly?

 

How does right now sound Sheila?
Okay, so I am really, really astounded by this post. Suffice to say, I've never written anything this long before - and anyone who's read my previous stories knows that.

Hope your party goes well, Cyn. (btw, I read fast - and I read especially fast when the motivation is there. )

Let's see if I can manage to NOT scare away my readers with this - erm - post.

(Do tell me what you think of this - I really want to know how I did with Obi-Wan's section of the post since that part ate away a lot of neurons and nearly threatened to give me a chilblain writing this.

Aunecah

~*~*~*~

Minutes after the near-disaster in the mess hall, Anakin Skywalker walked down a more-or-less deserted corridor with Xanatos Crion.

The glowering lights of Coruscant's many buildings skimmed the night-air along with the pulsating speeders, lighting the shadows that presented themselves in the lack of the moon and the stars in a subfusc gray. It was said that Coruscant never truly knew darkness, even though its nights were misty and cloudy most of the time, and to a certain extent - in the literal sense - it was true. Metaphorically or symbolically, on the other hand, it was as untrue as possible.

Anakin could feel the darkness threatening to attack the Temple through the Force each day, each minute, each second. Most of the time, he was busy with his life to notice, but sometimes, like now, he did take the care to shudder at the tendrils of night reaching out to him through the Force.

"You all right?" Xanatos asked, frowning at him.

Anakin took a deep breath and let it out slowly, intent on not losing his quietude. He nodded. "I'm fine, Xanatos."

"No, you're not." Xanatos's eyes bored into him as his frown intensified. "You are nervous," he observed passively.

Anakin nodded again, seeing no point in lying for such a simple thing.

"Why?"

"It's just - thank you!" Anakin blurted out before he could change his mind. "I nearly thought I had it in there with Master."

As soon as the words left his mouth, Anakin wished he hadn't said it. He and his big mouth were surely going to get him into trouble someday. He looked up at Xanatos guiltily, remembering belatedly that Qui-Gon was also Xanatos's master, and that Xanatos was a Knight.

To his surprise, Xanatos merely smiled at him.

"You're welcome, kid."

"I'm not a kid," Anakin said hotly, the age-old retort rolling out of his mouth even before he fully realized he was saying it.

"Of course you're not."

Anakin paused a moment. "Why did you do it?"

"What - lie to Qui-Gon?"

Anakin nodded.

"I am not sure why," Xanatos said slowly. Then he sighed. "Qui-Gon is, sometimes, many times, a little too overprotective. He's strict in his beliefs and refuses to look at a situation from another point of view. He forgets many times that before Jedi his Padawans are living persons, as well, and have needs and desires just like everybody else."

Anakin nodded vigorously, just barely managing to hold his tongue.

Having been the great Qui-Gon Jinn's Padawan for nearly six years now, Anakin had come to realize that no matter how great the Jedi Master was in the Living Force, he was entirely too self-centered.

Uncertain about his feelings, and unsure whether they would be appreciated by anybody else, Anakin had kept his resentment towards Qui-Gon inside himself, taking his revenge, instead, by breaking Qui-Gon's stupid rules as many frequently as he could. While Xanatos might still not want to hear him whine about Qui-Gon, the possibility wasn't entirely out of the door, either.

"So, where were you, Anakin?"

"What?"

"Where were you?" Xanatos repeated curiously.

Anakin shrugged, waving his around. "Out over there."

Xanatos wasn't pleased. "You know, I was assuming when I lied to him (and I don't lie - to Qui-Gon or to anyone else - very often) that you weren't doing something unworthy of an apprentice - "

"Oh, I wasn't doing anything like that,"

 

Looks around herself. *Have I scared everybody off?* - I hate talking to myself.

 

Wonderful post. You certainly are setting up quite a mystery. You raised even more questions with this last post. Did I read it wrong or is Obi-Wan 29 years old? It said he left the temple at 19 and I thought he had been gone 10 years.

I can't wait to get a few answers to just what is going on here. You definitely have me hooked.

 

You are both cruel and kind today. Thank you for so many posts, but you just keep creating more and more questions with not one single answer in sight!

 

Wow! Just wow! What IS going on with Obi-Wan? He seems extremely mysterious! Why did Sadin lock him in his room? Why did he learn to be so proficient in opening locked doors? Both Anakin AND he can feel the tendrils of darkness?? The Obi-Wan part was awesome!

It does look like Obi-Wan is about 29 - I had thought earlier that he was younger. This means that he spent many years with Qui-Gon. Also, it seems like the "bad" incident happened when he was 19, and on Alderaan. This timeline means that his and Anakin's ages are similar to canon.

Keep up the absolutely riveting work, Aunecah_S. You certainly have raised tons more questions.

 

Great post! Lots of questions raised.

I'm somewhat confused. Did Obi-Wan and Xanatos switch roles? Meaning, was Obi-Wan Qui-Gon's first apprentice and they had a falling out? and Xanatos is the good one so to speak?

I don't know...I'm confused.

~Bek

 

oh my.

this is fascinating

more

now

 

This is strange. Why is Obi-Wan being drawn to the Underground - the same place Anakin likes to go to? Is Xani actually Darkcloak? And it does sound like Obi is 29.

Intriguing story, Aunecah!

More soon!

 

Sheila : Nope, you read it right. Obi-Wan is 29, and that's why I've been saying all along the story up until this point that he should have been Knighted already. If I by mistake said that he was younger somewhere else, point me there please. Hooked, huh?

Kitara : I'm just setting the intro here. The problem is that all the answers are basically revolving around that mysterious event ten years back, and the answer to that is definitely NOT coming any time soon.

forever_jedi : You have to realize that ten years passed in which he had been kicked out of the Jedi (Order) Temple in all but name. He spent a decade with Sadin, and a lot of his mystery revolves around those ten years - and the horrible incident before that, of course. Actually, the timeline is not similar to canon - it is exactly the SAME as canon. I hate changing the ages around because I never seem to be able to remember them correctly.

Bekah_K : At last, a question I can answer. No, Obi-Wan is NOT Qui's first apprentice. Qui's first apprentice is going to remain nameless (I think) and in the shadows there, Knighted and happy. Xanatos is his second Padawan, and he is Knighted - though there is a lot more to that that you will know later. His third apprentice is Obi-Wan - and he'd been booted out early. His fourth apprentice is Anakin. And that's the current situation. Hope that cured your confusion.

Froggy : Thanks. More soon? *clears her throat* I just gave you 8 pages for a second post.

Aunecah

 

Hnh. Cas dear, we really need to come into agreement over our posting times. Why is it that you post exactly a second after I look at the replies Anyway, there are questions that, again, I can't answer.

No matter how much you make me ride a guilt trip, you will NOT make me give you the answers earlier - and no, this is NOT a compromisable promise.

EDIT: Actually, about Obi's little trip to the Underground - Cyn might able to help you understand that - if she thinks in the right direction.

Aunecah

 

CYN huh? Does it have something to do with AUF, since you've been doing a marathon reading of it?

 

I'm dying to know! CYN, where are you? I've been glancing over some of AUF, parts where I thought maybe the Underground might be mentioned, but I can't find it. I'm probably wrong then.

 

.O____)

.O____)

 

wait i come back this morning and no post.. hmmmmm interesting....

 

I'll be good and tell you that it doesn't have to do with AUF. While that story definitely gave me comfort in thinking that my idea isn't insane, it didn't help otherwise. I have been - how should I put it - toying with this little plot bunny long before I found JCF. But Cyn still should be able to help you - unless I'm messing her username up with somebody else's

And R_J_K - come on, you don't expect me to get a post done by 5:38, do you?

EDIT: Jenny - care to translate that for me

Aunecah

 

Just because I have all these secrets bottled up inside me and because I'm dying to share at least some with people - here's a teaser for the next post:

What's the cost of that speeder - a.k.a., what should Ani do? The answer shall be at least partially revealed in the next post - whenever that may come.

Any random or NOT-so-random guesses, people? Anyone, hmm

Aunecah

 

So is Sadin the dark man?

Poor Obi- I can't wait to see how else his altered outlook on life affects him.

 

You never know J_K_H.

Aunecah

 

I know, I know, but it's so good that giving us that much only spoils us. So don't stop now. We're addicted. You dont want to see a froggy going into dts, do you?

oooooh, I really don't like that gleam in her eyes!

 

it was 7:25 my time so yes i expected.. only because i need something to read.... i know i'm pushy sorry...*hides under her computer till next post*

 

Don't worry about it Froggy and R_J_K. I was merely joking. And yes, Froggy - you SHOULD be afraid of the gleam in my eyes.

Next post coming sometime later today - Wednesdays are, unfortunately, VERY busy for me as far as DRL goes.

Aunecah

 

*clears her throat* - this is 98.

 

*clears throat again* - this is 99.