Before - Legends " BALANCE WITHIN THE FORCE "*01/08* OWEN STRUTS HIS STUFF & IS GOOD AT IT

?It?s Ben, Mace it has to be.?

Qui-Gon finally manage to right himself totally yet Mace seemed weary about letting go of his friend, as if Qui-Gon might have a quick relapse that would put him back on the floor.

?Ben, what are you talking about? What does Obi-Wan have to do with this strange weak spell you just had??

?He is *why* I had it. Obi-Wan sought me through the force. I heard him as clearly as if he stood as close to me as you are now. Which by the way, you are really too close.?

Mace straightened his tunic, cleared his throat, then stepped a couple of steps away.

?Excuse me if I was concerned for you. Next time, I might just let you fall to the ground and grovel at my feet while you wait to recover. I thought you might decide to take another dive toward the floor. Just wanted to be ready to prevent you from falling on your face as you very nearly did earlier. Now what is this about Ben? Qui maybe my med-check missed something. You can?t be thinking right if you think you heard Obi-Wan through the force. That would mean he??

?*Yes*, exactly, that would mean he has to be force blessed and I am beginning to think he was?*IS*.?

?How could that be? We spent time with him. I never felt the force come from him and I know you didn?t or you would have mentioned it. Here, let me check you over again. You must be fever addled. You are incoherent if you think Obi-Wan had any force powers.?

Mace reached for Qui-Gon?s arm but the other master was too quick and stepped away from him.

?Seriously Mace, I am fine, never better, maybe the best I have ever been, *NOW*.. Listen, I have thought long and hard about that ankle bracelet Ben wore. I think we misjudged its use, underestimated its power, for I believe it might have been some kind of force inhibitor.?

?And now? What has happened that he can reach you??

Qui-Gon looked at his friend as if Mace had lost his mind.

?Surely you as a Council master know at least in theory how a force inhibitor of any kind works. If it?s on you or injected through your veins, you can not use the force , if it?s done away with then, you can.?

?Hah? Hah? I know how a force inhibiter works.?

?Yoda!! I bet if we find Master Yoda, we will find Obi-Wan. I wouldn?t care to bet you any amount of credits you say that I am right. It is not just a hunch Mace. I am a Jedi. I don?t base anything on a hunch. I know it. I just know it.?

?Fifteen.?

?What??

?Fifteen.. You said to bet you any amount I wanted.. Well fifteen credits says you are wrong. It doesn?t even make sense. Why would Ben be here.?

?I don?t? know, but Owen did say ?find Yoda and you will find Ben.?

?If Yoda is with Ben, why didn?t you feel him through the force. I know you are still connected through the training bond. It is still partially there.?

?Of course it is. The only thing I can think of is that Yoda possibly has a force inhibitor on. Yes, that is it. Come on *Master*, let?s go find them shall we??

##Yoda And Obi-Wan.##

?So this is what it feels like to be a Jedi??

Obi-Wan?s once sad eyes were alive with wonderment as he watched and waited for a reply.

Yoda only chuckled and patted the child?s arm.

?Exactly like you we feel, not. Live with our force from beginning to present in our life. Never had it taken away for such a long time, most Jedi have not.?

Obi-Wan noticed the metal band around Yoda?s neck.

?You don?t have a your force now.? A touch of sadness could be heard in his voice. The little boy thought he understood now how it felt too since having just regained his force.

Yoda cackled softly as a guard passed by their cell, stopped, cast them both a sharp look before he continued on with his sentry walk.

?Difference this is.?

Yoda touched the force collar around his own neck.

?Different I am, also. If desire I had, take this off, I could and very simplistic design the Kragorians incorporated. Did not live over eight hundred years a Jedi and not learn how to remove a force shield without my force avail

 

Great chapter! Hehehe Mace standing a little 'too' close for comfort! *snrk* hehehehe

Yay Qui felt Obi for sure then! And now knows that the kid is Force sensitive!

Hehehe loved how Yoda says he can take the collar off whenever he wants only that he's waiting for Qui. Hehehehe

Great job!

 

i like where this is going...keep it up!

 

that last line made me think Obi was somewhere else before- or am I just being paranoid?

 

Things are a little better, for them and me.

Had to give this a little push up.

 

Master Yoda regretted, at first his inability to use a force suggestion of sleep on the young boy, but soon found he had no reason for regret at all. The events of the day had worn Obi-Wan out and he fell asleep before his head even hit the pillow , just after a pathetic little last meal of bread and moldy, stale cheese had been served.

Yoda wasn?t picky about his food, far from it. Over the years he?d learned food or good food was one substance that at times was sorely lacking in the Jedi life. However, he hadn't tackled his meal in such a robust manner Obi had. He chuckled to himself at the memory of the boy?s comment to him over their meal..

?Try it Master Yoda I?ve had worst, a lot worst. If you pinch that green and purple moldy stuff off the cheese as if you are taking off the rind of a fine brie, you might find you like it, I do.?

With that confident statement of reassurance to the small master, whose color matched part of the fungus on the cheese, Obi-Wan attacked his food again with all the gusto of a child, digging into a fine big bowl of his favorite pudding.

Yoda laid down in the bottom bunk after he hoisted Obi-Wan to the top. Sleep would be elusive for the ancient master but as the sometimes meager and modest food supply, he?d learn how to adjust from the lack of it, even without his force abilities to sustain his loss. Yoda pondered the next move, the move made when his former apprentice, the red-haired Kenobi?s new master arrived..

Fight there could be. Ready for it I should be.

To ready himself for a possible battle, Yoda opted to meditate instead of sleep.[/i]

##############

?That was easy Qui-Gon. Too easy if you ask me.?

?I don?t think we have a problem Mace. I think we succeeded in carrying out our mask identities. No one suspected for a moment we were anything other than what we wanted them to think we were, master and slave. That is why we able to get so much information in such a short time. Did you notice that one Kragorian fellow though? He possessed some qualities of a force sensitive and thought he was a God among mere men, his comrades. The others certainly rallied around him, looked to him to assess the safety in discussing anything to strangers."

"The one that provided most of the information? Yes, he did seem to bask in his small force accomplishments in the force. I had heard there were those on Kragor that had minuscule force powers. From what I saw *minuscule* should be emphasized.?

With his remark Master Windu looked at Qui whose his eyes and face gleamed in amusement.

?I suppose it is sad in some ways. The Kragorian people who are blessed with the force could not hone their talents with it and put it to good use for their people. Only time and evolution of their people will help them learn to use the force if indeed over time the force allows them to see its full potential.?

"Yes, well that guy certainly thought he had full control of his force abilities; thought he could check us out, assess what we truly wanted. I think I did a good job of turning the tables on him, don?t you? I mean we both blocked our force from him and the mind suggestion I gave him was so overwhelming I don?t think he even knew it was there."

Mace had to laugh. ?You have me there. We left our information giver in a dazed crumpled mess. With the Jedi mind suggestion and my questions to him, he really didn?t know for certainty why kind of info he gave us and was afraid to find out. No, we handled our parts quite well, master and slave. Had he thought we were Jedi, he would have been more curious as to what he did tell us. He wanted us gone so he forget all about the rich slaver and his poor pathetic, though very large slave.?

Qui-Gon grew serious again as they made their way t in the direction the Kragorain had just pointed them in.

"Mace why did you think of the master and slave, and why did you ask the man for information about slave trade here on Kragor??

?We know they deal in kidnapping children to work for them a

 

Curious... things are coming together even more now! Wow Obi's a prince? How interesting!

Can't wait for more! Lars better hope he runs far and quick enough!

Have a good T'Day as well!

 

wow! what a great twist! hehehe....Obi Wan is a Prince???!!!

great story, ewen! Happy Thanksgiving to you as well! Cya!

 

Wow! Great post! What a twist!
Have a great Turkey Day

~s-wk

 

Obi-Wan went from no one wanting him to everyone. It will be interesting to see who gets him. I have hope for his mother?s words in the letter.

thanks for the kind words Ewen and Everyone have a good Thanksgiving.

 

Obi-Wan stopped at the base of the five steps. Those five steps would lead him right up onto the auction block. He?d already seen two boys, possibly a couple of years older than he, dragged away kicking and screaming.

He gulped and swallowed hard. His turn next to be sold as a commodity, he knew that. He also knew that with trying to conceal his force so as not to let others know he had regained it, had made it exceedingly difficulty to focus on anything else.

He did not even hear one of the guards that led him out, tell him to go up the steps. Twice the man shouted the order to ascend the steps and twice it went unheard thus the commmand went unheeded.

There was a lot of confusion around Obi-Wan, but he should have heard. Because he didn?t, he received a sharp push toward the steps. Obi-Wan fell on two of them. He thought he felt or heard something crack. With his next intake of air he knew what that something probably was; one of his ribs.

Master Yoda told the freckled faced little boy to be brave. That although he himself would have to remain in the cell the force was with Obi-Wan and he was positive so was Qui-Gon.

Yoda?s words passed through Obi-Wan?s mind as he climbed the the rest of the steps. An auction block maybe, a place that takes away freedom yes, but for Obi-Wan it was his death walk. For the boy who had never experienced true freedom, the kind Master Yoda showed him he had through the force, to lose it now would be a death sentence for the little boy.

If the Jedi didn?t get to him, Obi-Wan worried he would be lost forever, that his future master would never find him..

Still clutching his right side in order to take each breath, Obi-Wan made his way up to the rickety plywood platform. He could hear the auctioneer bark little particulars that would make him seem more wanted than he possibly would be.

?Force sensitive this one is. How much we are not sure."

The auctioneer motioned for guard holding Obi-Wan to do something. While he still gripped one of Obi-Wan's arm, he raised the right pant leg just at the cuff to reveal the force inhibitor around his ankle.

?See there, told ya I did. That is a force surpressor on his ankle. Keeps him in line. Real gem this one would be. Some of you more robust masters might find him a challenge something to toy with, learn how to make him control his force no telling what you could do then if that was accomplished.?

Obi hadn?t heard what the auctioneer said about him. He was too engrossed with a feeling that had just come over him.. Not a feeling really, an aura, not just over him but through him, his mind anyway. It was soothing like someone whispering comforting words to him yet he couldn?t make out what was said, not at first. Then clearly as if by magic the message was clear as a bell, the sender's identity now known, Master Jinn.

Obi-Wan understood. How could he not? He and Qui-Gon were connected in a way Obi-Wan still did not understand it. Master Yoda referred to *IT* as a bond but Obi was unsure of what it really meant. Now though he was getting a taste of the *BOND* and he liked the comfort that came from his future master through it..

Obi, Ben I am here. Have no fear child you are safe. Scan the audience.

Obi let his eyes wander through the crowd before him.

No child, not to the left, here in the center. I am with Master Windu. We are not dressed as Jedi but disguised. Do you see me now? Use your force as you did earlier to call to me. Tell me if you see me, but through the force not out loud.

Obi-Wan concentrated as hard as he could to try to send a message again to the big master. Just as he thought he could reach through with his force and touch the bond he had with Master Qui-Gon, the heightened commotion around him broke his thoughts.

?1200 hundred credits and he better be force sensitive. I?ll not be cheated."

?There, Slave trader G?tek of Alderaan has opened the bidding at 1200 hundred credits. You will find out what I have said about this little one is true and

 

Whoa! Could get ugly! Don't hurt Obi!
...
...
I mean... don't hurt him too much...

Yours,
DarkDream

 

oooh. Jedi stand up to challenge or not?

 

Yay they got him!! Yep they need to find Yoda next, but uh oh! Oh no! 'Daddy has arrived!'

Not good for our heroes! Can't wait for more Loving the suspense!

 

wow! great post! can't wait to see what happens!

 

well, at least Obi knows he's wanted! and just as things look like they may work out, in pops good ole dad! and can't wait to see what Lars has to say about all this!

great plot line, ewen!

 

I just got back from vacation. I hope everyone had an enjoyable holiday weekend.

Prince Obi-Wan-

 

I was relieved when Mace was able to get Obi-Wan, that was until dad showed up.

First introductions are not going well between them. It will be interesting to see who gets custody, what a mess for little Obi-Wan.

 

Mace and Qui-Gon could do nothing but stare at each other in disbelief.. ??Father ?? It had not occurred to Master Jinn before that if Lars Kenobi was Obi-Wan?s step-father then the boy had a father somewhere unless of course he had been killed. To tell the truth Jinn just had not thought of it and now, now he was speechless. He immediately disengaged his saber and Mace soon followed his example.

Obi-Wan heard what the man said but something caused him not to believe. His father ??? His mother had never really said anything about his father. Nothing, Obi-Wan didn?t know if he was alive or dead. Quite truthfully he had been so happy with his mother at least until she married Lars Kenobi, he never felt the need to question her about his father. He had no memory of him and Obi reasoned, there was no reason to miss what you never remembered having. There before him though stood a stranger who claimed to be his father and from what the child could understand this man, this king had no reason to lie about it.

?You have proof of your claim? This boy is your son? How, how did you know where he was? Better question might be just how did he become separated from you, his father??

?Look it is a long story. I am tired, hungry, and fed up with all this. If you allow my men to take your sabers, just as a precaution, I will allow you on my ship. I bear you no ill will and if you speak the truth nothing will happen. I can explain over some hot food and drink. My first goal is to get my son to safety. Although I don?t feel the need to prove anything I will.?

As the King continued to talk, he reached into a pocket to retrieve the letter from his former wife.

?Jedi are you not? I recognized your weaponry. Although I would say what your are wearing now is not normal Jedi garb, a masquerade possibly to secure the child. And if you are Jedi, it is out of the kindness of your heart and not some untoward reason that you secured him as a *Slave*??

The King grimaced with the title *slave* used on his son although from the looks of him, King Benjamin reasoned this was not the first turn of events in Obi-Wan?s life that had not been kind to him since he left the sanctity of his real home.

?Well yes and before you *DO* think untoward about us, our intent was not to enslave Obi-Wan but to save him. We have another in our group that must be gotten off planet as well.?

?That is your business. My son is the only reason I came to this forsaken planet for and I plan to be on my way just as soon as I have Obi-Wan checked over by my personal physician and get a some food in my men. Follow me back to my ship if it suits you. Here read this as we go. It will shed some light on the situation I am in and how I came about searching the entire galaxy for my rightful heir. Like I said, we have no desire to cause you problems unless you plan to keep the child from me.?

Mace took the letter from Obi?s real father. Qui-Gon seemed not to want to read it. Maybe because he would know what King Benjamin said was true and if so, Obi-Wan could not go with the Jedi, Can not be my apprentice without his father?s words giving me rights to him. If a child didn?t have a home and was force sensitive the Jedi could claim them but they could not, under any circumstances take a child against a parent?s wishes.

Without hesitation Master Jinn turned his saber over to the guard just to the king?s right. Mace balked on the idea of surrendering his weapon.

While Jinn held the king with a cold dead-on stare, he spoke to Mace.

?It is alright Mace. I have a feeling we can trust this one. Go ahead and hand over you saber.?

Both Jedi saw the King relax with the big Jedi?s master?s words.

Obi-Wan gripped the cloak of what should be his future master as if he feared his own father. In a way he did. He did not know him and he did not know what his father had planned for him. If it was to go back to his homeland, Obi-Wan wanted no part of it. He wanted to remain steadfastly with Master Jinn and continued t

 

Poor Obi

Well the King has his rights... not having an heir... but by all means... why wait until now to try and find the boy? Hmmm (ack dew ain't kicked in so I might have forgotten that maybe he had been searching for a while and if so forgive me! hehehe)

Ahhh I thought it was cute Obi clinging to Qui like that

Qui being the one to steady Mace hehehehe

Great chapter!!! I LOOOVED this one!

 

oh no!

 

I think little Obi may have a different opinion

 

Well, that went good...

I think the king will find his one-sided ideas will not be accepted easily by Obi-Wan (echoes PK). King/biological father or not, pbbbbbbbbt. I hope he will try to get to know his boy before he keeps Lording over him.

Good post. guess you can tell I?m a bit anti-establishment. I?m normally so sweet in the morning.

 

**NO*!!

The first and only word said to his supposed father since Obi-Wan found out he had a supposed father and it was spoken disobediently.

King Benjamin actually jumped when he heard Obi?s voice. Although he very much wanted to be father to this recently mother-orphaned little boy but he was not accustomed to hearing a voice of a child let alone a voice of dissension.

"Excuse me, I can?t believe I heard what I heard. You spoke I was beginning to think you could not.

The king decided to handle the situation with a bit of comedy to smooth the uneasiness he felt. He was not used to anyone telling him no let alone a child his son of all people.

?Well I can, talk I mean, but when I want too. I can do a lot of things if I *want* too, but go back with you is not one of them. I don?t know you and I am not sure I want too. Besides if *Mum* left you there must be something wrong with you, something evilly wrong. Nope, I already know my destiny and it with Master Jinn. Master Yoda says so. So there.?

There appeared on Obi's face was the ugliest scowl Qui-Gon and ever seen. The big Jedi master actaully feared Obi would stick his tongue out but luckily he didn't. The littele future padawan didn't relally believe there was that much wrong with his father. In fact he thought the opposite. He thought it was great that he was only half an orphan. He had lost his mom and Master Yoda was right. *SHE* was *something* he would never forget. However he knew his destiny was with Master Jinn.

The little red-head felt so much more of a kinship with the big Jedi just since being reunited with him that Obi-Wan could not fathom the hurt he would feel if separated from Master Jinn. He likened the separation to the one he felt when he lost his mother and he certainly did not want to go through that again.

Master Jinn did not condone the harsh remarks nor the rudeness in the child?s voice. A stern look shot at Obi-Wan let the boy know how he felt. He didn?t rebuke him although the master in him very much wanted too. He felt he would be overstepping his bounds if he said something outright to Obi. And from the look of the king, Jinn was very right.

Although maybe a kind just man, he was one who did not tolerate disrespect of any kind no matter the bearer of that disrespect.

?I think maybe we have started off on the wrong foot child. I will dismiss you disrespect as being overly wrought. I think you should let one of my men show you to the fresher for a shower and then bed. I have things I want to discuss with the Jedi and you are not needed at this time.?

Curt and to the point. A voice Jinn might use on an apprentice that understood his place, but surely not a voice used on a small boy who had lost his mother, had been kidnapped, sold as a slave, and just found out he was blessed with an insurgent of power through the force, incomprehensible to even the most mature of adults. Obi-Wan had had a lot of firsts laid on him and now his father he just found he had dismissed him with such unfeeling calculating gruffness, it startled Qui-Gon.

Qui-Gon had even thought of sending some kind of mental reprimand to the boy. He understood that it would be best not to rile the king in any way. However, he felt a mental command of any kind might be too confusing for a tired scared, and angry little boy who had as of yet not learn how to handle the bond they shared.

Jinn placed his hand on Obi-Wan?s shoulder and gave it a gentle squeeze. The king noticed his son did not flinch as he?d done when he tried to touch him and jealousy flared back up in him. He somehow thought his son would be grateful that he?d been found by his natural father.

?Go do as your father says Obi. I will see you again before I leave the planet.?

Obi nearly froze at the words that Jinn was leaving but he did as Jinn said. Master Jinn actually did not pintend to lie.. The reasoned that if Master Yoda was found he could handle the king far better than he could.

His son hurriedly followed one of his father?s guards

 

I hope they got the lightsabres back first