Pairing: None. Q/O fic, with no relationship planned.
Spoilers: Plenty. TPM and Jedi Apprentice books most notably.
Feedback: Is appreciated. Flames are traumatic, keep them to
yourself!
Prayer: Dear God, let Juno not eat the formatting on this!
Summary: TPM retold in an AU world where Obi-Wan never
convinced Qui-Gon to take him as a Padawan. Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon
met again on Naboo and the story begins.
Notes: All mistakes are my own. No betas were used in this
effort, mostly due to the fact that my trusted beta lives in
the UK. She has not yet seen the movie or read the books, and
sending this to her seemed to be in poor taste. (And I didn't
want to die just yet :-)
My copies of the books are packed in a box in the basement; I
have just moved home from college. Certain names, such as
Bandomeer, Corusant, and the like, may be spelled incorrectly.
Please bare with me until I can uncover the box and recheck the
books for spelling.
This story is a response to the AU challenge issued by Lianne
<lburwell@adan.kingston.net> a few days ago. Since I am
working two jobs over the summer, I don't know how regular the
installments will be. Again, please bare with me. This is a
Work-in-Progress fic.
I hope you all enjoy it!
Obi-Wan slowly walked down the wooded path. With datapad and
portable scanner in hand, he studied the forest around him.
Everything was lush and very healthy; he was a bit confused by
that. The Naboo had contacted AgriCorps for help. It seemed
that the planet's agricultural industry was failing fast. The
planet was a veritable paradise, but the farming community
could not keep the population feed.
How could a planet so rich in vegetation and growth have such a
poor basis in agriculture? One would think that the government
would have addressed the problem long ago. He had found that
the Naboo were a proud people, especially those few that had
been empowered to lead. Their former ruler was a tyrant, and
the newly elected queen was very dramatic, as was the custom.
Things on Naboo seemed very reliant on customs and protocol.
The young queen was trying to address the problem, but the
Naboo had hid their shortcomings by importing a large portion
of their foodstuffs for decades. Rather than ask for help and
admit to weakness, the King had ignored the problem. Though
peaceful, the people were very suspicious of others. Showing
weakness was unacceptable; to show weakness was to make oneself
vulnerable to others. The planet did not want to appear either
weak or vulnerable to outsiders.
Obi-Wan had already discovered the true reasons behind the
agricultural deficiencies. Pride and poor judgment had allowed
a few bad growing seasons to create a disaster. The whole
industry was now suffering for it. Antiquated technology,
exhausted soil, and inexperienced workers were the only
problems he could find.
Obi-Wan sighed and shut down his scanner. He could not find
anything else, no other causes. //At least I can work with
this// he thought. There were no toxic pollutants to remove, no
harsh environmental conditions to overcome, and no deadly
bacteria plaguing the area. All AgriCorps needed to do was set
up some starter farming colonies and begin retraining the
workers. Once that was underway, the Naboo would be well on
their way to a self sufficient agricultural industry.
Unfortunately, it might already be too late. The Naboo had
attracted the attention of the Trade Commission months ago, and
it was not long before they had discovered the planet's plight.
Soon after that, large tariffs had been instituted on the busy
shipping lanes in and around the system. The Trade Commission
was not above profiting off a small planet's resource problems.
Obi-Wan had been following the situation closely since his
arrival. He had learned long ago that commercial politics could
be dangerous. His very first assignment with AgriCorps had
nearly proven fatal. He smiled at that. Farming was not a
dangerous occupation, but the world around it often was. He had
barely made it to Bandomeer. So technically, it was not his
first assignment, but the transport to it, that was so
perilous.
He thought back on those days with mixed feelings. It had been
the end of his childhood and youthful fantasies; it had been
the beginning of his life. Being released from the Jedi temple
had been rough. It has hurt so very deep at the time. But over
the years, he had come to accept his fate. The force did not
choose him to be one of it's defenders. He was not to become a
Jedi Knight as he had hoped, but he helped to protect it in his
own small way. He had brought life to near barren worlds, and
in doing so, he helped spread the force around the galaxy. It
was a humble, yet fulfilling task.
There were days when he regretted the foolish choices he had
made during his final days at the Temple. Four weeks before his
thirteenth birthday, he had made his last mistake. He had been
goaded into a fight with a bully and had walked into his
deceitful little plan. He had been shipped off for beating the
other student, though the bully had been no more injured than
himself. But the bully had run to the healers with his
exaggerated wounds and false words. In turn, the healers went
to the Counsel, and his fate had been sealed within hours.
Master Yoda had convinced the Counsel to let him fight before
one last Master, hoping to find him a teacher. However, the
effort had been in vain. Master Jinn had lost a Padawan not
long before and was not yet ready to take another. Regardless,
he had not fought well, not shown his skill, but desperation
and anger. Master Jinn had seen this and was not impressed.
With his birthday so close and no other Masters scheduled to
come looking for Padawans, he was sent off to AgriCorps to use
his gift with the Force for farming.
He sighed, wondering whatever had happened to Master Jinn. They
had parted ways shortly after arriving on the Bandomer mining
planet. He had heard that there were more troubles with the
mining company war; the war that had almost claimed his life in
transit. He had no doubt that Jedi intervention quickly
diffused the situation, though he was not completely certain.
He was entrenched in AgriCorps affairs almost as soon as he
arrived at the outpost.
His training prepared him so well for the task, that within
five years, he had risen to his current position as Project
Coordinator. At eighteen, he had been the youngest Coordinator
to ever operate out in the field. That was one of the few
accomplishments made outside of the Temple that he was proud
of. So much so, that he turned down the promotion to Sector
Chief two years ago and had maintained his current position for
the past seven years. At twenty- five, he was content with his
life, and did not want to give up the field work for a
managerial assignment back at the Central Operations Center on
Corusant.
The chirp of his comlink interrupted the rest of his thoughts.
Looking at his chronometer, he realized he was overdue to check
in and answered it quickly.
"Obi-Wan here."
"If you checked in on time, my life would be so much simpler,"
a rough male voice answered him.
"But I live to keep you on your toes, DeaMak."
"Yeah. With the Trade Commission looming overhead and the
rising unease over the embargo, I wish you'd lay off it for
once and check in as scheduled!"
"I'm sorry. I lost track of time. I'm on my way back now.
There's nothing new to report. We can go ahead as planed and
file our petition to the Queen's advisors for approval."
"The forms are compiled and waiting for you back here.
Remember, the next check in is in two hours," DeaMak teased.
"I'll be back by then and you know it!"
"But with you, one never knows!"
"Point taken. Obi-Wan out."
He was smiling again after his conversation with BaseOps. The
thoughts about the past had made him pensive until DeaMak
stepped in. There were days when he was certain that his friend
was also Force sensitive. Or maybe he was just highly empathic.
Whatever the cause, he could search out and end an
introspection attack without fail. Obi-Wan was grateful for
this; he had more important things to do at the moment.
If AgriCorps could get things set up soon enough, Naboo's
agricultural industry would recover. A quick recovery would
severely limit the blockade's effectiveness by eliminating the
critical need for galactic imports. The Trade Federation would
not be pleased with this, but AgriCorps's philanthropic nature
shielded it from the Federation. Any and all supplies that
AgriCorps needed were authorized and permitted past the
blockade per Senate order.
About an hour after talking with DeaMak, Obi-Wan felt it.
Someone was here and in trouble; the Force was telling him that
much. An alarming shift in the Force occurred and he felt an
intense need to help prevent it. There was also a coldness to
the sensation; he had learned over the years that this was a
sign of serious trouble. He had had a bad feeling about this
mission from day one; now it had just grown exponentially.
When he tried to contact the main AgriCorps base, all he got
was static. If his comlink had malfunctioned, he would not even
have had that, and if the BaseOps system had failed, the
AgriCorps satellite would have bounced his signal back to the
main communication switchboard. //It was almost as if the
system was being blocked,// he thought. //But that could only
happen if a damping field had been placed around... the
planet.// Obi-Wan's head snapped up at that. //The Trade
Federation, but they lack the power to invade without Senate
approval.//
Looking at the canopy of trees above did him little good. He
stopped his hike back to base and sat on the forest path.
Centering himself as he had been taught so long ago, he
gathered the Force to him, then reached out with it. What he
'saw' was alarming. Death hung over part of the forest not far
from him, death and fear. The primitive life was on the move en
masse, and the Living Force shuddered and shifted with its
exodus. There were days when his temple training was
invaluable. Today was one of them; he stood and headed off
towards the disturbance.
His scan had shown him something else as well. There was a Jedi
Knight in the forest, and he needed help. Obi-Wan was
determined to provide whatever assistance he could. He still
had his lightsaber from his days at the Temple, as was his
right for treading the path of the Light and working to help
promote the Force throughout the universe. He still practiced
with it daily out of necessity; wielding it without injuring
himself or those around him required that. The lightsaber was a
weapon of skill and concentration; it could be just as deadly
to the user as to those it was used against.
The distressed Jedi was in the heart of the disturbance, so
that was were Obi-Wan was going. The AgriCorps base would be a
safe haven for his people, and DeaMak would have already put
the emergency procedures into affect. He was not worried about
the AgriCorps group, but the Jedi was concerning him. From his
brief scan using the Force, he could tell that the other was
injured and fighting alone. He slowed his pace a fraction as he
neared the edge of the disturbance. He could barely feel
anything from the area, it was so void of animal life and
Living Force.
He could faintly hear the hum of mechanized droid ships, but he
knew they were close. The dense tree growth acted like a
natural insulator; it provided an excellent sound barrier. He
reached out with the Force more aggressively, hoping to make
contact with the other Jedi, but failed. He sighed, knowing
that he had never been fully trained and lacked the skill to
communicate through the Force. He could only project his
proximity and willingness to help the Jedi Knight, hoping that
he heard his offer. For two people to connect like this was
rare; it was usually only seen when one was in critical need,
so Obi-Wan was resolved to find him quickly.
Breaking through the trees, he was suddenly facing a small
lake. He could see the Jedi crouched behind some brush in an
attempt to conceal himself. Several droid scouts were
patrolling overhead on gun platforms, undoubtedly looking for
the Jedi. When Obi-Wan saw the Jedi, he understood the call he
had felt. It was Master Jinn that was in need; he and Qui-Gon
Jinn had formed a tenuous bond during the transport to
Bandomeer.
Obi-Wan had never thought much about the bond, but apparently
he and the Jedi Master were connected more forcefully than he
could have ever imagined. It was amazing that he had felt
Qui-Gon's need at all, for Obi-Wan was severely out of practice
with using the Force in this way. He did not need to sense and
track distressed plants; plants were usually stationary and the
toxins that sometimes assailed them had their own distinct
signatures. However, this bond had been forged under desperate
circumstances twelve years previous and never again used, until
now, when the situation was desperate once more.
The sound of the approaching STAPs bought him out of his daze.
He nodded to the injured Jedi, hoping to convey support, before
facing the two scouts heading toward him. He shifted his cloak
to reveal his AgriCorps insignia as the droids brought their
platforms to hover in front of him.
"Halt. State your name and purpose." A mechanized voice
demanded of him.
"I am Ben Kenobi of AgriCorps," he answered, using the informal
name he had begun using years earlier. "I'm simply checking
some abnormal scanner reading." He emphasized this by holding
up both his scanner and datapad, but was careful to keep the
lightsaber from view. "I didn't know the Trade Federation had
been authorized to land troops on Naboo."
The droids stood silently for a few moments, obviously
conferring with the remote ship and awaiting further
instructions. Obi-Wan hastened a quick glance to where he had
seen Master Jinn. He was pleased to see that the Jedi had taken
advantage of the distraction and hidden more effectively.
The droids suddenly turned back to him and spoke again. "You
must come to the main deployment ship. Do not resist and you
will not be harmed. Surrender now."
"I don't think so." He replied with a sly smile. "I am an
AgriCorps employee and free from Federation control. The
Viceroy know this fact; the Galactic Senate has granted amnesty
to all our AgriCorps outposts and personnel." His tone was
confident; he knew his rights. He had been trained for this
sort of confrontation long ago.
"Surrender now. You must return..."
"No," he stated firmly. "Detaining me without cause is in
direct violation of GS Mandate 4419AZÞ7. I refuse to
cooperate."
The droids paused again for instructions. Obi-Wan simply stood
waiting, with his identification badge ready. He hoped that the
trade Federation had not disabled the droid programming that
exempted AgriCorps. //The Federation has only recently been
informed of our presence here, so they should not be expecting
to run into any of us so soon.// he thought to himself.
Logically, he knew that the droids were simply verifying the
mandate number, but he was anxious nonetheless. After a few
moments, the droids nodded and flew off to continue the search
elsewhere. Unfortunately, Obi-Wan did not know that they had
logged this encounter into the system and recorded his
identity.
Breathing a sigh of relief, Obi-Wan sat on a nearby log to wait
for Master Jinn to reappear. Strangely, he could still feel a
vague Force concentration and knew that the Jedi was near.
Though he did not know how all of this had happened, he was
very curious to see why the master was so distressed.
A deep and remarkably soft spoken voice drifted to Obi- Wan.
"That curiosity and your reckless risk-taking will cost you
dearly one day, young man."
Obi-Wan smiled despite himself. He did not realize that he was
projecting his thoughts and feeling so strongly. Over the past
twelve years, he had encountered few Force sensitive people, so
he was negligent with his shielding skills as well.
"A true student of the Force would not be remiss in such a
basic skill." Qui-Gon admonished freely.
"A true student of the Force would be a Jedi Knight, not an
AgriCorps farmer. And a true Jedi Master can face any challenge
with skill and resource," Obi-Wan admonished back easily. "So
why were you so distressed by two droid scouts?"
Qui-Gon emerged from the dense forest looking thoroughly
unhappy. He was wet and muddy, very unbecoming of a sage Master
of the Force. Judging from the darkened scorch marks on both
his cloak and tunic, he had recently been injured by blaster
fire.
"Only a fool would face a droid army without anxiety. I was
merely concerned for the Naboo and a certain young man who
recklessly threw himself in front of a droid gun platform."
Qui-Gon replied with clipped speech and a tense tone.
"I was is no danger. AgriCorps provides safety..." Obi- Wan
began.
"There is no safety. This invasion is highly circumspect. It is
being controlled by a force far greater than of the Trade
Federation."
Qui-Gon was assuming what Obi-Wan could only describe as a
'Jedi Master lecture posture.' He raised his hands in defeat,
hoping to stop what he feared would be a long tirade about
galactic politics and the forthcoming danger to all.
"Master Jinn, you are injured. Please sit and let me examine
your wounds." Obi-Wan said gently while walking towards the
Jedi.
With gentle insistence, he managed to guide and seat Qui- Gon
on a flat rock; he could better examine the injured shoulder
and upper back in this position. Silently, Obi- Wan pulled out
a portable trauma kit from his shoulder pack and set to work
cleaning the injured area.
Qui-Gon looked closely at his rescuer. Truth be told, this boy
had provided him with a quiet escape from the pursuing droids.
He did look familiar, but Qui-Gon could not immediately place
him. As a Jedi Master and regular ambassador for both the
Supreme Chancellor and the Galactic Senate, he had traveled to
countless planets on hundreds of mission over the years. He had
obviously met the youth before and left a lasting impression on
him.
"You have me at a disadvantage." Qui-Gon offered neutrally. He
had been in the dense forest during the exchange between the
droids and the young man. He could very little from his
position, and had trusted the Force to alert him to danger.
"Kenobi. Obi-Wan Kenobi, though my friends call me Ben now. I'm
not surprised that you have forgotten. After all, I was only
one of hundreds vying for your attentions at the Temple."
Those words were not spoken harshly or with sarcasm. The Master
could feel the sincerity behind them and was shocked by it.
//How could I not remember you?// he thought.
Obi-Wan had fought by his side many years ago. He had shown
much skill and great potential, though the Jedi had been loath
to admit it at the time. He had not taken the boy as his
apprentice, and had since felt as if he had defied the will of
the Force in that. He had been unwilling to take any student
after loosing his last to the Dark Side. Even Obi-Wan's
steadfast courage and determination could not overcome that
reluctance.
"Of course I remember. But you have grown from the boy I knew,
to a man. I simply did not recognize you," Qui-Gon replied with
affection.
"We should get you back to BaseOps. This shoulder needs more
tending than I can provide," was Obi-Wan's only comment.
Before they moved on, Obi-Wan took off his coat and motioned
for Master Jinn to do the same.
"Here. Take my coat and hat. If we run into more of those
scouts, hopefully they'll assume you're also from AgriCorps and
let us pass."
Obi-Wan took the long Jedi robe from its owner and gently
folded it. He placed it carefully into his pack, as if were of
great value. Qui-Gon watched this with mild amusement for a
moment before the feeling turned to guilt. //Had I trained you,
you would have one of your own, my friend.// He thought sadly.
Qui-Gon could feel a strange connection to this spirited young
man. Obi-Wan was not especially charismatic, but the Jedi
Master felt drawn to him regardless. He knew that this was the
ever-present Force, guiding his actions and instincts once
again. The feelings he had ignored so long ago resurfaced. He
felt an intense need to protect Obi-Wan, even now when he was
injured and the boy was whole.
//He is a grown man now. I must quit thinking of him as the boy
he once was.// He thought wryly. //He has long been resigned to
this fate. Dwelling on the past will do us no good. Focus on
the present,// the Master chided himself gently. Lost in his
thoughts of the past and of the Force, Qui-Gon was unaware that
Obi-Wan was talking to him.
It was only after Obi-Wan had injected him with a stimulant
that Qui-Gon realized he was sitting once again. He re-focused
his thoughts and could feel the strong waves of concern coming
from his companion. After shaking his head gently to clear it
further, he noticed the injector gun in Obi-Wan's hand.
"What? What did you do?" He asked.
"Master Jinn. Are you all right? Look at me, focus."
"What happened? I..."
"It was weird. One moment we were exchanging coats and
preparing to leave, and the next you were... not here."
"What do you mean?" Qui-Gon asked, still confused.
"It was almost like you were meditating. The Force swelled
around you and you stopped responding to the real world."
"Need I remind you that the Force is very real?" The Master
replied a bit more harshly than he intended.
"You know what I mean." Obi-Wan countered just as harshly.
"Physical, the physical world."
"I just need to rest, then I shall be fine."
"Not here you don't. This place is crawling with droids. Come
on, follow me."
"Where?" Qui-Gon resisted. He felt vague misgivings now. The
Force was telling him that something was wrong, but he could
not determine exactly what it was.
"Back to the AgriCorps outpost. You'll be safe there. The
Federation wouldn't dare..." Obi-Wan began quickly.
"The Trade Federation tried to kill me Obi-Wan. How else do you
think I got these wounds?" Qui-Gon interrupted him.
"You'll be safe. They'll never know you're there," the young
man insisted again.
"They will. And they will come for me. I cannot do as you ask;
I must continue on to Theed, must see the Queen."
"You are injured and weary. You must rest in order to heal.
Please, let me help you." Obi-Wan pleaded.
"I will not endanger you further," was the Jedi's only
response.
"And I will not let you walk off in this condition, Jedi Master
or not!"
"What condition? I am fine."
"Fine? By the Force, I had to inject you with a half vial of
stimulant to bring you out of that trance. It is too dangerous
here to meditate, Master Jinn. Too dangerous to try to heal
yourself. Now move."
With that, Obi-Wan grabbed the Jedi's wrist and pulled him to
his feet. A gentle push to an uninjured portion of his back
propelled him a few steps in the direction of BaseOps.
Qui-Gon hesitated. "But the risk of..."
"The risk is mine to take." Obi-Wan interrupted again.
"I should not..."
"Accept help? I can get you medical treatment and have you on
your way to Theed by midday. Trust me."
Qui-Gon realized that he did. He had no idea why, but he knew
that Obi-Wan could provide the services he promised. Despite
the risks, he accepted the offer. Obi-Wan guided him quickly
toward the AgriCorps base and relative safety.
Obi-Wan was right to disguise the Jedi Master. They saw several
more scout droids searching for him on the way back to BaseOps.
Fortunately, the only droid that stopped them also believed the
ruse and accepted Master Jinn as another AgriCorps worker. The
injured Jedi let his companion handle the verbal exchange,
trusting him to be as sure and strong as before.
As the Scout flew off, Obi-Wan smiled faintly, "I wasn't sure
that was going to work twice."
"Let us hope that we can avoid the others."
"Well, we're near the edge of the disturbance. Hopefully, it's
also the edge of the Federation's presence."
"Disturbance?" Qui-Gon asked curiously.
"The disturbance in the Force, from the primitives fleeing the
area so quickly."
"You can feel this?" Qui-Gon asked in surprise.
"Yes. Can't you?" It was Obi-Wan's turn to be confused.
"Of course. I did not believe that one untrained would also
feel it so strongly."
Obi-Wan just looked away. He did not like being reminded of
what he considered to be his greatest failure, but took great
pains to shield his discomfiture from the Master beside him.
//It'd serve no purpose to be melancholy and self-absorbed,//
he reminded himself. There were more pressing concerns at hand.
Qui-Gon was once again saddened to see a youth with such
potential using his talent for nothing more than growing
plants. The counsel should have found this charge a Master,
regardless of his headstrong nature and short temper. //Maybe
that was what Master Yoda had been trying to do so many years
ago. He repeatedly pushed me to consider Obi-Wan,// he though
quietly.
While the two walked on in silence, Qui-Gon thought back to
Bandomeer once more. He still firmly believed that sending
Obi-Wan away was for the best. Had he stayed with Qui-Gon any
longer, he would have surely been exposed to Xanatos. His
former apprentice would have undoubtedly used the boy against
him, whether Obi-Wan was his Padawan or not.
Xanatos had been ruthless in his plan to destroy Qui-Gon.
Qui-Gon had not understood the true extent of Xanatos's scheme
until several days after his death. A death delivered by
Qui-Gon's own hand. He had confronted his former student after
negotiating between the mining companies had gone a little too
smoothly. His danger sense had been peeked by the ease of
cooperation after so many years of fierce competition and
destructive tendencies.
The forced meeting had quickly turned into a deadly fight once
Xanatos realized his plans were failing. Though the ex-Jedi
retained his lightsaber, he did not have the skill to beat the
veteran he opposed. Qui-Gon had little choice in dealing with
his vengeful student; he could not let one so cunning and
devious be free to plot further violence. Qui-Gon refused to
allow Xanatos's vengeance to harm any more innocents; there
were enough victims on Bandomeer to haunt the Master as it was.
He quietly ended man's life as he should have done when the
youth first turned to the Dark Side.
//Yes, sending Obi-Wan away to AgriCorps was the right
choice,// he thought. //Had Xanatos seen us together, he would
have harmed him.// Qui-Gon unconsciously shuddered at that
thought. He could only imagine what Xanatos's demented mind
would have plotted for the boy that he would have mistakenly
thought replaced him. If Xanatos was willing to destroy nearly
an entire planet to get revenge, he would have definitely
arranged a wicked fate for Obi-Wan as well.
Qui-Gon had been both fascinated and appalled by the lengths to
which Xanatos would have gone to destroy him. Discovering the
dormant bombs had been purely accidental. While touring the
Home Planet Mine, Qui-Gon had noticed a crate with Xanatos's
crest stamped on it. Seeing the broken circle, Qui-Gon
immediately ordered for the mine to be evacuated as a
precaution. He then carefully opened the box and discovered the
bomb inside; he realized the full scope of Xanatos's plan
within moments.
The angry young man was going to destroy the planet through a
series of explosions. Obi-Wan's AgriCorps base had been one of
those locations, so he had not kept the boy as safe as he
imagined. Regardless, he decided against risking the child's
life further and had left Bandomeer alone.
By now the pair of Jedi were back at the main AgriCorps base.
Obi-Wan quickly led the Master to the infirmary, then left him
to the care of a skilled MediDroid and a talkative MediTech
named Talis. While Obi-Wan was checking on the AgriCorps staff
and conferring with DeaMak on the emergency plans, Talis
happily told Qui-Gon all about "Ben's" career.
The ReaLenians, a humanoid race with tall slender bodies, pale
white skin, dark hair, and catlike eyes, were naturally
boisterous. Talis was no exception; she had the diminutive
facial features of her people, a thin, waif like body, and
height to match Qui-Gon himself. When she had asked the Jedi
about his meeting Obi-Wan, he answered truthfully and spoke of
the meeting years past at the Jedi
Temple. She had automatically assumed that the pair were old
friends that had fallen out of touch, and proceeded to "catch
him up" on the past decade of Ben's life.
She told of his recent accomplishments on Dantooine and
Peramua, two very arid planets that now boosted small islands
of dense forest growth thanks to Obi-Wan determination and
planning. She also told of his love for nature and devotion to
all life, a trait that Qui-Gon recognized as reverence for the
Living Force. As Qui-Gon politely listened, he noticed that
Talis avoided a period of several years. She talked only of the
present, recent past, and distant past. When he asked her about
this, she smiled sadly.
"Those years were not the most pleasant of times for Ben."
"Why?" Qui-Gon asked, now genuinely curious about the life
Obi-Wan had created for himself.
"He found a great woman capable of loving him despite his
flaws. She shared his passion, and they dreamed of growing old
together." She paused for a moment. "But he lost her too soon,
much too soon."
"She has passed then?" Qui-Gon asked with a touch of sadness.
"Yes, the Swamp Fever of Korat claimed her. Four years ago it
was, he lost them both. Jareth and the baby. We thought he'd
follow them soon after. He was so sad and depressed, for so
very long. But then he found Anakin, and felt needed again."
"Anakin is his new love?"
Talis laughed wholeheartedly at this. "Oh, no. Ani is just a
boy. A young slave boy that Ben rescued from Tatooine. He's a
hand full, keeps us all on our toes, that he does. But Ben
loves him, he fills the place in his soul that was empty for so
long."
"If I may ask, you said that..." he paused, thinking back to
the names Talis had mentioned. "Jareth loved him despite...
some flaws. He seems to have become a strong young man, what
are these terrible flaws?"
"Ah, that I blame you for! The Jedi caused it."
"What?" Qui-Gon could not see what fault Obi-Wan could have
that would have been caused by the Jedi.
"His feelings of failure. He may not talk about it anymore, and
those that haven't known his as long as I may not see it. But
he was deeply hurt by not being selected to be a Jedi Knight.
Deeply hurt."
"Surely he has moved past this. Not everyone taken to the
Temple can serve the Force in that capacity. I thought he
understood this."
"Understanding and accepting are two entirely different
things."
"That is very true. I did not realize it affected him so..." he
began.
"How would you feel if the people you thought of as your only
family cast you aside for nothing more than growing up?" She
interrupted, before turning away to gather more bandages.
Qui-Gon let the conversation stall. He had been thinking of the
past too much as it was, and he refused to dwell on Obi-Wan's
fate longer than was necessary. He had business to attend to.
His focus needed to be directed on helping the Naboo and
reaching the Queen.
He was about to leave, whether Talis was finished or not, when
he felt a faint stir in the Force. As a small blond head peeked
around the door and into the treatment room, Qui-Gon watched
curiosity transform into pure joy. Before he could even offer a
greeting, the boy had leapt onto the table next to him. Talis
was at his side in an instant, checking his injuries and
chastising the boy.
"Ani! What do you think you're doing?!" she demanded.
"I wanted to see..."
"You never ever jump onto an exam table with a patient.
You know better! And you know that you're not even supposed to
be down here!"
"But he isn't hurt that badly."
"It doesn't matter! He very well could have been."
"Ben said..."
"He told you that you could attack him?" she asked
incredulously.
"No, but..."
"No buts. You know better. Now apologize to Master Jinn."
Qui-Gon watched the exchange with an amused grin. The ReaLenian
woman appeared anything but stern at first glance, but looks
were definitely deceiving. She knew how to control the
energetic boy that was sitting with him.
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean any harm. I just wanted to see you.
Ben said that there was a real live Jedi here, and I just had
to come see for myself. He wouldn't have told me, I think. But
I was listening to him and DeaMak over the comm system. Dea is
really nice, have you met him yet? He lets me sit with him
sometimes, but I think it's more to keep an eye on me when
Ben's away." The boy paused for a deep breath before continuing
in that excited, nonstop way that only children can manage.
"Oh, my name is Anakin, but people usually just call me Ani. So
are you really a Jedi Knight? Do you have a laser sword? I
thought only real Jedi Knights had them, but Ben has one too.
He said the Jedi allowed him to keep it after he had to leave
the Temple. He was too old to become a Jedi, so they sent him
to AgriCorps." Ani's wide eyes met his own, and he could see
the barely restrained excitement therein.
"Yes, I am a Jedi Master, but you must..."
"Wow! It's nice to meet you. I never met a real Jedi before."
He would have continued, but Qui-Gon's put a restraining hand
on his shoulder.
"Ani, you must keep my presence here a secret," he said
gravely.
"Are you in trouble? Ben always helps people when they're in
trouble. Talis says he has a really big heart, but I don't
understand why that would matter. He helped me and mom off
Tatooine. He's really nice that was. We were slaves, but he set
us free. I'm glad he didn't become a Jedi. If he did, then I'd
still be on Tatooine."
"That was very nice of him, to free you and your mother. And
Yes, I am in trouble. The Trade Federation is looking for me,
so you cannot tell anyone of my presence here. Understand?"
"Not even..." he began in a hopeful voice.
"No, Ani. You can't tell anyone," answered a voice from the
doorway.
Qui-Gon quickly turned toward the sound. He had been so focused
on Ani's animated conversation that he did not feel Obi-Wan
approach. He realized that his fatigue from fighting his way
through the Federation blockade ship and invasion force also
contributed to his lapse in awareness. If he did not rest soon,
he would need to draw on the Force to augment his strength.
"I'm sorry Master Jinn. Anakin, shouldn't you be packing for
the evacuation?" Obi-Wan asked is a stern voice. "Go."
Anakin left, shuffling his feet and grumbling about never
getting to meet the important people. He politely waved from
the door, before disappearing into the corridor.
"Again, I'm sorry about that. He's a handful and so very full
of energy. He loves to meet new people and see strange places a
little too much."
"He was no problem. You are leaving Naboo then?"
"Yes, the invasion force is very large. We have decided to
withdraw from the planet while we can," Obi-Wan stated simply.
"Will the Federation allow you to leave? Your people know of
this hostile action."
"The Federation is maintaining that a communication back out
was necessary to curtail any electronic commerce and to limit
the possibility of smuggling. Officially, we have requested
permission to leave the planet since there is little we can do
to improve Naboo's ecology." Obi-Wan replied with a sly smile.
"Only yourself, DeaMak, and I really know what is going on down
here."
Qui-Gon looked around and noticed that the infirmary was empty
now. Even Talis had gone to allow privacy for this
conversation.
"Is this the truth? You cannot help the Naboo?"
"Yes, however there are many things we can do to combat the
deficiencies in their agricultural base. That is what has
caused this situation," Obi-Wan responded soberly.
"They have given you leave to evacuate?"
"A five-hour window has been granted. I'm going to take the
offer while it stands. I don't want anyone from AgriCorps
stranded here while the Federation controls this planet."
Carrying a datapad filled with more information than Qui-Gon
could have ever expected, he boarded the AgriCorps ground
skimmer. Obi-Wan had outdone himself this time. He had provided
the Jedi with a detailed topographical map of the area, the
NaviComp course to Theed, emergency rations and water packs,
basic medical supplies, a portable AgriCorps microcomputer, and
the details of the evacuation.
Though Obi-Wan had said it was standard equipment for any
AgriCorps vehicle, Qui-Gon believed otherwise. Obi-Wan was
determined to provide him with more support than he could have
ever expected. The Jedi Order still occupied a great portion of
the boy's heart, even though they had tossed him out of their
life so long ago.
He was beginning to worry about the youth's actions and the
possible repercussions, but Obi-Wan had said that he would be
off planet before the Trade Federation could connect him with
the Jedi ambassador. Qui-Gon only hoped that he was right in
his prediction. He did not like he idea of endangering Obi-Wan
further, but his assistance had been invaluable on this
mission.
The Jedi Master was certain that the Trade Federation was
acting under someone else's control. Their power and authority
had never before extended to invasion, and he was positive that
the Supreme Chancellor would never sanction this move. It was
the work of the Force that the droid programming had not yet
been changed. Otherwise, both he and Obi-Wan would already be
in a detention center.
Qui-Gon steered the borrowed speeder out of the docking station
and cast a last look at his long denied apprentice.
"Force protect him and his people." Qui-Gon said aloud before
returning his attention to his own mission.
Qui-Gon knew that Obi-Wan would have everyone off Naboo by the
Trade Federation deadline. He was more than a capable leader,
and logically, the Jedi knew that Obi-Wan would be amongst
them. Still, something did not feel quite right about the
situation, so he looked to the Force for guidance once more.
When no enlightenment was forthcoming, he decided that it was
his duty to warn the Naboo. He would worry about Obi-Wan later;
his mission of mediation and peacekeeping had to come first. If
he had already failed in that, then he would take word of this
illegal invasion to Corusant.
Obi-Wan calmly used Force enhanced orders to get the evacuation
going according to schedule. With a comment here and a
suggestion there, occasionally a barked order or terse
acknowledgment, the urgency of the operation was readily
apparent. He would do whatever it took to get his team moving
and moving quickly.
He hoped Master Jinn was fairing well with his mission, but he
was no longer concerned about the Jedi. They each had a duty to
perform, otherwise those looking to them for guidance might
suffer.
He had the first transport loaded with people and their basic
travel necessities when the Jedi Master returned. Though
Obi-Wan had not anticipated seeing him again, he had downloaded
the AgriCorps launch coordinates and estimated departure times
to the Master's datapad as a precaution. He had hoped that the
Jedi could find an alternate escape method, but he had provided
a backup option should the Master's resources fail. It appeared
that his instincts had lead him true once again.
What he had not considered was the entourage of people that
accompanied the Jedi. He had evidently been successful in
rescuing the young Queen and was now leading her majesty along
with her handmaidens, councilors, and royal guard straight to
the transport. How Master Jinn had gotten twelve courtly people
in a transport built for no more than eight passengers was
beyond Obi-Wan's grasp.
He was immediately aware of the fact that there was no way he
could smuggle all of these refugees offworld; the Jedi had to
realize this. There was not enough room physically on the
shuttle, and beyond that, he could not pad their records to
such an extent. Adjusting the AgriCorps rooster to that extent
would jeopardize everyone on the transport should the Trade
Federation find the fraud.
Obi-Wan walked up to the Master and spoke. "You have got to be
kidding. There is no way I can get all of you away from here,"
he said in an exasperated tone.
The Queen looked down upon him, though not in reality since she
was just a child, but her aloft gaze projected the gesture.
"You will deny us passage, after fighting to reach you? Jedi,
you said this one was sympathetic to our cause, that we should
trust in your faith," she accused unabashedly.
"He will help you leave the planet, your majesty. You and your
core advisors can travel to Corusant," Qui-Gon answered without
pause.
Obi-Wan held up his hand. "No, I can transport five people, but
no more. Smuggling all of you will risk too much. I have to get
my team away safely, that's my primary concern." He paused to
study the group that was already trying to determine who should
accompany the Queen. "And Master Jinn must be one of the five.
That's the only way I can consent to this."
The Master seemed momentarily surprised by this statement, but
he recovered quickly and shook his head. "I cannot ask the
Queen's Cabinet to step aside for me..."
Obi-Wan had been expecting this and cut him off before he could
finish his oath. "You'll be on the shuttle. I need you there;
you can hide the presence of the Naboo from my crew. They don't
need to know of my deception; their ignorance of this..." he
looked at the Queen directly, "sympathetic gesture will be
their only protection if you are discovered. It's my only
requirement for taking the risk and deceiving the Trade
Federation. They may have invaded your homeworld and ruined
negotiations for the ambassador, but they're willing to let us
leave without any violence."
Qui-Gon looked at the young man who had so expertly taken
charge. He was in control, of his own people and the royal
Naboo refugees standing before him. Any other person may have
deferred to the Queen or to the Jedi, but not Obi-Wan. He knew
what was in the best interests of his crew and would not be
intimidated into anything that posed too great a risk.
Qui-Gon looked to the Queen. He would accept these terms
because he knew the truth behind Obi-Wan's words; deceiving the
Trade Federation was indeed dangerous for AgriCorps. If the
transport were boarded, he could protect the crew by hiding
their knowledge of the Naboo refugees and hopefully keep the
Naboo from being discovered by the droids. However, the final
decision to accept Obi-Wan's offer lay in the Queen's hands.
"You can take word to the Senate and plead your case," he
encouraged the young dignitary.
The Queen seemed to carefully consider the offer again. She had
believed the Jedi before and fled the capitol, but Qui-Gon was
not certain of her resolve to flee her world.
She seemed to be waiting for some external sign, some clue as
to what her true path should be. It came in the form of a few
encouraging words from her handmaiden, though how the council
of a servant swayed the choice he did not know. Surely the
ruler did not take cues from her court, but then again, maybe
the faith of her followers convinced her to make her
supporters' situation be known.
The Queen paused then nodded assent. "We will go to Corusant. I
will bring a resolution to this within the senate."
The Captain of the Guard looked to his Queen. "Who shall
accompany you? What do you require of us, you Majesty?"
The young Queen looked thoughtful, then pointed to her
Governor, Sio Bibble. "You must stay and affect a government
presence. I am sorry Governor, but I need only one advisor.
Panka shall join me as both advisor and Royal Guardsman."
She gestured to her two closest servants. "My handmaidens shall
go as well. Their knowledge of their home providences shall
provide the only other insight that I will need." With these
decisions made, she turned to Obi-Wan. "Does this satisfy you?
Two peasants and one guard should easily to blend in with you
crew. As for me, I'm sure a suitable plebeian guise can be
found should I need it."
Obi-Wan nodded and motioned for them to board the shuttle. He
held Qui-Gon back though and added, "There is more that I
require of you."
Qui-Gon tensed at Obi-Wan's words. Though the young man had
given unselfishly up until now, he expected a high price to be
placed upon their transport. He was not a natural cynic, but
after serving as a public defender for so many years, he was
well aquatinted with human nature. People did not often give
freely of themselves.
"I need you to promise me something. I need you to look after
the boy. If anything should happen to me, I need to know that
someone will take him in. Someone with a knowledge of the
force."
Despite Obi-Wan's mildly pleading tone, Qui-Gon automatically
shook his head to deny the request. "I cannot care for a child,
Obi-Wan. Jedi life does not permit me the leisure to take such
a responsibility."
Obi-Wan sighed in defeat. He had expected as much, and had
doubted that the Master would yield to this request. "He's too
strong to lose, Master. He is so young and he needs to be
protected form the Darkness around him. He tries so hard to
stay in the Light, but it's not easy for him. As a slave, he
saw too much evil and was used poorly."
The master simply stood, holding his ground on the issue. He
looked calm and serene, never doubting his own judgment.
"Please, at least until I arrive at Coruscant to reclaim him.
Just for the transport..." Obi-Wan trailed off in defeat.
"Please, this is all I've asked from you or the Jedi," he
finished without much faith in his ability to sway the Master.
Qui-Gon eyed him suspiciously. "Why can you not tend to the
child? When are you planning to evacuate?"
"I'll be on the second transport. It won't be leaving until
later. DaeMak and Talis won't be on the first shuttle either.
There's no one else that can really control the boy."
"Control him?"
"He's very excitable, as you've seen... and there is much fear
in him. He needs to be grounded. Your presence as a Jedi will
provide that," Obi-Wan stated calmly.
Qui-Gon simply sighed before moving onto his true concern. "Why
delay? Surely leaving together is safer given that you are
smuggling out the Nubian Queen and her aides."
"AgriCorps has considerable resources invested in this base. I
can't leave without trying to salvage some of it. Supplies from
the infirmary and the research equipment are being loaded as we
speak. I'll be giving the final evac order shortly. We'll be
leaving within the hour and taking a less direct route to
Coruscant. The outpost on Perma needs the extra supplies since
so few people are passing through this sector due to the
embargo."
Qui-Gon paused in thought; he was clearly unhappy with Obi-
Wan's responsibilities given the situation. He would rather
have had everyone on one transport. He had voiced his concern,
but Obi-Wan was determined to recoup some of their losses and
to assist the OuterRim colony. Finally, the Jedi Master gave a
quick nod. "I will keep the boy with me until we reach the
Temple. You can retrieve him from there when you arrive," he
relented grudgingly.
Obi-Wan smiled slightly. "Thank you. Your presence as another
Force user would do him good." He quietly added, "He really
does like you, you know."
The elder refused to comment. He merely shrugged and climbed
the ramp to join the waiting Nubian delegation. He quickly
herded them to the more secluded crew compartment behind the
cargo hold and settled in to wait. Slipping into a light
meditation, he let the Force flow through him, trusting it to
warn him of danger.
Obi-Wan quickly sought out Anakin and ushered him into the
waiting transport.
"Ani, I want you to go the rear crew compartment and wait
there. You'll be safe."
Anakin looked confused. "Why can't I ride with DaeMak in the
cockpit? I always hang out with the pilots and flight crew. Am
I being punished?" he asked quietly.
"No, Ani. DaeMak, Talis, and I are all going on the second
transport. We'll be taking supplies to Perma despite the Trade
Federation's presence in the sector."
Anakin suddenly seemed agitated. He turned and wrapped small
arms around Obi-Wan's hips in a firm hug. "No!" he said
emphatically. "You've got to stay with me." He looked up at
Obi-Wan with pain filled eyes, "I won't lose you, not like mom.
We've got to stay together..."
Obi-Wan kneeled down to the boy's level. "I have to Ani. The
Perma colony desperately needs the supplies. You've seen the
Republic News vids. This will help sustain them until the trade
routes in this sector stabilize."
Anakin still did not seem assured. He had lost his mother not
long after being freed from slavery, and Obi-Wan was now his
only family. Dantooine, though not as dangerous as Ani's
homeworld, was still a planet rife with unscrupulous people
preying on the weak and unsuspecting. Whatever agricultural
success Obi-Wan had achieved was forever overshadowed by Shmi's
death.
On a routine supply run, the skimmer was attacked by raiders on
return trip to BaseOps. Shmi had been thrown from the craft
when it was rocked with heavy blaster fire despite DaeMak's
piloting efforts. Her injuries proved fatal. Obi-Wan still felt
responsible for her death, because he had assigned Shmi to
assist the supply detail.
She could negotiate with the native traders in the market where
others failed. Vendors, who would normally have been suspicious
of any Republic representative, readily bargained with Shmi.
After so many years of providing for herself and her young son
in Tatooine's hostile environment, she could easily handle the
bustling trade center with a full creditchip.
She always managed to haggle traders down to lower prices than
any of the Requisitions personnel. On most trips, she even
managed to obtain a stash of sweet confection without ever
surpassing Obi-Wan's budget. This is what made her one of the
most loved members of his team; she provided comforts the group
would have otherwise been forced to do without. She was a
shrewd woman, and one that was sorely missed.
No one would miss her more than her son though. Anakin had been
consumed with grief and worry for quite some time after her
passing. He became withdrawn and despondent. He had never felt
secure among the AgriCorps team and had never gotten very close
to any of them. Shmi had accepted Obi-Wan's offer of employment
for purely financial reasons. She had intended to leave
AgriCorps once her two-year contract expired.
Anakin had felt even more isolated than he had on Tatooine.
With no other known relatives and being far too young to be on
his own, Obi-Wan became his family. With such a strong Force
presence, Obi-Wan could not ignore child as his pain radiated
throughout the base. Obi-Wan had taken it upon himself to
provide Anakin with some stability and sense of family. They
were two lost Force sensitives drawn together by fate.
Now, several years later, near forgotten fears seized Anakin.
He's eyes were somewhat clouded as he looked to Obi-Wan's face.
"We should stay together... there's something bad happening...
here on Naboo."
"I know Ani, that's why I'm sending you with the Jedi. He's in
the ship waiting. Just stay with him and everything will be all
right. He's going to Coruscant and to the Jedi Temple. You'll
get to see it first hand." Obi-Wan tried to keep his tone light
and comforting as he spoke. He hoped to soothe away the boy's
fears with excitement over seeing Jedi in person.
"But I want to go with you..."
"Ani, it's a boring side trip. We've got to be quick and quiet
about it, otherwise the Trade Federation could try to
intervene. I can't worry about you and do my duty. If I know
you're safe with the Jedi, then I'll be able to concentrate on
the job at hand. Okay? Master Jinn will take good care of you."
Anakin hung his head in disappointment, but he finally nodded
in understanding. After a few scuffs to the ground with the toe
of his boot, he threw himself into Obi-Wan's outstretched arms.
Reluctantly, Anakin let go and walked up the ramp. He waved
good bye, wiped away a few tears, then turned away to search
out the Jedi Master.
Obi-Wan smiled, waved, and sighed quietly once the boy was out
of sight. The encounter had gone remarkably well in his
opinion. Given Anakin's abrupt loss of his mother, Obi-Wan had
anticipated a worse reaction. Hopefully, the boy's fears were
unfounded, but Obi-Wan could not shake a looming feeling of
dread over the separation.
He picked up his comlink and gave his final orders to the
pilots. A few moments later the transport was lifting off and
headed out of the atmosphere. Obi-Wan watched it for a few
moments before turning back to the second transport. There was
much to do if he was to get it ready for departure by the Trade
Federation deadline.
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