Saga Spirit Warriors of Angharad *COMPLETE* Link to MS Word version available 8/4

Thank you!
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The back half of the swoop dropped another few centimeters, moving the engines that much closer to the water. There was no help for it; it was either get blown up now or take his chances with the river. //Force help me,// he thought, briefly glancing upward at the great unknown. Then steam began pouring from his right engine housing, and there was no more time. Obi-Wan turned and planted his foot on the listing seat, then leapt from the back of the swoop.

*****

Anakin was heading up the slope toward Nidawi when he sensed that Obi-Wan was in mortal danger. He couldn't be sure what had happened; a Jedi's far-sight seldom provided detailed images except when he was in deep meditation. All he knew was that the bright, brisk presence that had always been with him over the past seven years had suddenly faded.

//Master!// he called through their connection in the Force. There was no reply. He could still feel Obi-Wan's life-force down there in the river valley, but now Anakin was picking up pain from him, confusion, faint shades of an uncharacteristic fear.

"R2, see if you can re-establish the frequency," Anakin said. The alarmed-sounding droid whistled that he'd try. Moments passed, but the only sound that came through the headset was static.

Anakin's anxiety mounted as seconds passed with no response from Obi-Wan. "That's it--I'm turning around," he said.

R2 squealed a warning to him. "Anything's better than letting Obi-Wan die," Anakin said, wheeling his craft around and taking off down the slope again. He'd put his saber away, but now he drew it again, holding it loose and ready in his hand. The droid?s answering whistle sounded frightened.

"They already tried to kill me and couldn't do it," Anakin said. "I haven't even shown them half of what I can do. I'd have taken them all out already if Obi-Wan hadn't ordered me not to." Grimly,he nudged his speeder into its maximum velocity. Fear flickered around the edges of his resolve as he sped back down toward the river. Obi-Wan was the only family he had besides his mother, whom his Jedi vows forbade him from returning to. If he lost Obi-Wan, he would be alone.

Anakin repressed his weak emotions as best he could. Instead, he worked to focus on weakness' opposite: power. It had been the Force's will that he be passed over for many of the galaxy's joys and comforts, yet it had allowed him a great deal of power. He promised himself he would use that gift to the utmost to help his Master.

****
End 12/?

 

Oooooh... I absolutely love this part. It's just a little bit but it's so perfect. It's not Anakin being completely hateful or anything but you've definitely shown his weakness. He really gets protective of those he cares for. The fact that you have him say anything is better than letting Obi-Wan die is so very telling. That was a great line especially, but that whole little part was great. Things are really heating up now!

-sj loves kevin spacey

 

Edit: solojones:

****

Perhaps the Force had heard Obi-Wan's plea, since he didn't break his neck as he plunged into the water. Unfortunately, the Shasti was mostly snow runoff, only a few degrees above freezing. The current was swift in the deep center channel, and soon he was caught up and dragged along the stony bottom. Darkness nibbled at the edges of his consciousness. Not even a Jedi could remain in water that cold for long.

Obi-Wan struggled to focus his clouded mind on the Living Force, that realm of exuberant anarchy lying just beyond the veil of nature. This Force aspect had never been his strong suit, and it was not terribly obedient to him--if indeed it was obedient to anyone. Nonetheless, he needed its cooperation if he was going to survive. //I could really use something to hang onto right now,// he told it.

In its mercy, it provided. If only the "something" hadn't been a boulder. Obi-Wan slammed into it with the flat of his back at several kilometers an hour. If he'd had any breath left, it would have been knocked out of him. Aching and pinned against the stone surface, he thought, // . . . ah. Thank you.// After all, a good Padawan accepted his Master's help and correction alike with respectful gratitude, even when it was not entirely clear which was which. Perhaps his misfortune was a lesson to him about something. If so, he could only hope the Force would see fit to let him know what.

Painfully, he managed to roll over onto his stomach and claw his way up above the water-line. His cold-numbed limbs were barely responsive as he dragged himself onto the boulder's exposed top. He had no idea where either of the remaining scouts was, and for the moment he didn't care. Breathing was good. Not being shot at was good. The afternoon sun had warmed the rock's dry topside somewhat, for which he was grateful.

He could not afford to lie there long, however. The voice of duty was as demanding as ever: //All right, Kenobi. Get up. No one gave you permission to freeze to death.//

It was only human to become self-absorbed in moments of pain, but the Jedi Order demanded more of its members than to be merely human. A Jedi must be a Jedi before he was human; before he was a Wookie or Trogruta or Nikto. A Jedi was only a vessel for the Force and an instrument of its will, and being such an instrument meant that others' needs came first. Obi-Wan reminded himself that Anakin was somewhere out on the mountainside, alone and without guidance. He might be in trouble . . . or causing trouble.

With a groan, Obi-Wan rolled to his knees and began to disentangle his comlink from the sodden folds of his mantle. He soon realized he needn't have bothered. The comlink's mouthpiece had almost entirely broken off. The little fragment of duraplast remained attached to the headset by a few exposed wires.

//Typical.//

The Jedi engineer corps designed these things for polite little diplomatic missions. Such niceties were lost on a galaxy in which diplomacy was becoming a lost art.

Giving up on the comlink, Obi-Wan reached out to Anakin through the Force. What he sensed through that connection chilled him more profoundly than the river had. There was a terrible bleakness in the boy's soul, an emotion hovering on the border between terror and rage.

"Ani, I'm all right," Obi-Wan said. He tried to keep his own spirit steady and calm, like a hand held out through the swirling fog of anxiety and pain.

Anakin's fears on behalf of his friends had always been unusually intense. This was not wrong in itself. Concern for others was one of Anakin's chief virtues. Yet the Jedi taught that all things, even virtues, must be practiced with due moderation. Concern for one's friends could grow into something blind and vengeful, more akin to hatred than love, if it was not balanced by the sister virtues of wisdom and perspective.

Obi-Wan knew this from experience. He had not forgotten the searing moment seven years ago, when he saw his own Master st

 

Obi-Wan's exact words did not transfer through the Force, but Anakin picked up their meaning. He was still hurtling through the trees at top speed, blinking windblown sweat out of his eyes. At this rate, he would reach the river in seconds.

A familiar argument began in his mind: //Your Master gave you an order. He wants you to turn around.

//Yes, but what does he know? I sense things he doesn't all the time. They'll kill him if he stays down there.//

He felt the pressure of Obi-Wan's mind on his own, urging him to let his misguided rescue mission go.

//If he wants to die in your place, that's his business. He's supposed to protect you, and you're supposed to obey. That's how this works.

//I can't leave him.

//Master Qui-Gon once told you, 'You must do the thing you think you cannot do.'//

Slowly, Anakin backed off on the throttle. Helpless tears had joined the sweat in his eyes, and he wiped them away with angry contempt.

//Act like a Jedi. If this is the end for him, you have to accept it.//

He'd almost totally released the pressure on the speeder's accelerator pedals, and was close to a full stop. //Now turn around,// he told himself.

He must go back to Nidawi, climb up into the barn loft where he and Obi-Wan had been staying, and wait. He would meditate to calm himself as night fell. He would not give in to panic, even as the air grew cold and damp down in the river valley. Even as the moons rose and the nighttime predators came out. //Turn around now.//

If Obi-Wan came back before morning, then everything would be all right. If he were not back by then . . .

Images from a possible future flickered through his mind: himself stoking a massive fire down the Vale, his Master?s lightsaber hanging at his belt. Master Windu?s usually impassive face transformed with compassion as he said, ?I?m sorry.? An awkward meeting with the stranger who would be his new teacher, and the hopeless feeling of starting his apprenticeship over--this time without his one real connection to the Jedi Order.

//No.//

****
End 14/?

 

Obi-Wan was rather prescient, with the Anakin in trouble... or causing trouble line.

Loved Anakin's mental argument and his over-vivid imagination. Yes, obeying his Master and going back is what he SHOULD do... which is why, of course, he's not going to do it!

I've said it before... "Padawan" is an old Jedi word for "trouble magnet!"

 

In its mercy, it provided. If only the "something" hadn't been a boulder. Obi-Wan slammed into it with the flat of his back at several kilometers an hour....

//All right, Kenobi. Get up. No one gave you permission to freeze to death.//

Ahhh, good old Obi-Wan. I love how he has that knack for making a wry joke out of almost any bad situation. You do a great job of portraying that. I always love this sorts of 'Obi-Wan' moments in fics. So much fun to write, too, eh?


A Jedi must be a Jedi before he was human; before he was a Wookie or Trogruta or Nikto. A Jedi was only a vessel for the Force and an instrument of its will, and being such an instrument meant that others' needs came first.

Very good interpretation of Obi-Wan's POV on such things. It's a very mainline Jedi, by-the-code sort of perspective. It's an extremely noble goal for the Jedi to strive for, but something tells me *cough*Vader*cough* that it can backfire


Obi-Wan reminded himself that Anakin was somewhere out on the mountainside, alone and without guidance. He might be in trouble . . . or causing trouble.

I like how you portray Obi-Wan as thinking Anakin's fairly helpless without his guidance. It's not that Obi-Wan is intentionally being arrogant about it, I think it's just a good example of how he can be overprotective of Anakin. And of course he would think Anakin's causing trouble


Anakin's fears on behalf of his friends had always been unusually intense. This was not wrong in itself. Concern for others was one of Anakin's chief virtues. Yet the Jedi taught that all things, even virtues, must be practiced with due moderation. Concern for one's friends could grow into something blind and vengeful, more akin to hatred than love, if it was not balanced by the sister virtues of wisdom and perspective.

Exactly! This is how I understand the Jedi view on being free from attachments. They shouldn't, however, fool themselves into thinking they can get rid of such virtues as friendship, though. And it would be wrong to. I think when Luke establishes the New Order, he finds the balance the Old Order here was too afraid to try for.


//Yes, but what does he know? I sense things he doesn't all the time. They'll kill him if he stays down there.//

And in a great bit of irony, Anakin also thinks Obi-Wan is fairly helpless without him *sigh* these men


Images from a possible future flickered through his mind: himself stoking a massive fire down the Vale, his Master?s lightsaber hanging at his belt. Master Windu?s usually impassive face transformed with compassion as he said, ?I?m sorry.? An awkward meeting with the stranger who would be his new teacher, and the hopeless feeling of starting his apprenticeship over--this time without his one real connection to the Jedi Order.

//No.//



I would think something more along the lines of 'Noooooooo!' would be appropriate. That was a very disturbing possible image of the future you gave. The little details you added, like him envisioning Mace saying he's sorry, made this passage a succint but poignant bit. Great subtle connecting to Qui-Gon's funeral, too.

-sj loves kevin spacey

 

solojones wrote: I like how you portray Obi-Wan as thinking Anakin's fairly helpless without his guidance. It's not that Obi-Wan is intentionally being arrogant about it, I think it's just a good example of how he can be overprotective of Anakin.

Yep, he underestimates that boy. Then again, Anakin gives him plenty of reasons to treat him as just a big, goofy kid.

And of course he would think Anakin's causing trouble

Rightly, as it happens. Anakin would *hate* that.

And in a great bit of irony, Anakin also thinks Obi-Wan is fairly helpless without him *sigh* these men

For a while I had this line from "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" as my sig quote: "When it comes to emotions, even great heroes can be idiots."

I would think something more along the lines of 'Noooooooo!' would be appropriate.

Maybe . . . but I hate it when Jedi shout "Nooooooooooo!!" I think they all look so dopey. In my magical re-edit of the Star Wars saga, there would be less Jar-Jar, more warm-n-fuzzy angst, and less "Noooooooooooo!!"

Thank you for your comments by the way. I'm way too addicted to feedback for it to be healthy.

 

For a moment, Obi-Wan thought his words were taking effect. Anakin seemed to hesitate, as if realizing how close to darkness he had come. Yet at the last moment, he thrust away acceptance of the Force?s inexorable will.

"Anakin!" Obi-Wan could feel the thirst for violence gathering in his student like static in the air before a storm.

A moment later the Master Jedi was on his feet, disregarding the scouts as they looked up from the fiery slick where the swoop must've gone down. They moved to draw their hand blasters on him.

Before they could fire, Anakin's speeder shot through the cover of the trees and onto the river. He was half-standing on the accelerator pedals, holding his lit saber aloft in one hand. As the scouts quickly re-directed their blasters, a nearly-unaimed arc of laser fire caught one in the chest, blowing him and his craft into fiery oblivion.

Now Obi-Wan recognized the green triangle of energy that hovered at the front of Anakin's speeder--it was the emissions scanner he?d cobbled together out of stardrive diagnostic units. Somehow he'd wired that onto a blast rifle and attached them both to the handlebars of his Landcat.

It dawned on Obi-Wan that Anakin had created the junk-and-utility-wire equivalent of a low-altitude gunship. If you didn't mind the fact that he needed both hands for his weapons and had to steer with his knee, the setup was impressive?-right down to the remote astromech navigational support. It was also a near-suicidal trade of safety in return for power.

Obi-Wan's reaction was perhaps not the greatest moment of his teaching career. "Are you out of your mind?!"

Anakin skirted the speeder's explosion with lethal neatness and then pulled around, clearly intending to dispatch the remaining scout. Whatever the man saw on Anakin's face must have dispelled any bravado he had left; he hunkered down over his handlebars and threw everything his speeder had into a rush for the cover of the riverbank.

Anakin set a parallel course, leaving just enough lateral distance between himself and his quarry that he could easily shift forward or back to intercept any attempted break for the trees. It was a disturbingly canny move for a boy of sixteen.

"Turn back!" Obi-Wan shouted. "He's fleeing you. It's over!" He had little doubt his student heard him--his voice was pitched to carry across a battlefield. Yet Anakin did not respond.

He tried contacting Anakin through the Force: //Padawan, this is darkness. He's offering no resistance to you. You cannot justify attack.// Once again there was no reply.

It was now Obi-Wan?s turn to begin grappling with true fear. This exact situation was part of an infamous test used in the training program young Knights were supposed to attend before they took students of their own. The lesson involved maintaining correct priorities, in particular placing truth and justice before any personal bond. Each student had to describe what he or she would do if a Padawan fell into darkness and needlessly threatened a life. Obi-Wan's classmates had all calmly stated that if the Padawan could not be turned from his destructive course, he would have to be destroyed. An aggressor was an aggressor, after all, and no one was above the Order's law. Of course, they had all been talking about theoretical Padawans--none of them actually had one. Obi-Wan was the only one with a real child to look after, and he'd argued at some length about the blithe legalism of the "correct" answer. He'd gotten a poor report in that class.

Yet here he was, living out the same dreaded scenario. He knew the Jedi Order to be the essence of wisdom and compassion. Could its rule possibly demand that he destroy his own student? The blast rifle hanging across his back felt as burdensome as a millstone. He tried calling his student once more: "Anakin!" He could hear the desperation in his voice as the name echoed in the valley.

He got no noticeable response even through the Force--Anakin seemed to be entirely bent on

 

The first time around I thought this fic was splendid. I still do.

 

I wondered if anyone would remember this from the first time I posted it . . . I hope it doesn't bug you that these early sections are very similar to what I had last time. (Except for the fact that I cut out a couple of pages of political background on the Coridani Mineral Company, because I suddenly realized that NOBODY CARES.) I'm also trying to do a lot more showing rather than telling about Obi-Wan and Anakin's relationship.

The fanfic novel I wrote before this one was in the X-Files universe, where it's perfectly in-character for people to sit around moping and over-analyzing their relationships to one another. However, it really didn't work here, and I cut it. The Star Wars universe is not a moody, reflective kind of place. Things explode, and then you move on.

You'll start to see more significant changes in the end of chapter four and in chapter five, which is where I couldn't get Obi-Wan and Anakin's relationship to work right before. I needed them to kind of patch things up and move on (so more things could explode), but they wouldn't do it. (Stupid Jedi.) I ended up really muting down Obi-Wan's reactions--he comes across a bit more like Alec Guinness' Obi-Wan than Ewan McGregor's Obi-Wan in AOTC, but what can I say. It's what the story needed.

 

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The scout glanced backward in a moment of apparent panic, probably assuming the shot was aimed at him. Obi-Wan sensed that Anakin knew what had really happened, although he still did not turn around. The boy not seem to be tracking; he was in a mental place where action was everything and consequences had no meaning. That, in itself, was one definition of darkness.

Obi-Wan was rapidly running out of nonlethal solutions to this problem. Perhaps it was time to accept what appeared to be his and Anakin's terrible destiny.

Fighting desperation, he began to recite an ancient passage that generations of Jedi had turned to in times of great suffering: //Force of the Universe, grant me strength. Living Force of all Beings, give me peace in my hour of need . . .// He knew that if it were the Force's will, he would work up the resolve to pull the trigger again, and this time he would not miss.

"Padawan," he said softly, "please do not make me do this."

Perhaps it was in reaction to the anguish of the man he was "rescuing," and perhaps it was for his own reasons, but at last some of the furious haze began to lift from Anakin's spirit. His single-minded rage faded slowly, giving way to an unusual quiet. Obi-Wan's own breath had fallen into near stillness as he began to hope that his student had pulled himself back from the brink of destruction.

Anakin's speeder did seem to be slowing. The scout was a small figure far down the river by this point, but Obi-Wan thought the man glanced behind him a few times, as if unable to believe his luck at his pursuer's change of heart. Taking full advantage of his reprieve, the scout tore off into the cover of the trees at top speed. Anakin did not follow.

Obi-Wan picked up a sense of disorientation from his young friend, as if Anakin were truly unsure of how he?d gotten from the purity of his intentions to the darkness of what he had done. This questioning was followed by the thin edge of pain. Obi-Wan allowed himself to breathe again as Anakin slowed his speeder and turned it around.

His muscles ached as if he'd been sighting with the rifle for hours instead of mere seconds. He set the weapon butt-down on the rock and wrapped his hands around the barrel, leaning upon it as if it were a staff. For a few moments he struggled with his emotions, bowing his head down next to the steel cylinder.

A chill wind blew down from the heights, and he remembered he was very cold. He sat down on the rock and placed the rifle beside him, then wrapped his arms around his knees. To his chagrin, he could feel he was shaking. No, he amended, he was *shivering* from his fall into the river. //Jedi do not shake. If we were allowed to shake, someone would have written a fifteen-point Code of Conduct about it and forced us to memorize it.//

As he waited in the growing darkness for Anakin's arrival, he closed his eyes and turned to the Force in order to calm his troubled spirit. This time, the calm was slow in coming. Obi-Wan would always be a Jedi first and foremost, but in his heart he was also a father, and that day he had almost lost his only child, body and soul.

He finally looked up as the sound of Anakin?s speeder drew near, and it occurred to him, for the first time in days, that Angharad was beautiful. Evening had begun to fall and the forested slopes were in smoke-colored shadow. High above them, the snow cap on Mount Mahavashti was bright with the orange light of sunset, as if the tip of the mountain had been gilded with fire.

Anakin guided his speeder up next to the rock and shut down his engines, leaving the river valley suddenly quiet.

?Hello, Ani,? Obi-Wan said.

Anakin remained motionless, looking down at the Landcat's handlebars. The silvery sound of the nighttime water insects filled the air like an invisible gauze. "I was going to kill him, Master," Anakin said softly.

Obi-Wan nodded. "I know."

?I?m sorry.? The words came out as a whisper. Anakin?s eyes looked wide and haunted in the green glow of

 

SO BEAUTIFUL!!!!!!!

 

Love the way you combine humor and drama in the story. Obi-Wan goes from making a sardonic remark about the Jedi Code to feeling the anguish of a "father" facing the loss of his "son."

You have crafted a wonderful, deep relationship between master and apprentice.

I also enjoy all the detail you put into your stoty. The narrative is filled with little gems, such as Obi-Wan reflecting upon the poor grade he received in class.

Keep up the great work!!

 

Ahh, no, ahhh, stop updating so fast

Ok,ok, you can keep updating fast. But it's finals week so forgive me if I lag behind a bit in reading. As I didn't read this the first time it was posted, I'm itching to see where it goes.

-sj loves kevin spacey

 

Stop updating so fast?! Last time I was posting about 10 pages every 2 weeks, and that was too slow. Now I'm posting about a page every day, and that's too fast. I can't make the public happy!

Seriously though, you didn't miss that much last time. It went along a lot like this until chapter 5, when it ran straight into a brick wall because I couldn't get my leading Jedi to behave. That--and I developed an actual life for a while. (Thank goodness *that's* over with!)

. . . and as always, thank you all for your comments. Feedback makes me do a happy dance inside.

****

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Anakin sat on the floor of the Oyas' barn loft, staring down at the blue-white glow of a power lamp. R2 kept a silent sympathy vigil by his side. The two of them were alone for the moment, since Obi-Wan was in a meeting with most of the village adults, discussing, among other things, whether the Jedi would be asked to leave Nidawi. Apparently it was one thing to show up out of nowhere and offer unpopular advice, but it was quite another to show up out of nowhere, offer unpopular advice, and then set parts of the local holy mountain on fire. Anakin sighed and scrubbed at his still-sore eyes with his thumb and forefinger. He ached with regret for what he had done. In his rashness, he had let down his Master, violated the Jedi Code, and offended the villagers who had taken him in. Worse, he had driven Obi-Wan into making a choice between his vows as a Jedi and his loyalty to Anakin--and Anakin had not been his first choice. The young apprentice was still struggling to come to terms with that fact. The implications hurt. Anakin loved Obi-Wan. He trusted him. How could the man he looked on as a father have threatened to kill him?

Anakin rested his elbows on his knees and answered his own question. //You can't expect him to betray everything he believes in just because you were acting like an idiot. He loves you about as much as a Jedi's allowed to love anyone. Don't ask for more than that.//

Yet part of him rebelled at the thought: //As much as a Jedi's allowed to love anyone.// Anakin had never been comfortable with the Jedi Order's restrictions on emotion or its insistence that duty always come before love.

As a very new Padawan, he had railed at Obi-Wan's suggestion that he stop pining for his mother, even as he watched Obi-Wan choke back his own grief for Qui-Gon Jinn. Anakin had thought it was stupid that a Jedi was supposed to value ideals more than people. Furthermore, he suspected that Qui-Gon would have agreed with him. Not that you could say something like that to Obi-Wan. Not ever.

Anakin shut his eyes against the power lamp's incandescent glare and tried to curb his straying thoughts. He was supposed to be meditating, not moping. When his Master returned, he would expect him to have developed insight into why he?d lost control, and to have come up with a plan about how to avoid making such mistakes in the future.

It was a drill he was regrettably familiar with. Not being much one for insight or planning, he usually just recited a list of his failings and suggested a barely-tolerable consequence he thought his Master might find acceptable. He knew Obi-Wan wanted more than that from him now that Anakin was close to manhood, but profound insights into his own behavior continued to elude him. It just seemed that sometimes he set out to do one thing, then got carried away by the passions of the moment and ended up doing something else. So much for mining the depths of his soul.

He glanced up at R2 and asked, "How much you want to bet I end up being a LOSer until we get back to Coruscant?"

R2 conceded that the probability rate was one a gambler would look upon with considerable favor.

The "LOS" stood for "line of sight," which was where very inexperienced or difficult students were expected to stay. Very young Padawans, as Anakin had once been, were more or less permanent LOSers. Older ones could be returned to the status of unreliable beginners at their

 

Oooh, fine I suppose I can allow you to keep updating so frequently. But only on the condition that you keep this one of the very, very best fanfics I've ever read. Deal?

. . . and as always, thank you all for your comments. Feedback makes me do a happy dance inside.

Certainly. I know exactly what you mean, so I always strive to go beyond just a 'good job' in hopes that it will be a little more fulfilling to the authors, who work so hard


Obi-Wan's reaction was perhaps not the greatest moment of his teaching career. "Are you out of your mind?!"

Not the greatest moment, but at his wit's end like this, rather Obi-Wan-esque

Obi-Wan was the only one with a real child to look after, and he'd argued at some length about the blithe legalism of the "correct" answer. He'd gotten a poor report in that class.

As someone else mentioned, I adore your knack for mixing humour with the serious. It's especially fun to do with someone like Obi-Wan who's so sardonic, eh? But I like that he was able to make the distinction between theory and practice of the Code. I think that's something he's going to be confronted with much more down the line.

The whole thing with Obi-Wan actually considering shooting Anakin was shocking and heart breaking, because I understood why he felt he might have to. Thank goodness a warning shot ended up being enough, but I have a feeling that the sting of just the action being taken will be something there between the two of them for a while.

//Jedi do not shake. If we were allowed to shake, someone would have written a fifteen-point Code of Conduct about it and forced us to memorize it.//

No kidding. Once again, brilliant wry wit that made me snicker in my characteristically evil way

"No,? he said, ?there?s no shame in being wiser now than you were a few minutes ago.

Ah, such a wise little morcel. I'm glad you portrayed Obi-Wan as having the sense to know when not to lecture. He does tend to do that a lot, and I can't say I really blame him, because I know I do too But I could picture Alec saying this, which is a very good sign for something seeming very 'teacher' Obi-Wan

"Please don't ever give up on me, Master," Anakin said. Obi-Wan pulled him into an embrace, which Anakin returned with the strength of a drowning man.

Not only did I love your description there, likening it to a drowning, but it was such a great image. You're doing a wonderful job of creating this father/son relationship but still in the awkwardness of the Jedi context. It's also some interesting foreshadowing, reminding me that if Anakin thinks in the future that Obi-Wan has given up on him, that would be devestating.


Apparently it was one thing to show up out of nowhere and offer unpopular advice, but it was quite another to show up out of nowhere, offer unpopular advice, and then set parts of the local holy mountain on fire.

again! Ah, yes, ophelia, you're here all week, right?

As a very new Padawan, he had railed at Obi-Wan's suggestion that he stop pining for his mother, even as he watched Obi-Wan choke back his own grief for Qui-Gon Jinn. Anakin had thought it was stupid that a Jedi was supposed to value ideals more than people. Furthermore, he suspected that Qui-Gon would have agreed with him. Not that you could say something like that to Obi-Wan. Not ever.

This was such a powerful and telling bit. It is sad that Anakin can't express his thoughts, because I just happen to think he's got some valid points. Even with as close as he is to Obi-Wan, there are things he knows he cannot say to him...

The whole thing with LOSers, I thought, was brilliant. Where do you come up with these things? That sort of punishment seems like a very Jedi thing to do, and terming it as such seems like a very teenagery thing to do as well. It's a rather unfortunate way to treat the padawans, I think, though in some cases it might be warranted. But because they are around other Jedi all the time, I would t

 

Gahhh!! Fine, if you're going to be AmazingB, then I'm going to be GriffZ!

Insert sardonic comment here, sardonic comment here, sardonic comment here, sardonic comment here, loooooooooooooooooooooooooooooong absence











sardonic comment here.

There.

I always strive to go beyond just a 'good job' in hopes that it will be a little more fulfilling to the authors, who work so hard

Yay!! I appreciate it, too . . . in-depth feedback makes every day like Christmas . . . only without the long lines at the checkout counter.

The whole thing with Obi-Wan actually considering shooting Anakin was shocking and heart breaking, because I understood why he felt he might have to.

That wasn't in my original plan for the story, although it was in the version I posted in 2002. These guys just get volitile around each other if I don't manage them carefully. Maybe that's why there's so little warm-n-fuzzy Obi/Ani fic.

I have a feeling that the sting of just the action being taken will be something there between the two of them for a while.

I'd expect niether of them to ever quite get over it . . . it kind of points out the fundamental place where their values differ. Obi-Wan puts duty and ideals first, Anakin puts people first. I'm not sure either approach is actually wrong--it just makes for people who strike sparks off each other. (Literally in Ep III!)

Ah, such a wise little morcel. I'm glad you portrayed Obi-Wan as having the sense to know when not to lecture. He does tend to do that a lot, and I can't say I really blame him, because I know I do too But I could picture Alec saying this, which is a very good sign for something seeming very 'teacher' Obi-Wan

Yeah . . . I really had to skip AOTC and go straight to ANH for a lot of Obi-Wan's character to keep things civil with Anakin. Funny how some characters just won't behave.

It's also some interesting foreshadowing, reminding me that if Anakin thinks in the future that Obi-Wan has given up on him, that would be devestating.

As it happens, Ani's right too . . . he pulls it out of the fire at the end. (See, Obi-Wan?! I told you!!)

It is sad that Anakin can't express his thoughts, because I just happen to think he's got some valid points.

Yeah . . . I'm not quite sure where GL is going with the "Jedi can't love" theme, but I'm trying to present the situation as if both Obi-Wan and Anakin are right, but in different ways.

The whole thing with LOSers, I thought, was brilliant. Where do you come up with these things?

Well . . . I'm in training to be a special ed tacher who works with emotionally disturbed kids, and one RL way to deal with the most troubled child in the room is to keep him literally stuck by your side at all times. I've never done it, being a mere padawan myself, but I'm told it's very helpful for kids with certain kinds of problems.

It's a rather unfortunate way to treat the padawans, I think, though in some cases it might be warranted. But because they are around other Jedi all the time, I would think it would embarass the padawans more than help them. Embarassing someone into compliance is not a good thing

Yeah . . . but I had a hard time figuring out exactly what Obi-Wan would *do* with Anakin. A lecture seems insufficient for almost blowing up someone who was running away, but the kid doesn't have a GameBoy to take away, he doesn't have a room to be sent to, he's a bit big to spank, and Obi-Wan can't afford to ground him even if he had somewhere to ground him *to.* Anakin's a working kid, and Obi-Wan needs his help. This is probably why the Jedi insist that kids come to them as babies . . . so all the discipline issues get sorted out before they go gallavanting across the galaxy as Padawans. Or something like that.

What, with all your hillarious commentary on the theorizing of what those kicks to the head did to Obi-Wan's brain....

 

Incidentally, this story is tagged, so you don't have to read my attempts to impersonate GriffZ and stuff. Unless of course you'd rather.

****

A shiver ran through him as he opened his eyes. He felt disoriented, as if he'd awakened from a nightmare. Gradually, the quiet nighttime noises of the farmyard began to reassert themselves in his mind, and his heart stopped its hammering. His hands ached; he realized that he had unconsciously balled them into fists. He opened them and shook them out.

R2's servos whirred as he turned his domed head at the movement. His questioning whistle carried a note of concern.

"It's nothing," Anakin said. His muscles still stiff with tension, he stood up and walked to the second story barn door that led out onto the lift. His boot soles sounded loud on the rough planks of the floor.

Hoel Oya was a metalsmith as well as a small-scale sherqa farmer, and the barn door was framed by the lift's elaborate counterweight system. The heavy door itself swung open almost soundlessly at Anakin's light touch. A single light burned in the low, stone farmhouse a few dozen meters away, and all seemed peaceful in the farmyard.

With a gesture, Anakin shut off the power lamp, hoping to find solace in the cool darkness of the night. He tried to empty his mind of any thoughts at all--simply to be. Disregarding the sick feeling in his heart, he told himself that he was at one with the universe; that he was at peace.

Bluish moonlight picked out the wires of the skrike pen and softly illuminated the packed earth between the house and its outbuildings. Now and again, one of the skrikes would produce its signature, harsh call, and its fellows would join in. Skrikes were egg-laying reptiloid beasts with a hearty and disgusting appetite for farmyard vermin. Over the last several days, they'd developed an unaccountable attachment to both the Jedi, especially Obi-Wan, much to his dismay.

Anakin cast his senses beyond the Oyas' property, seeking his Master's presence in the village meeting lodge. The gathering there was still going on, and Anakin picked up crosscurrents of powerful emotion: anger; sorrow; the thirst for justice; anxiety; despair. Obi-Wan's presence was like a calm island in the middle of the whirlwind, although Anakin sensed his profound fatigue. It seemed best not to contact him at the moment. Obi-Wan had already had enough drama from Anakin for one day. He slowly drew back without disturbing his Master.

As he did so, he became aware of other presences on the path leading up to the farmhouse. Some were familiar; he recognized Mayléa and Uyek, Hoel Oya's two youngest children. Before long, young voices were audible. R2 trundled up to Anakin's side and peered out into the farmyard with him.

Small figures, some carrying cylinder-shaped oil lamps, walked or ran into the space between the house and the barn. The two Oya kids and an older girl detached themselves from the group and walked up to the barn. Mayléa's lantern threw as much shadow as light, but after a moment Anakin recognized her companion as Itai Wikvaya, a village girl about his own age.

Anakin didn't quite know what to make of Itai. He knew her father was buried in the Grove of Martyrs, and that she wore peeled white cava sticks braided into her hair in his memory. Cava sticks were part of the mountain people's battle dress, meant to evoke the bones of the honored dead. According to local belief, fighters carried the spirits of their ancestors into battle with them, and drew strength from their otherworldly power. Not that Itai was a fighter. She was just a village kid, and Anakin was not entirely clear on why she had to go around with spooky fake bones plaited into her hair all the time.

The sherqas started bawling, thinking they were going to be fed, the moment the Oya children entered the barn. Anakin and Obi-Wan had taken over that job for the duration of their stay, not that they'd gotten around to it yet that night. Just another thing

 

The first time I read this story was at a different site and I was so mad because it wasn't finished! But now I'm really happy because I can read it here!

 

Okay, since solojones is herelf again now, I guess I can go back to being me.



::In backround:: Knights-who-so-recently-said-: "Sh!"

****

If Itai or the Oya kids were impressed, they gave no sign. "We have some questions we want answered," said Itai. She was looking at him as a picnicker might look at a bug that seemed inclined to crawl into the butter.

Somehow it was easier to behave in a Jedilike way in the face of hostility from without than when confronting turmoil from within. Anakin allowed her anger and suspicion to wash over him as he replied, "I'll be happy to answer them if I can."

"Why does your Master want us to leave our village?" Itai asked.

Well, that was an easy one. "He doesn't want you to die," Anakin said.

"He's an offworlder," Itai said, as if "offworlder" were a dirty word. "Why should he care what happens to us?"

The intensity of her anger took him aback. Anakin scanned the feelings of the Oya children and the young people collected outside, to see if Itai's emotions were common. Most of the children did not seem hostile, but he picked up a great deal of fear and confusion from them. He could sympathize; adults didn't like to tell kids the really important things, as if keeping them in the dark could protect them.

"We're Jedi Knights," he said quietly. "We have a duty to defend all life."

"I heard that you had a duty to defend the *Republic,"* Itai shot back. "How do we know the Coridani didn't send you? Maybe you're here to frighten us off the mountainside with your scary stories, so they can take our land without a fight."

It had never occurred to Anakin that his and Obi-Wan's actions could be interpreted that way. "We would never do something like that," he said. "If you knew the Jedi--"

"Well, we don't know the Jedi," Itai said. "Why should we? You serve your government, not us. From where I'm standing, the Jedi look a lot like the Coridani Mineral Company--just another group trying to extend the Republic's control." She planted her hands on her hips, and Anakin suspected she looked a lot more formidable than he did. He wondered how many adults held the same opinions she did.

"I don't have any way to prove my intentions to you," he said. "All I can say is that if your village really wants us to leave, we will." He cast a rueful glance in the direction of the village center and added, "Actually, it's looking as if your parents might--"

"What did you *do?*" Mayléa blurted out suddenly. He'd been picking up curiosity from her since she'd climbed up into the loft. Apparently, it was pretty obvious that he'd been sent back to the barn in disgrace, and that the village meeting had something to do with his actions in the Pass.

Anakin's first, embarrassed inclination was to tell her it was none of her business. She was just a kid after all, not much more than 10 or 11. He didn't answer to her.

Yet in a way, he did. He had been under his Master's orders to help defend Mayléa's village, and instead he had endangered it by provoking a fight. He supposed she had a right to know something. However, he was not above discouraging further questions with half-teasing harassment. "I got into a bad situation, and I didn't listen to my Master. Bet that never happened to you, did it? You always listen to your dad?"

"Yes," Mayléa said, unsuccessfully trying to repress an embarrassed giggle.

Uyek's eyes went wide with gleeful outrage. "Liar!" he shouted. "I'm telling. You lie!"

"Shut *up,"* Mayléa told him.

Itai rolled her eyes as if unable to believe the immaturity of her co-ambassadors. Anakin suspected that she only tolerated the younger kids' presence because this was their barn.

Uyek's outburst seemed to have freed him from any hesitation to ask his own questions. "If you're a real Jedi, then where's your laser sword?" he asked.

Anakin gestured toward his left hip. "Well, it's--"

"Can I see it?" Uyek asked, taking a step forward. He was a s

 

Gahhh!! Fine, if you're going to be AmazingB, then I'm going to be GriffZ!

This has to be the oddest/saddest role-play ever.

Yay!! I appreciate it, too . . . in-depth feedback makes every day like Christmas

I know exactly what you mean. It's just knowing that your story actually struck a chord and made someone think about what you were saying with the story. It feels so great the few times it does come

I'm trying to present the situation as if both Obi-Wan and Anakin are right, but in different ways.

Exactly, and I think you're doing a good job of it. I try to do that as much as possible, too. I find that too many people are either Anakin fans and Obi-Wan haters or vice versa. I think that's a really shallow way to look at it, because there's so much more complexity to it. I like them both for different reasons (but I admit I prefer Obi-Wan just because he's more my type of person ).


Yeah . . . but I had a hard time figuring out exactly what Obi-Wan would *do* with Anakin. A lecture seems insufficient for almost blowing up someone who was running away

Yeah, I definitely see your point. I'm not going to be the one to do major Jedi-bashing because I think people prone to not liking authority or rules tend to do that a lot. I understand the need for discipline, in certain contexts and extents. This seems like one of those things that could be a good idea but might backfire with certain people.


Skrikes were egg-laying reptiloid beasts with a hearty and disgusting appetite for farmyard vermin. Over the last several days, they'd developed an unaccountable attachment to both the Jedi, especially Obi-Wan, much to his dismay.[/i]

Hah! I can just imagine a little reptilian thing following Obi-Wan around. I'll bet he would take quite the acception to that. Then again, it's perhaps the closest thing to a girlfriend he's had: it gives him attention, follows him everywhere, and insists on being fed at his cost. Maybe this is the true reason for his aversion to females. I blame the Skrikes.

Itai?s an interesting mix of seeming very old and very young. She has attachments to the sentiments of older people and the traditions of her village, yet at the same time she clearly acts and reasons like a young person. Nice glimpse of that sort of character even in that short span so far.

::In backround:: Knights-who-so-recently-said- : "Sh!"

You can never go wrong with MP.

"How do we know the Coridani didn't send you? Maybe you're here to frighten us off the mountainside with your scary stories, so they can take our land without a fight."

It had never occurred to Anakin that his and Obi-Wan's actions could be interpreted that way.

I hadn't thought of it that way either, but that's a really good argument that's hard to counter. Until she actually gets to know them, she's not going to trust them. This applies to the whole village, I think. But they're not going to know if they can trust the version of the Jedi they get to know. What a Catch-22. My head hurts.

I love the portrayal of the curious (and somewhat annoying ) little kids. Haha, Anakin, get a taste of your own medicine Of course, he actually seems to like little kids, which I do think is how he would respond. That familial attachment again. A problem in some ways, but ultimately a good thing for Luke et al

"No one ever defeats the Dark Knight!? he cried, as Uyek jabbed him repeatedly in the chest with a plasform tube.

Ahhh, no! What a great, clever kind of foreshadowing. Because it's not the typical broody foreshadowing, but rather is disguised in a happy moment. Stop being a good writer.

-sj loves kevin spacey

 

solojones wrote: This has to be the oddest/saddest role-play ever.

We need to get someone to play Short Round McFly, go get a d20 and some pizza, and make a night of it: "My +4 face_plain defeats your +2 poop thread creation of doom!!"

Hah! I can just imagine a little reptilian thing following Obi-Wan around. I'll bet he would take quite the acception to that.

They do . . . and he does. I wish I had a way of actually showing them . . . they look sort of like chicken-sized tyrannosaurus rexes, and they have the most demented little walk--kind of a stalking toddle. They also like to stand there . . . with their mouths open . . . looking at you . . . and not. move. Obi-Wan hates them, but they looooove him. If I had a way to make them a major plot point, I would, but unfortunately they're relegated to being local color.

Then again, it's perhaps the closest thing to a girlfriend he's had: it gives him attention, follows him everywhere, and insists on being fed at his cost. Maybe this is the true reason for his aversion to females. I blame the Skrikes.

LOL! You know, I wouldn't put it past Anakin to have a thought like that. If that turns up later, I'll be sure to give props to you.

Incidentally, in this universe anyway, Obi-Wan doesn't have a total aversion to females. Note keywords in intro. His whole character arc in this story is about conflicts between emotions and duty, so it seemed like a good way to turn up the heat. More Obi-Wan angst = good, IMO.

Of course, he actually seems to like little kids, which I do think is how he would respond. That familial attachment again. A problem in some ways, but ultimately a good thing for Luke et al

Yeah . . . there's a strong streak of the good father in Anakin. You can see his somewhat overdeveloped protective instincts in that light, if you want to. Actually, most of the same motives that caused him to disobey Obi-Wan down in the river valley are the same ones that cause him to toss Palpy down the reactor shaft. Slow learner indeed.

Stop being a good writer.

:: All right, sj . . . for you.

Thhhen, teh guy s,, hdythey bloweed somsdtufff. uppan tehy. mede it essplodde antehtryes lkie a Sthi in evthering an phlaghblahghaljkshfrewuohawffleghflghaagh.

Teh Ind.

 

We need to get someone to play Short Round McFly, go get a d20 and some pizza, and make a night of it: "My +4 face_plain defeats your +2 poop thread creation of doom!!"

Wow. So sadly incredibly true. Only a YJCCer could understand... probably a good thing.


They also like to stand there . . . with their mouths open . . . looking at you . . . and not. move. Obi-Wan hates them, but they looooove him.

Okay well at least now I'm going to have this image in my mind while reading this story. Thanks.

LOL! You know, I wouldn't put it past Anakin to have a thought like that. If that turns up later, I'll be sure to give props to you.

Ahhh! Are you saying now you've got me thinking like Anakin?! How dare you! I'm Obi-Wan.

I'm Obi-Wan

*repeats mantra to self until she starts involuntarily folding her arms across her chest and giving people stern looks*




Incidentally, in this universe anyway, Obi-Wan doesn't have a total aversion to females.

Well I don't believe he does in the 'real' GFFA, either. It's just that, as you said, he has a strong sense of duty. But there's also the aspect of him never having had experience in the romance department which adds to this and probably makes it seem to Anakin like a rather unnatural aversion. We all know what Obi-Wan's really thinking, though. You can't fool us, lover-boy


His whole character arc in this story is about conflicts between emotions and duty, so it seemed like a good way to turn up the heat.

How dare you suggest that someone could have a character arc! What do you think this is, literature?! This is fanfiction, for crying out loud!

More Obi-Wan angst = good, IMO.

In your humble, correct opinion I mean, honestly, I'm devoting an entire saga to what is mostly Obi-Wan angst, all in the name of character developement in mini arcs combining to a big, angst-ridden but beautiful arc. Meh, it's mostly his fault anyway


Actually, most of the same motives that caused him to disobey Obi-Wan down in the river valley are the same ones that cause him to toss Palpy down the reactor shaft. Slow learner indeed.

Hmm, interesting thoughts. I might have to re-read that passage with that in mind. Sometimes we miss things on first readings. But you have no idea how much I appreciate an author who has the subtlety and conceptual idea to put such things into each bit of their writing. Brilliant.


Thhhen, teh guy s,, hdythey bloweed somsdtufff. uppan tehy. mede it essplodde antehtryes lkie a Sthi in evthering an phlaghblahghaljkshfrewuohawffleghflghaagh.

Teh Ind.





-sj loves kevin spacey

 

solojones wrote:

Ahhh! Are you saying now you've got me thinking like Anakin?! How dare you! I'm Obi-Wan.

No, man, *I'm* Obi-Wan!! Where's that d20 again?!

We all know what Obi-Wan's really thinking, though. You can't fool us, lover-boy

"Thank you for curing me . . . of my ridiculous obsession with ::sob:: duty!!"

I want to see that scene in Episode III. Yes, yes, I do.

How dare you suggest that someone could have a character arc! What do you think this is, literature?! This is fanfiction, for crying out loud!

Sorry . . . sorry. What I meant was: "Thhhen, teh guy s,, hdythey bloweed somsdtufff . . ."

Actually, most of the same motives that caused him to disobey Obi-Wan down in the river valley are the same ones that cause him to toss Palpy down the reactor shaft. Slow learner indeed.

Hmm, interesting thoughts. I might have to re-read that passage with that in mind. Sometimes we miss things on first readings.

Well . . . I could be smoking death sticks, after all. It's really just that Anakin/Vader's protective instincts override everything else, and when someone he loves is threatened, he responds with unthinking violence. (N.B. to any Tusken villages that may be listening.)

Anyway. ::clears throat::

Back to our story.

****
Obi-Wan was tired to the marrow of his bones as he left the meeting lodge. He wanted nothing so much as to spend half an hour alone in meditation, seeking calm and peace in the Force. Yet he did not dare leave Anakin alone any longer than he had to. He slipped as quietly as he could through the dispersing crowd of anxious villagers, keeping his gaze on the village street in front of him.

After much anguished discussion, the villagers had come to the uneasy consensus that the Jedi were more useful than they were dangerous. In fact, Anakin?s scrap in the Pass had proved to be a mixed blessing, since it had finally convinced the Elders that a full-scale attack was unavoidable. They had asked Obi-Wan to help evacuate Nidawi?s children as soon as possible, and he had readily agreed. It seemed most likely that the little ones would go to a village called Wemilat, which had the dual advantages of kinship ties with Nidawi and a location that offered no strategic importance whatever to the Coridani forces.

Obi-Wan?s only reservation about the plan was that all villagers past their fifteenth birthdays were asked to stay and fight. The people of Nidawi had his deep respect for their bravery, but they didn?t make a promising fighting force. The thought of a crowd of beardless boys, pitchfork-waving farmers, and toothless grannies lining up against Sarpedon?s mercenaries was enough to make a seasoned warrior laugh and a compassionate man weep.

As he passed beyond the village center and the houses grew farther apart, Obi-Wan sensed Hoel Oya walking up behind him. He did not feel much like talking, and considered drawing up his psychic shields higher, removing any sense of invitation from his manner. Yet Hoel had been a gracious host, and it would be rude to ignore him.

Obi-Wan slowed his pace and let Hoel fall into step beside him. The metalsmith was about five years older than he was, but Hoel could easily have passed for another five years older than that. Mountain life aged people prematurely with its bitter winters, hot, sodden summers, and ceaseless wind.

The past several years had added grief to the list of conditions that wore the people down early. Hoel had lost his wife, Liluye, some two years earlier to the slaughter in the Grove of Martyrs. She?d been a non-combatant who was trying to bring help to the wounded, but CMC?s security forces hadn?t found that distinction important. Uyek had only been five at the time, and it was a long time before he?d stopped asking when his mother was coming home. Obi-Wan had learned most of this from sources outside the Oya family. Hoel had only mentioned his wife?s death once, but Obi-Wan sensed it weighed upon

 

?The battle was a near thing,? Obi-Wan said. ?We might not have survived if your men hadn?t taken care of a couple of the scouts while they were in the Pass.?

Hoel nodded gravely and said, "We can accomplish more together than we can by standing alone. Most of my people appreciate that.? He seemed to hesitate a moment, as if trying to find a way to bring up a painful subject, then added, ?I just wanted you to know . . . up on the ridge--I didn't fire on your boy."

"No, I didn't think you had," Obi-Wan said.

?For us, there has always been a difference between honor and revenge,? Hoel continued, almost apologetically. ?Honor is defending your home and family, protecting the resting place of the spirits. Revenge is . . . .? He shook his head, as if trying to rid himself of some image that troubled him. ?Well, these days . . . some of our young people think the difference is no longer important. One yakini is as good as another, they say. They bring up the Grove of Martyrs to us . . . as if more blood could possibly wash those deaths away. Before the Grove, no one would have fired so close to Anakin as he was fleeing the soldiers. What kind of fool risks the life of a brave boy who?s trying to help defend us from our enemies??

?I?m glad you see it that way,? Obi-Wan said. ?I was concerned you might blame Anakin for provoking them.?

?I suppose some people might,? Hoel said, ?But from what I?ve seen, these dog-soldiers need no provocation. The blueshirts were bad enough, but at least they waited until there was a theft they could blame on us before they sent out raiding parties. The new soldiers need no reason. They?re killers. That is the reason they?ve been sent here.?

The ?blueshirts? were CMC?s security staff, who had carried on a kind of chronic, low-grade war with the Anghara ever since the mining company came to the planet. CMC claimed the mountain people stole its supplies and damaged its equipment, so it would send out slash-and-burn parties to damage the property of the supposed offenders. Then the Angahara would exact their own form of justice by actually stealing supplies and damaging equipment, whether or not they?d been guilty in the first place.

However, the rules had changed when Perahta?s troops had arrived. Unfortunately, Hoel?s belief that the mercenaries had been brought in as hired murderers was probably right.

?Anakin was wronged in the Pass today,? Hoel said quietly. ?If he were an Anghara man, he could take the matter before the Elders. As it is . . . well, things would be difficult. I don?t know how you Jedi handle such matters. Will you want to know the name of the man who endangered his life?? He glanced over at Obi-Wan, clearly worried that this might be the start of a warriors? grudge match.

?No,? Obi-Wan said. ?The Jedi Code forbids taking revenge of any kind. If some of your people dislike offworlders, Anakin and I will simply have to be more careful.?

Hoel nodded, apparently satisfied. He didn?t need to tell Obi-Wan who had taken the dangerous shots, anyway. Obi-Wan?s suspicions centered around a young warrior called Yerik Aingeru, a man who'd stood at the back of the assembly and glowered at anyone who dared suggest it wasn't a good idea to meet Perahta's troops head on. From what Obi-Wan had picked up from the young man, he did not seem to wish harm on Anakin personally--it was more that Yerik was desperate for a chance to fight back against the Coridani, and what was the life of a yakini, more or less?

?Our young people have seen just enough war to make them angry,? Hoel said. ?If they had seen any more, they would not crave it as they do."

"Some take longer to learn than others," Obi-Wan said. He?d seen a fair number of Yerik Aingerus among those who'd grown accustomed to battle. Regretfully, he added, "I feel I must apologize again for my student . . . he?s seen plenty of conflict, yet he always seems ready to stir up more."

Obi-Wan sensed Hoel's smile. "It would have been wiser to stay