by James Walkswithwind (gila@jbx.com) and Wolfling
(wolfling.msn@attcanada.net)
Archive: Yes to Master & Apprentice
Rating: PG
Pairing: Q/O
Spoilers: none
Category: drama, au
Summary: Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan return to Alltarii with their new
Padawan to uncover a Dark agent
Feedback: is gratefully accepted :)
Notes: This is the latest in what we've dubbed the "Grr Series"
(since that's what people have been calling it anyway
<g>) previous stories in this series are (in
chronological order) Training Session, Consequences, Spirit of
Duty, Firestorm, and Trials of the Heart. A Glimpse of Darkness
takes place a few months after Trials. Thanks as always to
Lorelei for betaing (and fighting the evil sith commas!)
"You are going to try to avoid being shot this time, aren't
you?" Obi-Wan asked plaintively.
Qui-Gon looked over at him with an inscrutable expression.
Anakin, on the other hand, looked up with a mix of curiosity
and concern.
"Shot?" the boy asked, looking from one to the other.
Obi-Wan turned his attention to Anakin. "Last time we were on
Allatrii, Qui-Gon was shot in the back." He threw an accusatory
look at his lover. "He almost died, thanks to the stunt he
pulled then."
"And I thought you weren't going to scold me in front of
someone I might have to intimidate," Qui-Gon countered with a
smile and a wink to Anakin.
Obi-Wan shrugged. "I'm no longer your Padawan, so I don't
necessarily need to do what you tell me to."
Qui-Gon frowned at him. "I don't recall that being part
of the bargain. If I have to continue doing as Yoda instructs
me--"
"You don't."
Qui-Gon stopped for a moment while he very obviously thought
over his next response. Anakin giggled once, looking up at
Obi-Wan.
Winking at the boy, Obi-Wan allowed himself to simply bask in
contentment for a moment. Since his trials three months before,
his life had settled into a pleasant routine. Qui-Gon and he
spent most of their time training young Ani, with the
occasional mission thrown in for variety. None of those had
been very dangerous so far, in deference to the inexperience of
their student. Until now, that is.
Qui-Gon was spending a lot more time at Anakin's side, giving
the boy instructions. Most of them were nothing more than what
he'd already learned -- or what he should have already learned.
By the time most children trained at the temple reached
Anakin's age there were many physical and mental skills they
had already mastered. They were playing catch-up, trying to
fill in these gaps in Ani's knowledge.
Obi-Wan could feel only the usual concern, however, and no
inordinate amount of worry.
'Of course,' Obi-Wan thought wryly. 'He's the one who
almost died the last time we were there, so I'm the one
who is anxious about going back.'
He had to admit, though, that the situation this time was
totally different. His relationship with Qui-Gon was no longer
new and potentially fragile, the struggle to balance duty and
love no longer so difficult. They'd had years of practice to
fine-tune it.
That practice allowed him to walk over to his lover, and
casually remind him that should he find himself shot, he
damn well better remain in his body where he belonged.
Anakin gave them both a puzzled look. "You mean a Jedi can
leave his body?"
"Not without risk of leaving it permanently," Obi-Wan replied,
shooting Qui-Gon a look.
Qui-Gon merely agreed. "It is a very dangerous thing, and not
something to be attempted except under extreme circumstances."
Qui-Gon glanced up at Obi-Wan with a brief expression which
sought his approval. "And you shall not be finding yourself in
such circumstances, Anakin."
Obi-Wan wanted to add, "Neither should you" to his lover, but
decided to remain silent, recognizing that he was not exactly
objective on this particular subject.
"But it can be done?" Anakin pressed, eyes shining with the
discovery of another Jedi "trick."
"Hmm." Qui-Gon seemed to consider the question. Before Obi-Wan
could protest, he continued, "Only if the body is too near
death to hold onto the spirit." His eyes narrowed slightly in
the manner which Obi-Wan had long ago dubbed as 'this is your
Master talking'. "You should not concern yourself with it."
Obi-Wan received a brief glare for having spoken of it aloud,
and thus sparking the boy's interest. He sent a look back and
shrugged, not feeling the least bit repentant. Better Anakin
learned about it this way than the way they had learned.
"We should concentrate on our mission." Qui-Gon changed the
topic of conversation as smoothly as he could while being
stared at by both Obi-Wan and Anakin. "Whoever killed the king
and queen has some knowledge of the Force -- our arrival may be
anticipated."
"I would be surprised if it was were not," Obi-Wan agreed. "You
do not use Sith's Sting and not expect the Jedi to take an
interest."
Anakin frowned. "What's Sith's Sting?"
Qui-Gon responded in his typical lecturer's tone. "Sith's Sting
is a poison once used rather commonly, when the Sith were as
many as the Jedi. An ability to manipulate the Force is
required to create the poison -- a very fine manipulation, one
only Sith Masters could accomplish."
"And that's what killed the king and queen?"
Obi-Wan nodded. "The autopsy results confirmed that. Which is
why we were called in."
"That, and Prince Glarim requested us -- rather, Obi-Wan --
personally," Qui-Gon said with a hint of unmistakable pride.
"Because you've been there before?"
"Yes, Ani," Obi-Wan replied. "Qui-Gon and I are probably the
only two Jedi he knows by name."
Again Anakin's eyes lit up. "What happened? Is Glarim a friend
of yours?"
Qui-Gon glanced at Obi-Wan, telling him silently that he should
tell this tale.
"About seven years ago, Prince Glarim was kidnapped in an
attempt to force his father to declare war. Qui-Gon and I were
sent to rescue him. I was the one who actually found Glarim,
locked in a closet in a deserted storeroom. I suspect that is
what made an impression on him."
"We must discover who has administered the poison, and protect
Glarim. Anakin, I want you to stay with Obi-Wan while we are on
Allatrii. You may need to serve as Glarim's protection, and I
want you both to be prepared."
Anakin's eyes widened at this pronouncement and he straightened
to his full four-foot height. It was the first time he'd been
given an assignment of his own on a mission. "I will be,
Master. I won't let you down."
Qui-Gon nodded, solemnly.
"I'm sure you'll do fine, Ani," Obi-Wan encouraged the boy. The
rest of Qui-Gon's pronouncement was not going over as well with
him. It sounded like his lover was planning on tracking the
poisoner alone, and that Obi-Wan did not at all agree with.
[Only until you've questioned Glarim and determined if he is
truly safe from attack,] he heard, rather clearly, in his mind.
He shot Qui-Gon a sharp look; either he was becoming entirely
too easy to read, or...
Or his lover knew him well enough to guess his reactions. His
former Master's mild expression told him it was probably the
latter. That thought brought a rueful smile to Obi-Wan's lips;
after all this time, his lover most certainly should!
Qui-Gon turned to Anakin and asked if he had finished reading
the information he'd been given on Allatrii.
With a pout, the boy admitted he had not. It was one thing they
had not yet been able to teach him -- the value of reading up
on everything you could. Anakin preferred to charge in and
trust the Force.
Qui-Gon sent Anakin hurrying off with a reader, with yet
another firm command to read.
Obi-Wan watched the boy go off to his quarters with a smile.
"He'd rather be doing," he commented wryly to his lover.
"Yes... fortunately I have some experience with stubborn
Padawans."
"Perhaps the fact that you keep having stubborn Padawans says
more about you than it does them," Obi-Wan teased. "After all,
they are only seeking to emulate their Master."
Qui-Gon raised his eyebrow at him. He opened his mouth to
speak, and Obi-Wan felt the coils of humor -- and felt as they
shattered. Qui-Gon looked away, and said quietly, "All but
Xanatos."
There wasn't much Obi-Wan could say to that, at least nothing
that didn't sound trite and patronizing to his own ears. So he
said nothing. Instead he went over and slipped his arms around
his lover, offering comfort wordlessly.
Qui-Gon held him for a moment, then leaned away and smiled at
him. "You agree with my plans for when we reach Allatrii?"
"All except the part where you go off alone." Obi-Wan saw
Qui-Gon open his mouth, no doubt to protest, and continued
before the older man had a chance to. "And don't tell me that
wasn't part of your plan."
"One of us must stay with Anakin, and Glarim has
requested you, by name." Qui-Gon sighed and placed a finger on
Obi-Wan's lips before he could speak again. "I have no
intention of getting into trouble, Obi-Wan. But other than
keeping the three of us together, I do not see that we have an
alternative. Either this time, or the next, we will eventually
work apart."
"I know," Obi-Wan said with a sigh. "I would just rather it was
not this time. Not with the possible involvement of a
Sith. Not after Naboo."
For a moment Qui-Gon sat quietly, looking at him with a
thoughtful expression. "What would you rather we did?"
"I'd rather we stayed together. Determine Glarim's safety, then
track down the poison. Together." Obi-Wan held up a hand to
forestall any objections. "I realize if we determine that
Glarim is in danger the plan may have to change, but we both
agree that he more than likely is not. If he is, we'll
renegotiate."
Qui-Gon seemed to be holding back a smile as he considered
Obi-Wan's words.
"What?" Obi-Wan challenged.
"I'm thinking that I never imagined I'd be wishing for the time
when you were a young, impressionable Padawan whom I could
simply order around. But you're right. We can accomplish the
these tasks as easily together as apart."
"Thank you." Obi-Wan sighed in relief. The thought of Qui-Gon
going off alone on this particular mission created a distinct
unease in him. He strove to explain the feeling now that his
lover had agreed. "I have a really bad feeling about this and I
just want to be sure you have someone to watch your back."
Qui-Gon nodded. "All right, Obi-Wan. We'll stay together." The
expression on his face said he wasn't disappointed by the
notion.
Again Obi-Wan nodded his thanks. "No admonishments to not worry
so much about the future?" he teased, feeling much more at ease
now that he had gotten his way.
"No... you can have this one free." Qui-Gon smiled.
"Yes, Master."
Obi-Wan yelped, as he was goosed with the Force.
Rubbing the afflicted area ruefully, he gave his lover a Look.
"You know, I should growl at you..."
Qui-Gon looked surprised, then his look melted almost instantly
into a whimsical expression. "You haven't growled at me in
years...."
"I know," Obi-Wan acknowledged. "Somehow I got out of the
habit. I've done practically everything else, though."
"You've been keeping track?"
"Haven't you?"
Qui-Gon looked thoughtful. "You scold me in front of Anakin...
you tickle me during Council meetings... you covered me in blue
mud...."
"That was an accident," Obi-Wan pointed out. "And I got as
covered as you did."
"Anyone with the tiniest bit of the Force could have prevented
that slide," Qui-Gon said in his best, stern Master's voice.
"Then why didn't you?"
Qui-Gon opened his mouth. And said nothing.
Obi-Wan smiled at his former Master and moved closer, slipping
his arms around the older man. Looking up into his lover's
eyes, he said seriously, "Grr?"
Qui-Gon just sniffed. "I don't think you really mean it."
Nuzzling at Qui-Gon's neck, Obi-Wan repeated the sound, a
little deeper and a little louder. "GRRRRRR?"
Qui-Gon frowned slightly, then darted in quickly to bite
Obi-Wan's neck.
Obi-Wan yelped again.
Suddenly, "You know, it's awfully hard to read when you two are
making so much noise."
Obi-Wan buried his face in his lover's shoulder and laughed.
By the time their ship landed at the Allatrii palace's shuttle
pad, they had regained their collective composure. They were
met by a young man who looked vaguely familiar, and a man in
chancellor's robes who had once been Chief of Security.
The young man's eyes lit up when he saw Obi-Wan, and he came
forward to meet them. "Jedi Kenobi! I am happy the Council saw
fit to grant my request and send you."
"Your majesty," Obi-Wan greeted with a small bow, recognizing
Glarim now.
Glarim gave him a smile and nod of the head, then his eyes
flickered to Qui-Gon and Anakin. He frowned slightly, then his
expression cleared. "You must be Master Jinn?"
Qui-Gon bowed as well. "This is Anakin, our Padawan," he said,
completing the introductions. Obi-Wan noticed Qui-Gon's
interest in Yuion, felt but not shown.
The man in question also stepped forward now to greet the
newcomers. "Jedi Kenobi, Master Jinn," he said with a brief
nod. "You're looking a damned sight better than the last time I
saw you."
Qui-Gon nodded politely but said nothing.
Anakin looked up at the man, and then at Qui-Gon, brow
furrowing. Obi-Wan felt the light touch of the Master's
thoughts to his apprentice and Anakin's face cleared into Jedi
passivity.
He regarded Yuion with his own impassive gaze. He could sense
the same thing his lover had -- nothing definite, just an
unease, a coiling tension, like the air right before a storm.
"Please, come with us and we will show you--" Glarim's voice
caught, "--what has happened," he finished in a whisper. His
voice showed the strength of a monarch and the pain of a lost
young boy.
Anakin stepped forward, looking at him frankly. Glarim returned
the gaze, then finally smiled faintly.
Obi-Wan watched the two boys, hiding his own smile. Glarim
desperately needed friends at the moment, and it looked like
Anakin had taken it upon himself to be one.
Glarim and Yuion led them into the palace, and as he and
Qui-Gon followed the other three inside, Qui-Gon shared a
memory with him. It was faint, and incomplete due to the fact
that Qui-Gon had been without a body -- and without much energy
-- at the time. It wasn't much, just an expression that was a
bit off for the moment, a feeling that what was being said did
not match with what was being thought. But it was enough to
share his concerns about Yuion's true intentions. Obi-Wan made
a mental note to watch the former security head most closely.
Glarim took them into the palace to a stateroom. He indicated
chairs around a large table, and sat at the head of it.
However, Yuion was the one who spoke.
"I suspect you will want to review what we have already
uncovered about the assassination," he said, handing a small
computer pad to Qui-Gon. "It's distressingly little, I'm
afraid."
Qui-Gon took the pad and glanced at it, asking, "We were told
the poison was Sith's Sting... who made the identification? Can
you verify that that was in fact what was used?"
"Our Chief Healer performed the autopsies. It was she who made
the initial identification. I believe she saved some samples if
you would like to confirm."
"Yes, we will need to do that." Qui-Gon looked up and handed
the computer pad to Obi-Wan. "You have no theories, then, as to
who is behind this?"
Obi-Wan glanced over the information. As Yuion had said, it
wasn't much. Only that somehow the poison had been slipped into
the King and Queen's tea and that they had died almost
instantly. But not painlessly. Obi-Wan had to suppress a
shudder as he read the account of exactly how they had died.
Sith's Sting granted an extremely brutal death.
>From the expression on Glarim's face, none of the facts of
his parents' death had been withheld from him.
Yuion replied to Qui-Gon's question without glancing at the
silent monarch. "We have all the usual suspects, persons who
over the years have spoken out against their Majesties, who
voiced threats of one kind or another. But nothing recent, and
none were conveniently spotted in the palace at the time of the
assassination."
"Could this be linked to Prince Glarim's kidnapping seven years
ago?" Obi-Wan asked, opening and focusing his senses on Yuion
while he waited for an answer.
Yuion blinked in what appeared to be surprise. "There is no
reason to think so. Granted, we never did find out who
Quidmor was working withÖ."
Sensing something from the man, but not exactly sure what,
Obi-Wan pushed a little harder. "Not that you looked very
hard."
"Of course we did," he said smoothly, as if the accusation did
not disturb him. Obi-Wan felt an underlying agitation, however,
and furthermore felt that Qui-Gon had noticed as well.
"There simply wasn't anything to find, and with the threat
removed, His Majesty deemed it reasonable not to waste time."
Obi-Wan saw that Anakin, sitting beside Glarim, was having some
difficulty in hiding his own confusion at the undercurrents. As
soon as he formed the thought, though, Qui-Gon was already
easing his shields around Anakin, and Obi-Wan felt him urging
the Padawan to be at ease.
Or at least fake it, Obi-Wan thought wryly.
Qui-Gon sent him an amused glance as he picked up on that
thought.
"I'm afraid that is all we can tell you," Yuion said, spreading
his hands meekly.
"Very well," Qui-Gon said. "Then we shall begin our
investigation. We will let you know if there is anything we
need." Qui-Gon effectively dismissed Yuion from any active
participation.
Yuion looked surprised, and Glarim frowned slightly.
It took a few seconds for it to sink in for Yuion that he had
just been dismissed from the conversation and the room as well.
He flushed red and Obi-Wan could see the fury in his eyes,
quickly suppressed. "As you wish," he said tightly, bowing
stiffly and walking out in a fog of negative emotions.
No one said anything for a moment after he left, then Glarim
turned to the Jedi. "He could have assisted you," he said in an
almost scolding tone.
It was accompanied, however, by relief and confusion.
"Perhaps," Obi-Wan said. "But it would be best if we handled
this ourselves. That way we can be sure the evidence is...
untainted."
Glarim didn't hide his surprise. "Why would Yuion want to
tamper with any evidence?"
"We don't know that he would," Qui-Gon answered reassuringly.
"But this way, we don't have to suspect."
The young king remained silent even though it was plain that
his emotions were still churning chaotically.
Qui-Gon considered the boy for a moment, then silently asked
Obi-Wan, [Do you think we should leave Anakin with him?]
Obi-Wan considered, watching the two boys and the way in which
Anakin looked at Glarim with compassion and understanding. He
nodded his assent to Qui-Gon.
"Anakin." The boy looked up at Qui-Gon instantly, excitement
clearly written on his face. Obi-Wan felt Qui-Gon stifling his
amusement. "I want you to remain with the King. He may yet be
in danger, and Obi-Wan and I cannot protect him and uncover the
identity of the assassin at the same time."
"Yes, Master," Anakin said, calmly enough, though Obi-Wan could
almost hear the 'Yes!' the boy was suppressing. It was apparent
that he was more than amenable to the assignment.
Glarim, as well, seemed encouraged. He gave Anakin a
half-smile, which was returned.
"If anything suspicious or untoward occurs, contact us
immediately," Qui-Gon told him. Anakin nodded solemnly.
Obi-Wan exchanged glances with his lover and they both got up
and headed for the door. Behind them he could hear mutters and
whispering as the two boys began talking to each other.
Qui-Gon stopped trying to hide his smile as they left the room.
"That was a good idea," Obi-Wan observed.
"Thank you," Qui-Gon inclined his head with a hint of a smug
smile. They continued down the hall, and Obi-Wan realized he
didn't know where they were headed. Before he could ask,
Qui-Gon said, "We have ten main suspects, according to Yuion's
list. And we have Yuion. I believe we would be wasting our time
investigating most of the names he has given us."
"I concur. So we start with Yuion himself?"
"Hmm. Not, I think, directly."
Obi-Wan nodded. Qui-Gon was probably right. Investigating Yuion
too openly would only tip the man off. "We could start at the
other end," he ventured. "Investigate what happened and how the
poison could have possibly got into the tea. From what I saw,
they haven't done much more than a cursory investigation even
into that."
"Yes," Qui-Gon replied, and Obi-Wan felt the small stab of
pride in his former Master for him. Along with it he felt
something else: a rueful admittance that said former apprentice
was better equipped for this sort of investigation.
"Qui-Gon?" he asked, rather surprised at the admission. It was
rare that his former master did not show complete confidence in
his own abilities.
But Qui-Gon merely shrugged. "It is more a weakness to deny
another's strengths."
Obi-Wan smiled slightly. "I guess I am still used to following
your lead all the time," he explained. "You were my ideal for
so long that I never think that there are things I may be
better at than you."
For a moment Qui-Gon said nothing, mouth gaping slightly at
Obi-Wan's words. Obi-Wan knew that his lover was struck by the
word "ideal" and wondered how Qui-Gon would weasel out of it.
Wise saying, or wry joke?
Qui-Gon smiled. "Let us go examine the dining room where the
tea was served, and see what can be found."
Or ignore it altogether.
"Yes, Master," he replied in his most serious tones.
But as they walked down the hall, he felt the warmth his words
had stirred, and he reached out briefly to touch his former
Master's hand.
"What do you mean, were?" Qui-Gon asked a moment later.
"One may admire an ideal, strive to become like it, love it
even. However, one does not fall in love with an ideal."
Qui-Gon looked over at him with a sincere expression of mild
surprise. His tone matched his expression as he repeated,
"You're in love with me?"
"Why did you think I was sleeping with you?" Obi-Wan returned,
keeping the smile off his face.
Qui-Gon frowned slightly, and then rubbed his nose as he
thought about it. "I thought it had something to do with the
irresistible urges created by years of physical proximity
compacted by the growing awareness of each other through the
normal teacher-student bond," Qui-Gon quoted, word for word,
the explanation often given confused Padawans finding
themselves attracted to their Masters.
Obi-Wan shook his head. "No, that wasn't it."
"Hmm. Your understandable desire for my amazingly sexy body?"
Qui-Gon asked in that same dry, concerned tone.
Obi-Wan just looked at him with a raised eyebrow.
"Acting out your repressed lust for Master Gorgin?"
That caused Obi-Wan's lips to twitch upwards. Master Gorgin was
8 feet tall, a particularly disgusting color of green, with 6
tentacles and eyes on long stalks. His skin also secreted a
viscous ooze that, to put it mildy, stank.
"No," Obi-Wan said, allowing the smile to come through. "I told
you the reason why. Perhaps the question should be why you are
sleeping with me."
"Oh. Because I'm in love with you." There was a slight pause.
"I knew that." He said it casually, almost off-hand, as
if discussing whether the bright green tapestries really
highlighted the color of the stonework in this hallway.
Obi-Wan made a show of considering that. "Good," he finally
said.
There was silence for a moment. Then another moment. Qui-Gon
said nothing.
Unable to resist the impulse, Obi-Wan asked softly, "Grrr?"
Qui-Gon stumbled, and though there was no noise, Obi-Wan could
feel the hysterical laughter erupting in his lover's mind.
Qui-Gon stopped walking and leaned against the wall briefly.
Obi-Wan did not bother trying to hide his smug satisfaction at
his lover's reaction.
His lover glared at him as he struggled briefly for control. As
he opened his mouth, Obi-Wan said, "You only said during
negotiations."
Qui-Gon looked at him, then closed his mouth.
"Besides, as I keep telling you," Obi-Wan continued as they
started down the hallway once again, "that was when I was your
Padawan. Those rules do not necessarily apply any more."
Qui-Gon stopped walking and turned to face him, a look of
growing horror on his face. "You wouldn't."
Obi-Wan smiled and continued walking.
He heard the sigh of a long-suffering Master, then Qui-Gon was
once again at his side.
A moment later, someone proficient with the use of the Force
goosed Obi-Wan in a very sensitive spot.
Twice.
"Don't start anything you aren't in a position to finish,"
Obi-Wan warned, looking sideways at Qui-Gon.
Qui-Gon raised an eyebrow at him. "What makes you think I
can't--" He stopped as they stepped up to the door that led to
the dining room.
The teasing died away as they walked in.
The room looked ordinary enough; large picture windows let in
the late afternoon sun and a long table dominated the center,
with chairs placed around it at equal intervals. The way it
felt, however....
There was a taint in the room's presence, rather like a bitter
aftertaste in the Force. It was more than just a sense of
unease or an echo of what had happened there. It was worse.
Much worse.
The last time Obi-Wan had felt anything remotely like this was
on Naboo, when he and his then-Master had been fighting... "A
Sith..." he murmured under his breath.
"Yes." The sound of Qui-Gon's voice served to distance Obi-Wan
from the darkness he had touched. He glanced over at Qui-Gon,
who was surveying the place at the table where the queen had
sat -- and died.
Obi-Wan moved until he was standing opposite him, behind the
place where the king had sat. With a frown, he closed his eyes
and reached out, trying to sense beyond the Dark taint. After
several moments' effort, he conceded defeat and opened his eyes
again. "It's no good. The taint is overwhelming anything else
that might be here."
Qui-Gon nodded. "Let us try it together," he suggested, moving
to stand beside Obi-Wan. He placed his hand on Obi-Wan's and
focused again on the tableau before them. Obi-Wan wrapped his
own focus in and around Qui-Gon's, and they bolstered each
other's strength and concentration.
The darkness slid across their minds, but the contact made it
easier to brush past it. Still, Obi-Wan thought, it was like
trying to find your way through a thick fog during a moonless
night. But having Qui-Gon's mind joined with his provided a
small lamp to light the path. It didn't illuminate very far
ahead, but it was enough to allow them to slowly pick their way
through the cloying Darkness.
They made their way ahead, slow step by slow step, stopping
every so often to reassure each other that the contact was
still there, that the darkness had only surrounded them and not
insinuated itself between them.
Or inside.
The scene shimmered and changed, layers falling away like dried
jellileaves, thin and murky -- and sticky as hell if they
touched you. Then suddenly they were through, and the shadowy
fog cleared away, revealing what had happened in this room.
Surprisingly, it wasn't either of their Majesties' eyes they
were seeing from, but rather a third party. A third,
well-shielded party.
They saw themselves -- him -- move forward towards the table.
The king and queen were sitting there, stewards and servants
moving freely in and out of the room. No one seemed surprised
to see Ö whomever they were Ö present. The unknown
person was bringing a bottle to the table.
That was merely the visual aspect. The rest....
Obi-Wan recoiled from what he felt of the person's mind.
This was the source of the Dark Side taint, and touching
it even casually felt like taking a bath in a waste disposal.
Only Qui-Gon's presence kept Obi-Wan from pulling out of the
trance totally.
e felt the same conviction from Qui-Gon. It was Qui-Gon,
however, that urged them onward, reminding them both to ignore
the fetid stench of Darkness. Even as Obi-Wan struggled to do
so, catching up the litany of the brief calming chant he heard
from Qui-Gon, he felt the pull at his soul. Give in, it said.
See how powerful it can be.
There was a pause as both Jedi reinforced their shields about
themselves, then the voice continued silently as the wine was
poured into each majestic glass.
'You know how good it feels to be so free.'
Unbidden, an image rose up in Obi-Wan's mind, of himself
standing over the dead body of the Sith they had encountered on
Naboo, and the feeling of wanting nothing more than for him to
be alive so he could kill him again. 'Master!' he called out
mentally, even as he pushed the image and the seductive feeling
of power away.
He felt Qui-Gon's mental touch, encouraging him to let it fade.
The encouragement itself faded as Obi-Wan sensed another memory
surface, this one not his.
Facing Xanatos in a field -- Obi-Wan did not recognize it and
he knew he must not have been there with his Master.
The man laughed at Qui-Gon, lifted a hand, and as Qui-Gon
grabbed it, trying to stop it from doing something, Obi-Wan
couldn't tell what, the contact blazed, threatening to pull him
in, his former apprentice calling to him in words that at the
time had begun to make sense, words that whispered in echoes of
those they had just heard.
Obi-Wan reached out, lending his strength and encouragement to
Qui-Gon, letting his love for his former Master drown out the
phantom temptations from the past.
Somehow they managed to hang onto each other and drown out the
voices, both distant and more recent past. The scene moved
ahead, their Majesties drank the wine. The unseen assassin took
great glee in it, nearly laughing aloud at the messy and
painful deaths--
Obi-Wan blinked, stunned at the abruptness with which Qui-Gon
had thrown them out of the trance.
"Wha--"
Qui-Gon reached out and took his arm and stood there for a
moment, apparently regaining his balance. "Sorry," he said
calmly, a moment later.
"That was--" Obi-Wan's voice cracked; he cleared his throat and
tried again, "That was..." only to find that he did not have a
word to describe it.
"Yes."
"I feel like I should take a shower and scrub my skin off."
Obi-Wan shuddered. "Even then, I don't think I'd feel clean."
"Hm. Perhaps if we showered each other," Qui-Gon
suggested, sounding mildly distracted. Then he looked at
Obi-Wan. "We have seen all we can here. There is something
here, someone well-versed in the Darker Powers. We must be
alert."
Obi-Wan nodded in agreement. "We did learn one thing
important," he said as they left the room. "Our quarry was
there when they died. Which means he or she was someone whom
the king and queen [no caps]trusted and expected to be present.
Which narrows the parameters of our search somewhat," he
finished.
"The problem will be determining who had motive, without
alerting him or her to how much we know. And how much we
don't."
The comment reminded Obi-Wan of the chances of the assassin
deciding to remove the investigating Jedi from the situation.
Precautions would have to be taken. Even so, he had the feeling
that the itch he suddenly felt between his shoulder blades was
going to continue until this mission was completed.
"I don't think we should risk any more deep trances like the
one we just did," he said, remembering what had happened to
Qui-Gon on the last mission to this planet. "At least not
unless we can be sure we are totally secure."
"Good point," Qui-Gon said with the hint of a smile. "But now
that we know this much, we should not need to. Simple
investigative processes should reveal the assassin's identity."
Obi-Wan could still feel the faint air of distraction in
Qui-Gon. "What is it?" he asked, reaching out and touching his
lover's arm.
Qui-Gon glanced over briefly, but his mind reached out and
touched Obi-Wan's in what felt like a snuggle. There were no
words, but the emotions were clear enough. Darkness. Guilt.
[I did that to him,] Qui-Gon thought to him.
"No, you didn't," Obi-Wan replied out loud, not needing to ask
who. "Xanatos made his own choice. You didn't make it for him."
[He would not have needed to make it had I seen the path he was
choosing. He did not take a single step, Obi-Wan. He walked,
for many months, towards the Dark Side. And I never saw. I was
his Master and it was my place to see.] The words began
rushing towards him, and Obi-Wan had no chance to reply. [How
could I not have seen... and what if I--]
[You won't.] Reaching out, Obi-Wan let Qui-Gon feel his
certainty, his belief.
[Not with you to help me,] Qui-Gon returned, with a surge of
trust and love.
And something more.
Obi-Wan's eyes widened as he felt his lover's lack of faith in
himself pour through him. For a few seconds he just stared; the
idea of an insecure Qui-Gon was taking a lot of mental
adjustment. Finally he replied softly, but with every syllable
dripping with conviction, "You were the best Master I could
ever have had."
"Any Master could have taught you, Obi-Wan. You still would
have become the Knight you are." Obi-Wan felt Qui-Gon's pride
in him, but he ignored it for the rest.
Holding back his almost instinctive denial of that, Obi-Wan
instead employed a much more deadly weapon: logic.
"I am a bit confused; you say that the way Xanatos turned out
is entirely your fault, but that you had nothing to do with the
way I turned out. Yet you were Master to us both."
"You never--" Qui-Gon stopped, but Obi-Wan heard the rest of
the sentence, and Qui-Gon's realization that yes, Obi-Wan
had taken a few steps towards the Dark Side. And he'd
come back.
He felt Qui-Gon searching for another rationalization for his
belief.
"Can't you just accept that it wasn't your fault?" Obi-Wan
asked softly, feeling unaccountably sad that his lover would
work so hard to hold onto his guilt.
"I believed in him so much. I thought... I thought he would
make a great Jedi." But then Qui-Gon sighed. "It is hard to
forget." The grief was there, but the guilt had faded slightly.
By this time, they had almost reached the Chancellor's office,
and Obi-Wan hoped Yuion would be gone. There was something
about the man that just....
He stopped in his tracks.
Qui-Gon stopped and turned back, raising an eyebrow, and
encouraged him to continue the line of thought.
"Yuion's presence would not have been questioned by anybody."
[You think it was Yuion?] Qui-Gon asked silently, to better
guard their words. There was no disagreement there, but neither
was there agreement. Qui-Gon was simply waiting for more.
[I think he would be a good place to start our investigation,]
Obi-Wan replied.
Qui-Gon smiled slightly, and nodded.
"Moving carefully of course."
"Of course." Qui-Gon motioned that Obi-Wan should precede him.
They entered the office to find only a secretary droid present.
"May I help you?" it asked.
"We need to access your records for on-duty personnel," Qui-Gon
said smoothly.
The droid paused. "I don't know if..."
Qui-Gon started to raise his hand, then stopped. Obi-Wan caught
his amusement.
"The king has authorized us to have access to any information
we need," Obi-Wan said smoothly. Technically perhaps Glarim
hadn't, but he was certain he would have if asked.
The droid seemed to be running that through its list of
directives. After a moment, it nodded. "Very well. I can give
you access to all databanks." It showed them to a terminal.
Knowing he had more of a way with machines than his lover,
Obi-Wan took the seat in front of the terminal and quickly
keyed up the information they were looking for.
Qui-Gon stood behind him, watching the screen over Obi-Wan's
shoulder as well as the droid and the door. And, from the feel
of it, the hallway outside.
'Good,' Obi-Wan thought. In a situation like this, a little
paranoia was healthy.
He felt Qui-Gon's amusement.
As Obi-Wan began to search for the files, he also noticed that
Qui-Gon reached out for Anakin, checking on their Padawan's
welfare, and by extension, the king's.
Obi-Wan felt, through Qui-Gon, Anakin's answering wave of
[We're fine!]
[Which often means trouble. However, at the moment he is truly
not in danger.]
[Any more than we are, at least.]
[True,] Qui-Gon replied, and went back to keeping watch.
It took a while for Obi-Wan to go through the records, only to
find that the information in particular that they sought,
namely Yuion's whereabouts at the time of the assassination,
was conspicuous by its absence. In fact, the records on the
Chancellor's movements were incredibly sketchy overall.
At Qui-Gon's prompting, Obi-Wan skipped back, more or less
randomly checking the records for the past several years.
Including, rather notably, the time of their first visit. The
pattern held; as far back as they searched, there were gaps in
Yuion's records.
"Interesting," Obi-Wan muttered.
[It would indeed be interesting to know what events matched
those gaps.] At Qui-Gon's prompting, Obi-Wan checked other
records in order to cross-match.
He couldn't find a match for all of the blank spots, but the
ones he did find were damning enough. They included Glarim's
kidnapping all those years ago and the attempt on Qui-Gon's
life as well as the king and queen's assassinations.
[It would appear that Yuion is guilty of many things, even if
he is not the assassin we seek,] Qui-Gon said, though Obi-Wan
could feel his Master's growing conviction that Yuion was, in
fact, the man they were seeking.
And had been, when they were here the first time. [I should've
realized it back then,] Obi-Wan said.
[Why?] Qui-Gon asked, reasonably.
[Because--] Obi-Wan started to answer, then stopped.
[Yes?] Qui-Gon prompted, faintly amused, but mostly serious.
Obi-Wan knew Qui-Gon could feel his attempt at guilt, just as
he recognized Qui-Gon's attempt to derail it.
[You sensed something about him, and you were...] He
waved his hand, meaning to indicate Qui-Gon's out-of-body
experience.
With those words he sensed Qui-Gon's guilt -- briefly enough,
as Qui-Gon had dealt with his mistake years ago. [Yes. And you
were using your energy keeping me alive, which you then could
not use to discover the subtleties of the presence of a Dark
foe.]
There wasn't much Obi-Wan could say to that. But he still felt
like he had somehow failed to see the obvious.
[Let us concentrate on the present, Obi-Wan. The past is no
longer an issue.]
Obi-Wan's head jerked up in startlement. The words were his,
used to get through to Qui-Gon while the older man had been
dwelling on his failure with Xanatos. [Wise advice,] he said,
unable to stop his lips from curling upwards.
His former Master gave him a frighteningly stern look, which
had once upon a time actually quelled him. Until he'd gotten to
be about fourteen. He reacted as he always had since then, by
putting on his most innocent look. [Well, isn't it?]
Qui-Gon rested his hand on Obi-Wan's head, as if he were still
a child needing physical restraint to prevent him from driving
his Master stark, raving bugnuts. Qui-Gon sighed. [Probably. Is
there anything else of use in the records?]
Obi-Wan shook his head. [Not that I can see.]
[Then we should go find Yuion, and see what we can learn from
him.] The words were cautious, but calm.
[It's the logical next step,] he agreed, turning off the
terminal and getting to his feet. Still, he couldn't totally
suppress the vague feeling of unease the decision gave him.
[Yes. We should be alert for anything.]
It was on that note that they felt a slight stirring in the
Force. Since the stirring held no Darkside taint, there was
only one place it could've come from.
Obi-Wan met Qui-Gon's eyes and sighed. "Anakin."
"We had better go see what he is up to, as he is trying his
best to shield us from knowing."
Obi-Wan began to ask why they didn't just return their
awareness to Anakin through the Force, when he caught his
former Master's thoughts.
[You knew?]
Qui-Gon kept walking, but Obi-Wan felt the fond acknowledgment.
He also felt his cheeks heat as he thought of all the things he
thought he had successfully managed to shield from Qui-Gon over
the years of his apprenticeship. [You could've said something.]
[It was part of your training, Obi-Wan,] came the reply, one
that was all serious without a hint of the teasing. [I had to
be able to read you at first, to be able to guide you properly.
When you learned how to better shield, you were also learning
better control and better judgment. Had you known you were
being watched, you would not have tested your own limits -- and
that is the only way for a Jedi to truly learn.]
Obi-Wan thought about that for a moment before admitting to
himself that it made sense. It didn't keep him from being
embarrassed, however. Some of the things he had been shielding,
especially as he had grown older but before he and Qui-Gon had
gotten together, were extremely embarrassing.
[You need not be embarrassed,] Qui-Gon told him gently, as they
headed down the corridor towards Anakin's location -- not,
Obi-Wan realized, anywhere near where they'd left the two boys.
[There is no shame in what you feel, when those feelings are
honest ones.]
[It is not the feelings that embarrass me, but what I did to
deal with them.]
[There is still no need to be embarrassed, beloved.
Those particular thoughts you kept better shielded.] The
tone was affectionate, like a grin and a hug. But underneath...
again, underneath. Obi-Wan sighed and wondered if he was going
to have to pull every unspoken thought out of Qui-Gon by force.
Not that they had the time now. Mentally he added it to the
list of things to corner Qui-Gon on if they ever got more than
a few hours of free time. It was a long list, becoming longer
by the day, it seemed.
He felt a wordless apology then, and he looked over to meet
Qui-Gon's eyes. Smiling at his lover, Obi-Wan teased, "One
thing is for certain. We will never run out of conversation
topics."
Qui-Gon answered him by pulling him in for a kiss.
Another tremor in the Force, this one a bit stronger,
distracted them both. They broke off and hurried towards the
source. No real malice -- not Yuion, then -- but definitely
something which was no doubt best halted.
They came upon the two boys in a hallway, eavesdropping at a
door.
Qui-Gon frowned, displeased. Anakin whirled, his face going
from determined to 'we didn't do it' in a flash.
[Didn't do what?] Obi-Wan sent to the boy.
"Err..." Anakin started to reply, then he stopped. His face
flushed. "We were--"
"This is not the proper place for explanations," Qui-Gon
interrupted. Both Jedi could sense that Yuion was too close,
and neither cared to try to protect Anakin and Glarim should
the man decide to attack. Not that they wouldn't be able to,
but it was not something the boys should be exposed to -- the
Dark Side had no qualms about attacking the weakest with the
most vile weapons available.
Obi-Wan nodded his agreement to that. "Come," he told the boys,
gesturing back down the corridor.
The four of them went back down the hallway, Obi-Wan preceding,
the two boys looking worried and guilty in the middle, and
Qui-Gon in the back.
Obi-Wan felt Qui-Gon's amusement and concern at Anakin's not
notifying them that he and Glarim had found something they
considered worth investigating. It was tempered by his
awareness that any young Padawan would be more likely to run in
first and talk to his Master second.
His own reaction was a bit more straightforward; if they were
right and Yuion was the source of the Dark Side taint they'd
been sensing, Obi-Wan wanted Anakin as far away from the man as
possible. Anakin's power, his youth, his relative inexperience,
all made him an almost irresistible target for the Dark Side.
[All the more reason we should not leave these two alone,]
Qui-Gon suggested.
[I seem to recall suggesting something similar on the trip
here,] Obi-Wan said blandly.
[As did I,] Qui-Gon replied. Obi-Wan felt Qui-Gon's
consternation at trying to balance the two relationships. He
was used to having only his Padawan at his side, if anyone. Not
a Padawan and a Knight.
Though Obi-Wan had been acting more and more independently in
the last several months, it was only recently that Qui-Gon had
formally been relieved of his role as Obi-Wan's teacher.
Obi-Wan could feel Qui-Gon fighting his instinct to behave as
though he had two Padawans -- and two recalcitrant ones
at that -- rather than being one of two Masters for a single
Padawan.
The thought brought a brief flicker of insecurity; if they had
followed the Jedi traditions, as many privately -- and not so
privately -- thought they should have, Qui-Gon would not have
this conflict. Obi-Wan would be off serving on his own as a
Knight, and Qui-Gon would have only Anakin to deal with.
Qui-Gon responded to that thought with a wave of love and
determination. [I do not wish to be separated from you,
Obi-Wan. I will simply have to find a way to do this.] Behind
the words Obi-Wan heard what was left unspoken. Qui-Gon would
let another train Anakin before he let Obi-Wan be reassigned.
[We will find a way,] Obi-Wan asserted, knowing that
transferring Anakin was not an option. The more he got to know
the boy, the more firmly convinced he became that only Qui-Gon
could train him. Well, Qui-Gon and himself, Obi-Wan amended in
his thoughts, and felt Qui-Gon's agreement.
Obi-Wan led them into a small conference room, well away from
any areas of the palace to which Yuion's duties were likely to
take him. He stood aside as the boys and Qui-Gon entered the
room after him, then shut and locked the door. Leaning against
it, arms folded over his chest, Obi-Wan gave Anakin and Glarim
his most forbidding stare. He didn't say anything, just
continued to look at them.
Glarim looked back more or less unrepentantly, though he was
obviously feeling a little guilty. Anakin, on the other hand,
was meeting his gaze squarely, glancing from him to Qui-Gon
without a flinch.
"What were you doing?" Qui-Gon asked.
"Conducting an investigation," Anakin replied. "That's what
we're supposed to be doing, right?"
Qui-Gon looked at him with an expression Obi-Wan knew well.
Obi-Wan controlled his laugh. "What exactly were your
instructions, Anakin?"
"To stay with King Glarim," the boy recited dutifully. "And I
did!"
"You also were asked to protect him, were you not?" Obi-Wan
asked.
Anakin nodded, a little confused.
Qui-Gon waited a moment, then when Anakin clearly was not going
to realize it on his own, said in his best patient instructor's
tone, "And do you protect someone by leading them into what you
believe is a dangerous situation?"
Before Anakin could answer, Glarim spoke up. "It was my idea."
Qui-Gon looked at the boy. He didn't appear to be highly
impressed with the excuse, but he didn't call Glarim on it.
Instead he regarded Anakin again.
Anakin glanced at the other boy. "No." He looked back at his
two teachers. "It was my responsibility."
Obi-Wan felt a wave of approval for this admission, but
carefully kept it off his face. "You understand what you did
wrong, then?" he asked levelly.
Anakin frowned slightly, but said, "I guess so." When neither
Qui-Gon nor Obi-Wan said anything, he sighed and continued. "If
I'm supposed to protect Glarim, I should keep him someplace
safe."
Qui-Gon nodded. "Why were you spying on that room in
particular?"
"That's where Chancellor Yuion was working," Glarim answered.
"Why did you wish to spy on the Chancellor?" Qui-Gon kept his
tone level, simply going after information now, and not
lessons.
Anakin answered this time. "He's the one who's gained the most.
He's ruling now until King Glarim is older." He hesitated then
added, "Besides, he just didn't feel right."
Qui-Gon nodded. "You are correct, Anakin. However, the
Chancellor is a dangerous man. Had he found you spying on him,
you both would have been in extreme peril." He gave them each a
look, not reminding them that murder was the least of Yuion's
apparent crimes.
"We wouldn't have gotten caught," Anakin protested.
"We caught you," Obi-Wan pointed out reasonably.
Anakin opened his mouth, stopped, then closed it. Defeated, he
finally nodded.
Glarim was still giving them both looks of mild defiance. It
didn't seem to be bothering Qui-Gon, however. Qui-Gon kept his
attention on Anakin. "Now, will you do as you have been
instructed?" There was very little censure in his voice, but if
Anakin was anything like Obi-Wan had been, merely having been
caught disobeying was scolding enough from one's Master.
And if one had two Masters, it would be doubly effective, he
thought.
Certainly it seemed to be for Anakin; the boy sighed and
nodded. "Yes, Master," he said quietly.
Qui-Gon reached out and placed his hand on Anakin's head,
ruffling his hair slightly. Anakin looked up, and after a
moment, grinned. "Did you learn anything during your
investigation?" Qui-Gon asked.
Anakin shrugged. "Not really. You showed up before we could
hear anything interesting."
Qui-Gon mostly hid his smile at that. "Very well, Anakin."
Finally he turned to Glarim. "Your Majesty, I believe you would
be better served to remain out of the Chancellor's reach while
Obi-Wan and I complete our investigation."
"So you believe Yuion is the one who murdered my parents?"
Glarim asked, eyes narrowing. Suddenly he didn't seem all that
much like a child anymore.
"We believe there is more to his actions here, than there
appears. If he is the one responsible, then he is a very
dangerous man, indeed. I do not wish," Qui-Gon turned his gaze
to Anakin, "that you confront him."
"But if he is the one," Glarim protested, "I have to
confront him! It is my parents he killed, my power he now uses.
I must--"
"You must rely on us to handle him, Your Majesty," Obi-Wan
interrupted, overriding the young king's protests. "That is
what you asked us here for. Let us do what must be done."
Glarim obviously didn't want to be kept out of the
confrontation. He frowned at them, no doubt contemplating
ordering them to allow him to come along -- or to stay out of
his way. Then he glanced at Anakin, and nodded reluctantly. "If
we have to stay out of the way... we will. But if--" He stopped
himself.
"We will find whoever did this, Your Majesty," Qui-Gon said,
and Obi-Wan felt the slightest tendril of soothing aimed at the
boy. "We will deal with him."
"You have our word," Obi-Wan added, holding Glarim's eyes as he
added a little soothing of his own.
Glarim stared at them for a long moment before nodding. "I
believe you."
Qui-Gon accepted that with a slight nod of the head.
"Come on, Glarim, you can show me the gardens or something,"
Anakin said with a sigh.
"All right," Glarim said. Obi-Wan stepped aside and the two
boys exited the room.
Obi-Wan stared after them for a long moment, then sighed. "He's
been through so much," he said softly.
"Yes," Qui-Gon agreed. "I hope it does not get worse."
"It's up to us to make sure it doesn't," Obi-Wan said, glancing
back over his shoulder at his lover.
"Then we should get back," Qui-Gon said. Confront Yuion...
confront the source of the blackness that had tried to swallow
them whole in a simple vision.
Obi-Wan couldn't entirely suppress a shiver of apprehension at
the thought.
But they headed back towards the room they'd found Anakin and
Glarim near. The plan was simple -- confront him, and if he
were guilty, they would do whatever necessary. ìWhatever
necessaryî could mean a lot of different things, Obi-Wan
thought. From taking the man peacefully into custody to... His
hand drifted down to his lightsaber.
Qui-Gon didn't knock on the door; he placed his hand on it,
checking for any signs of disturbance that would indicate a
trap or attack was lying on the other side. After a second's
concentration, he shook his head and silently opened the door.
Obi-Wan followed him into the room, every sense alert.
There was something there, something waiting. He couldn't be
sure, but he thought it might be aware of them.
As soon as he completed the thought, Qui-Gon moved aside;
Obi-Wan moved the other way as a small black object flew past.
It collided with the corridor wall and detonated; Obi-Wan
shielded his face from the blast, a hastily thrown up Force
shield saving him from damage.
His mind automatically reached out to check on Qui-Gon, only to
find that he was fine and moving towards a figure that was
heading out another door.
Obi-Wan followed, both Jedi dodging two thrown knives, which
clattered harmlessly behind them.
"Guess we have our answer," Obi-Wan commented as they continued
chasing their quarry.
They followed Yuion quickly, and had nearly caught up with him
when they rounded a corner and stopped.
Yuion was holding Glarim around the neck and trying to grab, or
strike, Anakin. Anakin was doing his best to fight the man, but
even as they ran up they felt Yuion throwing a Force-blow
towards the boy.
"No!!" Obi-Wan yelled, hastily throwing a Force-shield up in
front of Anakin to deflect the blow.
Praying that it wasn't too late.
He felt Qui-Gon's shield as well, wrapping around both Anakin
and Glarim. It held tightly, and they felt Yuion's attack slam
into it. Yuion turned and glared at them.
"Fighting children?" Obi-Wan taunted, raising an eyebrow at the
man. "If you need an opponent, here we are..."
Unfortunately, Yuion didn't respond to the challenge. He kept
his hold on Glarim, kept trying to get a hold on Anakin, and
kept sneering at them -- well aware that attacking him would be
difficult with the two boys in the way.
Well, they could hopefully remove one of those from danger with
just a command. "Anakin! Back off!" Obi-Wan ordered.
The boy hesitated, his eyes never leaving his opponent. "But--"
[Now!] Qui-Gon fairly shouted. Anakin jerked at the force of
it, eyes going wide, but he stumbled backwards one step, then
two.
Qui-Gon moved between Yuion and Anakin, lightsaber humming as
he faced the man.
Reaching out, Obi-Wan squeezed Anakin's shoulder in reassurance
before also moving past the boy to take his place beside his
lover, his own lightsaber up and at the ready.
Yuion brought out a knife and held it to Glarim's throat. The
young King continued to struggle, but mindful of the blade, he
kept his upper body still. He tried to kick Yuion, though, and
received a cut on his neck for his trouble.
"Let him go," Qui-Gon said.
Their opponent just barked harsh laughter, pressing the knife
even closer to the young king's throat.
Obi-Wan shifted his stance, edging nearer.
Catching the movement, Yuion turned to pin him with an angry
glare. "One step closer," he warned, "and I'll slit the brat's
throat!"
"And you will be dead five seconds later," Obi-Wan replied as
calmly as he could manage, even while his insides churned at
the threat.
Yuion sneered. "Maybe, but Glarim will still be dead."
"I won't," Glarim retorted, sounding brave but for a slight
tremor in his voice. Yuion laughed at him, and suddenly the
knife was flying out of Yuion's hand, yanked away by the Force
at Qui-Gon's command
Glarim ducked, and Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan rushed forward.
It was over in a remarkably short time; once the threat of harm
to the boys was gone, it did not take long for the two Jedi to
apprehend and subdue the erstwhile Chancellor.
The palace guards came running in, moments too late to help.
Glarim had them accompany the Jedi in escorting Yuion to the
most secure cell they had, and placed a full-time watch on the
cell.
This brought the mystery to an end. With Yuion's capture, it
was apparent who was behind the assassinations, as well as many
other, more minor incidents that had happened over the years.
But there was still something about the situation that didn't
sit right with Obi-Wan.
He said as much to Qui-Gon.
"I felt it, as well. The Darkness we discovered in the
assassination was much too great. He was well-trained. But by
whom?"
"That," Obi-Wan replied, "is the question."
"And one which, I think, only Yuion can answer."
They were in the outermost room of the king's private chambers.
Glarim and Anakin were inside the middle chambers. Glarim was
finally reacting to everything that had happened, and Qui-Gon
had sent Anakin to stay with him. The two boys had become
friends quickly, and Qui-Gon felt that Glarim would appreciate
having a friend he could trust nearby, and he wanted Anakin to
see first-hand the results of what happened when things went
wrong.
An object lesson in the individual effects of a Jedi's mission.
Looking at the door which led to the room the boys were in,
Obi-Wan sent out a small probe to check on them, quickly
withdrawing when he felt the young king's grief and anger, as
well as Anakin's instinctive, if a bit clumsy, attempts to
comfort and soothe his friend.
"I don't think Yuion will be forthcoming with the information,"
Qui-Gon sighed.
Turning his attention back to the conversation with his lover,
Obi-Wan nodded in agreement. "I would be very surprised if he
is."
"We shall have to be content to keep an eye on him, then. I
have no desire to compel him to answer any questions."
The compulsion would consist of a mild telepathic link, and
Obi-Wan agreed with Qui-Gon that touching that man's mind once
was once too much. Just touching the echo of his mind had
been... Obi-Wan shivered at the memory.
"I agree. No compulsion."
Qui-Gon said nothing, then. After a moment he began to idly
pace the room.
Obi-Wan frowned; if either of them was prone to pacing, it was
him, not his former Master. Qui-Gon always seemed to carry a
cloak of serenity around himself, a stillness, and when things
disturbed him, he would usually become even more still. This
idle pacing was definitely out of the ordinary.
"Qui-Gon?" Obi-Wan asked softly, putting all his questioning
and concern into the name.
Qui-Gon glanced over, seemed to realize what he was doing, and
stopped. He stood still, and appeared the epitome of calm.
To any who could not feel his emotions as clearly as his own.
Getting up, Obi-Wan walked over, then reached up and caressed
his lover's cheek. "Tell me," was all he said.
Qui-Gon closed his eyes, leaning into the caress. "I have seen
so much darkness. Always just past the tip of my fingers.
Sometimes I wonder if I am blind, not to see it sooner."
Obi-Wan chose his words carefully. "When one's own light is so
bright, it makes it hard to believe there are places where it
cannot banish the darkness."
"Your light has always shone brightest, beloved," Qui-Gon said,
smiling faintly as he opened his eyes to stare into Obi-Wan's.
Returning the smile, Obi-Wan shook his head. "I only reflect
back the light you have shown me, taught me, Master," he said,
deliberately using the old title.
Qui-Gon smiled more fully, and Obi-Wan could feel an easing of
his turmoil. Then he sighed and returned Obi-Wan's caress
briefly. "I am sorry, Obi-Wan."
"For what?" Obi-Wan asked, surprised.
There was a slight quirk of Qui-Gon's smile. "I believe you are
making a list of things you must 'drag out of me'?" He slipped
his other hand around Obi-Wan's waist and held them together,
easily.
"Ah. Well, it gives me something to occupy my idle moments."
Qui-Gon just continued to smile at him, though after a moment
it faded slightly. "Are you all right?" he asked, and
Obi-Wan could feel he meant Obi-Wan's own brush with Darkness
during the trance.
Obi-Wan paused, searching his own feelings before answering.
"Yes," he finally said. "The lesson from my trials holds. And I
think my subconscious has finally incorporated the fact that
you did not die on Naboo completely enough that it rejects any
scenario that says otherwise as merely shadow."
"I am glad to hear that, Obi-Wan. Perhaps this means you will
stop hanging on to me so tightly when you sleep?"
"But isn't that what Jedi security blankets are for?" he asked
innocently.
Qui-Gon leant down to kiss him. Just before their lips touched,
Qui-Gon halted. "Grr."
Then he kissed Obi-Wan.
Some time later, Obi-Wan yawned and stirred, stretching
languidly as much as he could without dislodging himself from
Qui-Gon's embrace.
They had needed that, he thought contentedly, settling once
again against his lover's side. Needed to reconnect, to banish
with laughter and love whatever Dark taint remained.
He only hoped the room was soundproof; he had no desire to try
and explain the shouting to the two boys.
Not to mention the dragon roar.
It had been worth it, even if they had heard. Qui-Gon
had laughed uncontrollably for minutes, finally stopping only
when he fell off the couch. Obi-Wan had pushed himself off the
couch to land on his love, laughing as well at the sight.
Now, Qui-Gon was holding onto him tightly, as if to prevent any
attempts to move. Not that he had any intention of going
anywhere. He was right where he wanted to be. With a contented
sigh, he pressed even closer.
Qui-Gon squeaked.
"Sorry," Obi-Wan apologized, quickly shifting his knee.
"Thank you," Qui-Gon replied with complete dignity. They lay
for a moment, trying not to start laughing again. Obi-Wan
sensed Qui-Gon reaching out to check on Anakin and Glarim.
They were gone.
Obi-Wan did not waste time wondering how, considering that he
and Qui-Gon were blocking the only exit to the room. Only
known exit. This was Glarim's home, after all; if there
were another way out, he would know of it.
What he did do was cast out with the Force in an effort to
locate the boys now, sensing Qui-Gon doing the same thing.
They found Anakin, and near him, Glarim, down several levels.
There was something near them, something Dark....
Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan were on their feet and out the door in
seconds.
They didn't speak as they ran through the corridors, but
Obi-Wan knew Qui-Gon was thinking the same thing he was. If
that Darkness was allowed to touch the boys, touch Anakin, now
before he had learnt enough to defend himself...
They both stretched their focus as much as they could, trying
to reach Anakin. They felt him at the same time, afraid,
determined, and relieved to know his Masters were on their way.
Then there was pain.
"NO!" Not sure if the cry had come from Qui-Gon or himself, or
perhaps even both, Obi-Wan somehow managed to move even faster,
only dimly aware that Qui-Gon matched his pace stride for
stride. All his focus, all his energy was on his Padawan,
their Padawan. He was the Chosen One. More than that, he
was a young boy under their charge. They could not, would not,
lose him now, either to death or to a fate worse than death,
darker than death.
They came sailing around a corner to face the cell in which
Yuion had been placed. Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan stopped only when
they reached Anakin, curled up on his side. Glarim was lying
nearby, and Obi-Wan moved to check on him, leaving Anakin to
Qui-Gon.
The young king was sprawled half on his side, stunned, but
already starting to come around. He groaned and blinked dazedly
up at Obi-Wan, though the grip he latched onto the Jedi's wrist
with was strong enough. "Yuion," the boy gasped. "Escaped."
Then something else seemed to come back to him and he shot
straight up into a sitting position, expression of panic on his
young face. "Ani! He shot--"
"He'll be all right," Qui-Gon said, reassuring all of them. "It
will be a day or two before he can move his arm." Qui-Gon had
rolled Anakin onto his back and was tending to the
blaster-wound on his arm.
Anakin opened his eyes and looked up at Qui-Gon. Obi-Wan saw
and felt the boy's fear and pain fading under the healing and
protection of his Master. Knowing exactly how that felt, he
caught the boy's eye and sent his own reassurance, rewarded by
a weak attempt at a smile aimed in his direction.
"Ani?" Glarim asked, in a trembling voice, no longer looking
like a king, but only a scared and worried child.
"'M okay, Glarim," Anakin mumbled, turning his head towards his
friend. Qui-Gon patted Anakin's shoulder lightly, and told him,
"You'll be fine. You--" He turned as guards came running in.
"Take them to your doctor at once."
They left the boys in the guards' care and Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan
were on their feet again, heading after Yuion.
It wasn't difficult to track the man; Yuion was making no
attempt to hide or shield his presence, and both Jedi sensed
the Dark taint easily.
The problem wasn't tracking Yuion, the problem was catching up
with him. The former Chancellor had had quite a head start even
before Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan had had to stop and take care of the
children.
But they chased him, moving as fast as they could. Even with
the Force propelling them forward, giving them what appeared to
be inhuman speed, they both knew they would most likely be too
late.
They continued anyway.
They came out at the shuttlepad, just in time to see Yuion
clambering aboard.
There wasn't much they could do at that point. Obi-Wan resisted
the urge to mutter curses under his breath as they watched the
shuttle take off.
Then they both hit the ground as it exploded.
The sound of it was deafening, and the shockwaves slammed
across their backs. The rush of air, heat, and flying debris
scattered over them, then around them, deflected by the Force
each had thrown up as a shield.
As the force of the blast dissipated, Obi-Wan lowered his
shield, automatically reaching out to check on Qui-Gon's
condition before turning his attention to the larger mess
around them.
He felt Qui-Gon doing the same. They were both unharmed, if
equally confused.
"Obi-Wan, did you feel -- just before the ship blew...?"
"Yes." A wave of Darkness, far greater than any else they had
sensed, a second of sheer terror and excruciating pain... then
the ship had exploded.
"There was more here than we imagined, Obi-Wan." Qui-Gon was
staring at the burning wreckage, ignoring the palace personnel
who were running out, shouting and directing the
fire-suppression droids in their work.
Obi-Wan stared as well, feeling a wave of apprehension roll
over him. "Yes," he agreed quietly. "Much more."
When Qui-Gon turned to him, Obi-Wan could see the worry, deep
in his eyes. "If the Sith Lord is training ones such as
Yuion... not apprentices, but accomplices... there will be no
telling how many there are."
"First Naboo and now here," Obi-Wan murmured. He met his
lover's eyes. "And this may be only the beginning."
"We will inform the Council," was all Qui-Gon had to say.
"Come, let us return and see to Anakin." He turned to go back
into the palace, but not before Obi-Wan saw the hooded shadows
in his eyes.
Obi-Wan reached out a hand, but let it fall before making
contact. He doubted anything he could say at the moment would
make much of a difference.
Besides, Qui-Gon was right. Their first duty was to their
Padawan. And to Glarim. He followed his former Master back into
the palace complex.
Anakin first.
Then he would have a long talk with Qui-Gon.
They found the two boys in the infirmary, surrounded by
personnel. Each was lying on a bed; Glarim was propped up so he
could see over to Anakin. When they arrived, Glarim was telling
Anakin how the doctor working on his arm had once set Glarim's
broken ankle.
Anakin was listening and nodding, but his face brightened when
he saw his Masters.
Qui-Gon went to his side. "How is your arm, Ani?"
"It hurts, Master," the boy replied, a slight waver in his
voice.
"Yes, I'm not surprised," Qui-Gon said gently. He placed his
hand on Anakin's shoulder, and a moment later Anakin's
expression softened.
"Thanks. Am I in trouble?" Anakin asked, looking very woeful
and put-upon.
"Do you think you should be?" Obi-Wan asked, also moving to the
boy's side.
Anakin sighed, and nodded.
Behind them, Glarim said calmly, "He was only doing as you
instructed. He stayed with me; I was the one who went to
confront Yuion. And I almost got us both killed," he added, in
a tone of new self-awareness.
Qui-Gon looked at the young king and nodded, then told Anakin,
"You should have called us instead of sneaking out."
"You'd have stopped us!" Anakin protested, then realized what
he'd said and let his head fall back onto the pillow.
"Yes," Obi-Wan agreed. "And you know why."
Anakin sighed, but nodded reluctantly.
"I'm sorry," Glarim offered quietly.
"Your Majesty, there is a reason you called the Jedi to
discover who killed your parents. Do you recall what that
reason was?" Qui-Gon asked. Obi-Wan noticed that he sounded
just as calm and unruffled as he did when he was instructing
his Padawan.
Qui-Gon was a good Master. No matter what doubts Qui-Gon
had about himself.
He would just have to keep telling his lover that until Qui-Gon
believed him.
Glarim nodded. "The poison that killed them," he replied.
"And due to the nature of the poison, did you feel you were
able to conduct the investigation?"
Glarim frowned at him in puzzlement, as he began to shake his
head. Then his face cleared. "Oh. I called you, because I
couldn't do it myself. Like I shouldn't have confronted Yuion
after, because I couldn't defend myself against him." He
glanced at Anakin and added apologetically, "Neither could
Ani."
Anakin sighed. "I thought I could. What with him locked up and
all."
Qui-Gon nodded. "Now, I hope, you will call us next time?"
There was a little hesitation, but finally Anakin nodded. "Yes,
Master," he said, his eyes downcast. Obi-Wan had to suppress a
smile at the boy's tone, having heard it come out of his own
mouth quite often when he was younger.
Qui-Gon gave him a sharp but amused glance and said nothing.
"His Majesty and Padawan Skywalker should both rest now," the
healer who had been hovering during the entire conversation put
in.
Obi-Wan nodded. "Yes, of course," he said as he moved towards
the door. "We will see you two again later, all right?"
"All right, Master." Anakin leaned his head back on the pillow,
and as the two Jedi headed for the door, Glarim took up his
story once more, relaying how he'd climbed onto the portico
from the playroom window.
They left the two boys in good hands and headed back out to
check on the exploded shuttle to see if a cause had been found.
Neither expected it, but they had to be sure.
Obi-Wan noticed on the walk back and during the brief
inspection they made that Qui-Gon was being unusually silent.
Not only that, but he had put up strong shields around his
emotions, keeping everyone -- even Obi-Wan -- out. He said
nothing as they walked back to the shuttlepad, and found damage
control had the fire out and the wreckage already being sorted
and cleaned away.
Qui-Gon went to the Captain of the Guard and asked if they knew
what had happened.
The man half-grinned. "I was hoping you could tell
us." Then he shook his head. "Far as we can tell, it
blew up. Got tired of living, I suppose."
Someone had been tired of it living, Obi-Wan thought. Or more
specifically, they had been tired of its occupant living. He
couldn't totally suppress a shiver as he remembered what he had
sensed just before the ship had exploded.
"I wish we could tell you what happened," Qui-Gon
answered. "I wish we knew."
Obi-Wan glanced sharply at his lover. The tone of voice had
held a very uncustomary edge of frustration in it. Obi-Wan was
becoming more worried by the minute.
"Do you need any assistance?" Qui-Gon asked. The Captain shook
his head.
"We'll let you know if we find anything. I don't think we
will." The Captain moved off to consult one of his men.
Taking advantage of the moment of relative privacy, Obi-Wan
reached out to his lover's mind. [Qui-Gon?] he asked, making a
question of the name.
Qui-Gon raised an eyebrow, but didn't reply -- didn't let him
in. Which was unusual enough in itself to make Obi-Wan worry
even more.
As soon as they got back inside the palace, Qui-Gon turned down
a hallway towards the rooms they'd been assigned. At least
Obi-Wan guessed that was where they were headed. He couldn't
even read that much. From the expression on his lover's
face, though, he knew Qui-Gon was aware of Obi-Wan's
frustration at being shut out.
He wondered if Qui-Gon also knew how much being this completely
shut out hurt. It brought back too many bad memories of how he
had felt right after Naboo, when he had thought he had lost his
place in Qui-Gon's life for good.
Then Qui-Gon reached down and took his hand. He still said
nothing, still kept his shields in place. But he squeezed
Obi-Wan's hand and did not let go.
Obi-Wan squeezed back, warmed and reassured by the gesture,
even as his frustration level rose. 'Let me in!' he pleaded.
What could be so horrible that Qui-Gon felt the need to hide
even from him?
But Qui-Gon held his shields until they reached their rooms.
Qui-Gon took them inside, closed the door carefully, then
turned to Obi-Wan. He let his shields down far enough to let
Obi-Wan inside, and moved forward to hold onto Obi-Wan at the
same time.
The torment of emotions coming from Qui-Gon momentarily
overwhelmed Obi-Wan; he felt like he was being swept up in a
wild river's current. But he managed to avoid being swept away;
the thought that Qui-Gon needed him was anchor enough.
Foremost was fear. Something he had rarely felt from Qui-Gon,
now washing over him as if there were nothing else inside his
lover. But there was more; once Obi-Wan let the fear past, he
felt the rest. Guilt, doubt, and memories of a vision seen.
Darkness engulfing the galaxy, darkness spread by a Padawan who
turned.
[Ani is fine,] Obi-Wan sent back, with waves of reassurance and
faith. [He hasn't turned. He won't.]
[How can you know that? How can you know, when every member of
the Council said he should not be trained?]
[Because I know you. I know what kind of Master you are
first-hand. Ani's fate could not be in better hands.]
There was no immediate response. Qui-Gon was caught in his
fears and doubts, hearing Obi-Wan but, Obi-Wan could tell, not
quite believing him. He could see the doubts -- Xanatos' fate,
Qui-Gon's own determined certainty that Xanatos would be a
great Knight someday. Though there was not the guilt Obi-Wan
had felt in him before over Xanatos' fall, there was still the
doubt in himself. And it had been sharpened by the Darkness
they had touched.
Obi-Wan could feel Qui-Gon struggling against it.
[You are the only Master who could train Anakin. You
treat him as he should be treated, as a boy, a child who needs
discipline yes, but who also needs caring and praise. The
Council saw only the Chosen One, a possible threat. They did
not look beyond that to see the person. You did. That is why
you are the only choice for his Master, and that is why you
will succeed.] Obi-Wan spoke with all the passion and
conviction he had in him.
[What if I cannot?] came the question, as Qui-Gon shook ever so
slightly in his arms. [If I am the only one who can do it, what
if I--]
[You won't,] Obi-Wan countered vehemently.
[What if I do?] Qui-Gon sounded nothing like the calm and
confident Master Obi-Wan had always known. Here was a man
facing the possible ramifications of his choices, choices he
believed in, but which could, despite his best intentions, turn
everything into evil. He could feel how dwarfed Qui-Gon felt by
the possibilities facing him. [This is why I try so hard to
stay only in the moment. So the future does not overwhelm me.]
The thought was clear, but shaking no less than the rest.
Obi-Wan wasn't sure what he could say to that, other than to
reassure his lover that whatever the future did bring, he would
be there with him. [If the unthinkable does happen, and we do
lose Ani to the Dark, then we will deal with it. We will fix
it. Together.]
Qui-Gon had no response other than to hold Obi-Wan tighter.
[But it's not going to happen,] Obi-Wan added after another
moment of silence.
Slowly, finally, Qui-Gon let Obi-Wan's reassurances touch him.
He held on no less tightly, but Obi-Wan could feel him relaxing
inside. Accepting Obi-Wan's words and support, Qui-Gon tried to
find his balance again and let go of his fears.
[Did you feel this way with me?] Obi-Wan asked, when he felt
that Qui-Gon had banished his doubts as much as he could.
There was silence. Then, very softly, [At first.]
[What changed?]
[You proved yourself.]
Obi-Wan smiled slightly. [When did I do that?]
"I'm not sure," Qui-Gon said out loud, in a much calmer tone.
He took a deep breath and pressed his face against Obi-Wan's
shoulder. "I just know that one day, I realized... I knew."
There was a pause, and he added, "I believe it was after you
brought those Altarian frogs into our room...."
"That was an accident," Obi-Wan countered. "I hadn't intended
for them to escape from their container."
Qui-Gon only smiled. Obi-Wan could feel the fears retreating
further, the shadows of Darkness willfully overcome by the
memories of Obi-Wan trying to explain to Master Silla why he
could not open the door to their quarters.
"I'm not sure why that would be the incident that you felt I
proved myself with. It wasn't exactly one of my finest
moments."
"Exactly. It is in such moments that we show our true
character."
Qui-Gon hugged him once again, then relaxed his tight grip on
Obi-Wan slightly. "We should make frog-herding a Knighthood
trial," he mused.
That caused Obi-Wan to chuckle. "Perhaps if we allowed Ani to
get a pet, then..."
"I think he has learned his lesson," Qui-Gon said seriously. He
sighed. "One of them. One of many."
"It's a beginning," Obi-Wan agreed.
Qui-Gon took another deep breath, and Obi-Wan felt him finally
re-centered. "At least you did not incinerate any wall
decorations," he teased his former Master.
Qui-Gon smiled.
"Though I suppose, if it would help in the future, I could make
sure we always have some on hand..."
"Obi-Wan," Qui-Gon said in a stern Master's tone.
"Yes?" Obi-Wan replied innocently.
Qui-Gon opened his mouth, and a dragon's roar filled the room.
For one moment, Obi-Wan stared. Then he collapsed,
laughing, against his lover.
Qui-Gon held him and grinned.
They left Alltarii a few days later.
Glarim saw them off, making sure, for the twentieth time, that
they knew they were welcome to visit any time. He and Anakin
had been nearly inseparable, to the point that Qui-Gon had
given Anakin permission to skip a few lessons to spend time
with Glarim -- and allowing Glarim to accompany Anakin on those
lessons he couldn't skip.
The friendship between the two seemed to help both boys deal
with what they'd been through, and Obi-Wan made a mental note
to make sure Ani had as many chances as possible to stay in
touch.
He felt Qui-Gon's agreement as he encouraged the thought with,
[We can always ask for time for ourselves, and leave him here.]
The loving tone was in sharp contrast to the torrential
emotions the Jedi Master had wrestled with that had, by now,
faded almost completely from memory.
[I'm sure he'd love that,] Obi-Wan replied, watching Anakin and
the young king talking enthusiastically with their heads
together.
The boys laughed, then, and the sound made Obi-Wan think that
most of the trauma had truly begun to heal.
"Ani!" he called as their shuttle came in for a landing. "It's
time to go."
Anakin looked up at them, and continued talking to Glarim. He
did, however, take a step towards the shuttle.
Qui-Gon grinned briefly, then composed himself again. After a
moment, he called, "Anakin."
"I'm coming!" Anakin replied exasperatedly, but still
seemed reluctant to end his conversation with his friend.
[Shall we demonstrate the effectiveness of the Force?] Qui-Gon
asked, silently.
[Demonstrations are always a good teaching tool,] Obi-Wan
agreed.
Qui-Gon reached out, then, and scooped up Anakin.
Anakin yelped, and Glarim looked startled.
"Say good-bye, Ani," Obi-Wan instructed, unable to hide his
grin.
Anakin looked over his shoulder and waved. "Bye, Glarim!"
Qui-Gon deposited the boy at his feet. Anakin looked up. "I was
coming!" he insisted.
"Eventually," Obi-Wan agreed, still smiling.
Anakin sighed. "I was."
Qui-Gon let him go, and he headed towards the ship's ramp.
Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan followed, and Qui-Gon sighed as Anakin
called out, "Where are we going next?"
"Back to Coruscant to report to the Council," Obi-Wan told him.
"After that, wherever we are sent."
"Who-hoo!" Anakin cried out, and ran down the corridor towards
the cockpit.
Qui-Gon looked at Obi-Wan, as Obi-Wan stood just inside the
door. Behind him, the ramp began to close. "Thank you,
Obi-Wan." He reached out and brushed the back of his hand along
Obi-Wan's cheek.
Smiling, Obi-Wan leaned into the caress. "It was no more than
you have done for me many, many times."
"And, I suspect, we shall continue to do." He leaned forward
and kissed him gently. "Hopefully, for many years to come."
"Yes." Obi-Wan kissed him back, then smiled mischievously. "At
least you managed not to get shot this time," he teased.
"I told you I wouldn't."
"Forgive me for ever doubting you."
Qui-Gon opened his mouth, then stopped, and considered. "Give
me a backrub?"
Obi-Wan grinned. "Yes, Master," he responded dutifully.
"Grr." Qui-Gon grinned. Then he stopped, and frowned. "Did
you--?"
"Yes." Obi-Wan shivered. It had only been for a split second,
but it had felt as if there were something watching them.
Something Dark. Something evil.
Qui-Gon rested his hand on Obi-Wan's arm, frowning. [Let's go
up to the cockpit,] he suggested. To keep an eye on Anakin.
Obi-Wan nodded agreement and followed his lover up the corridor
absently, while he reached out and scanned with the Force. But
there was no trace of whatever it had been.
They said nothing of it as they reached the cockpit, accepting
Anakin's joyful announcement that he was almost ready to fly
the cruiser if someone would just give him a chance.
But still Obi-Wan couldn't shake the feeling that there was
something out there.
Watching.
Waiting.
Plotting.
As the ship carried them away, Obi-Wan shivered. Qui-Gon
touched his hand. [We will be ready, should we meet it again.]
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