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

I sware all you writer's out there are trying to kill me. That was awesome. I can't wait to see how Ani woks himself out of this one. And I am ecstatic to know that despite the 'unspeakable deed' Obi has done he has at least one friend left in the Galaxy. It's so heart breaking to see someone cry when they speak of unjustified pain that was inflicted on another being.


Now, Get Your Butt Back Here And Post SOme MORE!!!!!!!!! Thank you.

 

TheFallen : Thanks. Cliffhanger - really, I haven't realized that it really was a cliffhanger. In fact, I've been patting myself on the back for actually writing something that isn't a cliffhanger.

forever_jedi : What does it look like to you? So Darkcloak does NOT know what happened in the past? I didn't say that either. Just read the post again, it will all become a lot clearer. I hope.

Cyn : Are you sure you aren't my evil, evil twin, Cyn? You're starting to scare me. [face_shocked] *ehem* - in your words, if you're wondering if that's a threat - stop wondering. Well, this story is going really fast for me actually. If you look at any of my older - err. - 'fics' you'll realize that I don't write nearly as quickly in any of them.

J_K_H : It's all up to Cyn to come out and actually disect that last-but-one post. She isn't coming out for some reason, and I'm scared to say what she actually works as because I'm suddenly NOT sure anymore. Oy, Cyn, are you out there somewhere reading this?

Nikita : Okaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay. *dons on a flameproof, firefighter sheet just in case*

Sheila : Froggy doesn't call me evil for nothing. What Obi-Wan did - that thing is going to remain elusive until the 'fic is somewhere near its middle, I'm afraid.

Arwen : Yep. Not all Jedi are stupid, after all.

Cas : Of course. I didn't even ill-disguise that fact, knowing that everybody would know it anyway.

Arldetta : *clears her throat indistinctly* I AM working. No matter how fast I am, I simply can't turn up a post in five minutes, unfortunately. The next post is cruicial to Qui/Obi relationship - kind of. You don't want me to rush it. Trust me.

Um ... is this page 6 I'm in? [face_shocked]I'm flattered.

Aunecah

 

Run Garen- it's got to be a trap to set up Obi!

I have an idea what you are asking pf Cyn. If you need help with DSMIV info or anything in related fields, I might be able to help. you can always pm me. If you don't know what I'm talking about then never mind- just ignore my wild and probably totally off the mark guess.

 

Okay, Aunecah, I guess I just have to patiently await further explanations of this deep mystery. I like the clues that you are giving us - makes it a lot of fun! If "whatever Kenobi did, it drove a rift between him and Master Gallia" is a clue, together with his fear and disappointment at locked doors, and also Garen's recent problem, then I do have a suspicion about this event long ago. But will wait for further enlightenment from you!

 

Kitara : I thought you were a lawyer ... ? You're NOT that off the mark; well, actually, I wouldn't say you are completely off the mark either.

forever_jedi : Okey-dokey.

This post looks like it's going to be a long one - last time I wrote a long one, it turned out to be 8 pages long, and suffice to say, I've never written any (post) that long before. Hopefully, this won't turn out to be longer than that.

'Til the post then.

Aunecah

 

Aunecah - I know exactly what you mean, but would I be a good reader if I didn't demand more? As for your chaps, I also know what you mean. On one of my chaps for 'Ashes' in the end it was like 8 pages as well. And I've come close to that in F&B. Most of the time I try not to do a chap shorter than 1.5 pages but most avg about 3. Although with F&B, I am striving to maintain a 5 pg minimum per chap. Thus far, I've kept it up. Now it looks like I'll be pushing it to a 6 pg min soon. I'm only up to chap 10 and I'm at 55-56 pages.(and I keep with 10pt font.)

Anyway, if it's a long chap that we can look forward to, I'll do my best to wait.

 

Oh no! What are you going to do to my Garen? Please don't hurt him! He's so nice, and Obi can't lose such a dear friend like that!....

Great story so far! Post soon!

 

Nat : Garen? A lot.

Aunecah

 

Note: The post isn't done yet, but my time is. And since I'm working on a computer that doesn't let me save any files onto my disk, I'll just post this part now ? and type up the remaining part when I can.


Aunecah

~*~*~*~

Chapter Four ? Painful Recollections
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

For a Master who had forgotten his apprentice's birthday, it was only righteous that his apprentice ignored his Master's birthday, but what was just wasn't always easy to accept, understand, or shrug away.

The evening was falling upon Coruscant in swirls of fiery crimson, and from where he was sitting in the living room, Qui-Gon Jinn could see the blood-red crescent of the twilight sun, flown across by thousands of airships each second in an almost solid black line. Qui-Gon had been sitting in his cozy armchair for nearly three hours now, when the sun had just began a noticeable descent into darkness and came alive from a brilliant gold to a deep scarlet. All this time, he had been waiting for someone to come into the room, into the quarters that he shared with his apprentice - waiting for either of the two to come. His first apprentice, Kliane Akila, was gone on a mission to Naboo, and couldn't come to greet her Master even if she wanted to. Xanatos and Anakin were ... here, on Coruscant, in the Temple, but they weren't here, in the Jinn/Skywalker quarters, where they should be.

The entrance-door remained solidly shut, allowing only a small sliver of pallid light to slip into the darkening living room through the thin gap between it and the floor. The door hadn't opened in hours.

As he watched, something - or someone - came to stand before it, on the other side. Qui-Gon watched the shadows linger for a moment squarely in the middle, and then shift slightly, probably backward. Then, something solid slid through the gap between the door and the floor. The shadows shifted again, lingered a moment more, and then slid away as if they had never even existed. Qui-Gon stared uncertainly for a moment, a furious battle between two natural instincts going off in the cogs of his brain - curiosity dictated that he stretch out toward the presence of the person who had come and attach a name to that shadow. But something else held him back strongly, stoutly, stubbornly. And, in the end, he gave into the latter, which did NOT happen often.

Qui-Gon stayed in his chair staring at that spot on the floor for a long time before, slowly, almost reluctantly, and very surprisingly, he stood and trailed over to the door; almost moving out of reflex and instinct rather than curiosity, Qui-Gon stooped down and picked up the thin and long box.

It was gray and plain, but he handled it with utmost reverence, as if he were handling a precious fragile ornament that would shatter into a million pieces if it were to fall down.

Opening the box revealed what was unmistakably a dagger in a weather-beaten leather-sheath and a datacard.

His eyes fixed unblinkingly on the contents of the box, Qui-Gon took an almost unconscious step sideways - and then one more - to the desk that lined the wall next to the door. He placed the dagger and the box on the desk and picked up the datacard.

The card was small, flimsy, plain, and most likely cheap. It had only two words scrawled onto it:

HAPPY BIRTHDAY.

No signature, no address, no name, nothing to tell him who this was from, but Qui-Gon knew exactly who the card (and the dagger) was from. His writing had, unmistakably, refined from the ugly, barely legible scrawl that it had been ten years ago. IT was now elegant and almost script like, as if the hand that had written it had spent hours, days, weeks, months, or maybe even years practicing writing like that.

The card could have been from Anakin - it should have been from Anakin - it could have been from Xanatos, Tahl, Mace Windu, Adi Gallia, even Yaddle, any number of friends in the Temple. But it wasn't and he knew it, just as he knew tha

 

I like the way you've shown the contrasts between Anakin and Obi-Wan.

Very well done. I think you're doing a wonderful job with this story, Aunecah.

 

*Smacks ani*

dumb brat.

I think that Buckethead should be thankful that even one person remembered that it was his b-day.

 

honestly, I'm a bit confused, but it could possibly be due to the fact that I cannot concentrate since work has me actually working

SO just for me to clarify, it's Qui's and Ani's B-Day? And Qui opened up his gift? And there was another gift around for Ani? I can't think at the moment. Brain is bogged in the stupidity of other people and has effected my own thinking.

 

Don't have much time, but to answer a question -

Arldetta - remember that this is the next day. Anakin's birthday was yesterday and Qui's birthday is today. Don't know if I made that clear enough ... ?

Aunecah

 

Just upping this randomly.

 

"I don't know, Master," Obi-Wan's voice came from somewhere that was definitely not near Qui-Gon anywhere. "Can you?"

Always nice to have those words flung at an adult. Great post, Aunecah. Though I feel the sudden urge to take out all of my frustrations on an Ani-sized pillow...


THEFALLEN

 

I liked it. MORE!

 

Cas : Thanks!

JKH : I think you're right.

Arldetta : I think I answered your questions.

TheFallen : That's just something I do to certain ? erm ? of my teachers often, so I thought it would be nice if Obi-Wan had the same traits. Though I feel the sudden urge to take out all of my frustrations on an Ani-sized pillow... Really? I wonder how the next post will make you feel then.

Lady_Kandriya : Thanks.

Well here's the next post. As always, tell me what you think.

Aunecah

~*~*~*~

Garen Muln was missing.

Anakin managed, just barely, to NOT choke over his glass of milk when Qui-Gon reported the fact the next day over breakfast.

Jedi Masters were extremely perceptive and Qui-Gon Jinn, especially so; they didn't call him a gem in the Living Force for nothing. Unfortunately ? or rather, very fortunately, for Anakin ? his love towards Anakin often blinded him to certain ? (weaknesses) ? aspects of his apprentice that would have been otherwise very obvious.

So, despite the bond they shared, Qui-Gon remained oblivious to Anakin's hand in the said Knight's disappearance.

The Council had, apparently, learned about Garen's disappearance from his Master, Clee Rhara, who had been scheduled for a private dinner with him last night just before she left for a mission to Duro. When an hour passed and Garen hadn't come, Clee had become worried, because Garen was as punctual a man as he was a powerful Knight. When two hours passed and Garen still hadn't come, Clee had known that something was wrong and had gone looking for her apprentice.

Luck ? or the Force, as some would say ? seemed to be with Anakin, because who should Clee meet in the wee hours of the morning when she was worried sick about her missing apprentice, but Garen's old friend.

When Qui-Gon mentioned Obi-Wan Kenobi's name, Anakin did choke over his glass of milk, and he didn't even try to contain his surprise. When he had led Garen into that hotel room, where Darkcloak had been waiting for them with a squadron of thugs, using Obi-Wan Kenobi as a bait, Anakin had had no idea that Obi-Wan Kenobi was in fact been in the Temple.

"I thought he was on Ugasi," Anakin said, carefully keeping any emotion out of his voice.

Qui-Gon nodded, a faraway look coming into his eyes. "Like you said, he was on Ugasi. He's here now."

"What is he doing here?"

Qui-Gon didn't answer immediately. "I believe he's here to go through his Trials."

"Trials? And the Council's going to allow that?" Anakin asked petulantly.

"Yes, Anakin," Qui-Gon said slowly, raising an eyebrow at him. "He is twenty-nine years old, and Master Sadin believes that he is more than ready to face the Trials."

"But he ? " Anakin cleared his throat and started again: "I thought he was sent to Ugasi because he did something inexcusably horrible."

Qui-Gon's face tightened. "Where did you hear that?"

"Here and there ? everywhere," Anakin shrugged.

"Were you spying, Anakin?"

"Of course not, Master. Just because they don't say it out in public doesn't mean nobody ever talks about him."

"Still ? "

"Master, you're just evading the question."

"I didn't realize you had asked a question."

Anakin frowned, his eyes narrowing almost spontaneously. "How can the Council make him a Knight? How can it ? how can anybody be sure that he has changed?"

"It is not our place to discuss the judgements of the Council," Qui-Gon said firmly, but his voice lacked grit. It had no authority, and he didn't look as if he believed in what he was saying. "And that will be enough for you. Now get on with your breakfast."

Anakin grudgingly turned to his plate, but he knew that his Master didn't hold his former apprentice in good graces.

Even as he ate, he started to form a plan as to how to trap Master Bant.

 

[eye_roll] There's a whole galaxy of differences between Obi and the brat.

Now I'm just scared for sweet little Garen...

 

Nice contrast between the padawan that was thrown out and the two that remain in the temple. It almost seems that Qui-Gon has few expectations of Anakin left - he KNOWS how self-involved Anakin is.

I am a bit surprised that Obi-Wan decided to give Qui-Gon a gift after the definitive dismissal outside the Council. Why "bother" QG wil a gift? Obviously, despite the events of the past, OW still has deep and abiding feelings for QG.

Aha....so Siri, Luminara, Garen and OW were best friends! Who was Adi's padawan? S or L? And where is she now?

 

forever_jedi : You forgot Bant. And Siri is Adi's apprentice. Who knows where Siri is. Do you honestly expect me to know?

EDITS:

Aunecah

 

Evil, Aunecah- thoroughly evil, and getting darker by the minute.

No time to say more - up to my knees in work, but will try to drop by later.

CYN

 

Tease!!!! That wasn't very nice. This is a conspiracy!! This Darkcloak has something out for our precious Obi!!!

Although, I didn't think Obi was that old. He just seemed so young and broken outside the Council chambers. It puts a whole new perspective on things now. For some reason I pictured him to be about 19-21. Still giving him an air of innocense yet having grown in most aspects. But if he's 29, it makes his position that more precarious. I mean, if he was broken before, now he's more or less desolate. Personally, I'm 26 going on 27 and I can't imagine trying to overcome the treatment he had endured under Master Sadin. Even if this 'horrible act' does come out being false, I don't see how he will be able to overcome. He seems beaten to me. It's actually very sad. *sniff* *sniff* *sniff*

 

Ooh...just read the second post. Awesome! So Darkcloak is using Anakin to trap Obi-Wan's old friends systematically. And Anakin is happy to comply! How can QG be so loving towards him? What is the basis for this love? Why does Darkcloak not trap Obi-Wan directly?

May we hope that Obi-Wan will outfox Darkcloak, rescue his friends, rid the Temple of the evil presences (Xan, Ani et al.) and generally be hailed a hero before all is done?

Plea.......se!

EDIT: I agree with Arldetta: The impression I had of Obi-Wan in the first couple of posts was that he was twenty-three or so (13 +10). But twenty-nine is a whole different ball-game. Also, it means that Qui-Gon and the Council had dismissed a nineteen-year-old padawan.

Of course: the "horrible" deed that Obi-Wan appears to have committed might not be possible at 13, but could be, at 19!

 

Cyn : Okey.

Arldetta : Yes it is. I at first teetered between making Obi-Wan 19 and 29, but then decided to go with 29 because I needed him to spend that much time with Qui. Sorry if I made you depressed!

EDIT: forever_jedi : You have to realize that Qui is - well - an idiot. And he doesn't know that Ani is ... doing that!

Aunecah

 

You have to realize that Qui is - well - an idiot. LOL, That was funny!!

That's cool, I just had a differrent mental image and it changed drastically once I found out how old he was. Now was that little for my comment on Darkcloak??


OH, I want more story now!! And it's ok about making me sad, after all, I LOVE Obi-torture.