Archive: Yes to Master & Apprentice and The Nesting Place
Rating: PG
Pairing: Q/O
Spoilers: Set during TPM with spoilers for the Apprentice Jedi
books
Summary: What trials did Obi-Wan have to face to be considered
a full Jedi Knight?
Disclaimer: Don't own them, George Lucas does. If I did they
would have had a much happier ending!
Feedback: Yes please, it's addictive
"Ready are you?"
"Yes, Master Yoda."
"Once the trials have begun we have no way of stopping them
until they are complete."
"I understand, Master Windu."
The twelve members of the Jedi Council exchanged a wordless
look then exited the room, the hushed rustle of their cloaks
seeming oddly amplified by the bare marble of the walls and
floor. Once they were gone, Obi-Wan sank to his knees, his arms
folded within the sleeves of his robe, his face obscured by the
shadow cast by his hood.
This was his final test as an apprentice, one his Master had
said he was ready for, but there was a tiny kernel of
self-doubt within him. If I was ready, then why couldn't I
save him? It may have been the will of the Force but that
did not make the loss of his teacher, friend, and lover any
less difficult to bear.
If only . . . Anguish rose in Obi-Wan's mind,
threatening to choke him and send his thought into a maddening
spiral of despair. He had to accept the pain in order to begin
healing but there was a part of him that didn't want to lose
this ache, if nothing else it reminded him that he could still
feel something other than the hideous emptiness that
eaten it's way into his chest.
Center yourself. That was the first order of business.
Nothing would be accomplished until he had calmed himself
enough to complete this simple task. Concentrating on each
breath as it expanded his lungs, Obi-Wan let slowly let the
physical fall away, trying to lose himself in the constant song
of the Force.
A soft breeze entered the circular room through the many
rectangular windows, bringing with it the soft scents of the
lush vegetation that surrounded Naboo's capitol city of Theed.
Faint sounds of celebration reached the Jedi apprentice's ears
then faded away as his concentration turned inward, years of
practice winning out over his turmoil.
Though his mind was slowly emptying of conscious thought,
Obi-Wan's posture remained ramrod straight and there wasn't
even the slightest hint of a waver to his stance. None of the
Jedi apprentices knew what the final test in their training
consisted of, the trials were whispered of but were one of the
Academy's closest guarded secrets. They were not physical, as
no Padawan was recommended by their Master until they had
proved themselves skilled in both the martial and parliamentary
aspects of their calling.
As he slipped deeper into his meditative state, the Force sang
around Obi-Wan, bright crystalline tones that were almost
painful in their beauty. There was a moment of perfect
stillness when he hung suspended amidst the splendor of the
living Force, then images began to form behind his closed
eyelids.
Memories flickered past almost too fast to consciously
recognize. Obi-Wan caught glimpses of his early years at the
Academy; first friendships, first lessons, the thrill of truly
understanding what the reality of the living Force could bring.
The years sped by, slowing only to allow the young Jedi a
closer look at those moments that could be considered defining
in the path his life had taken. The last fight with Bruck at
the Academy, the flare of hope that Master Qui-Gon would take
him as his Padawan and the crushing despair when he saw that
was not to be so.
The trip to Bandomeer with all it's danger and adventure, then
the time on the planet itself. Obi-Wan's breathing deepened as
he relived his first meeting with Qui-Gon's failed apprentice,
Xanatos, his kidnapping and subsequent rescue from the mining
platform. The same sense of calm flowed through him as, in his
mind, he prepared to detonate the electro-collar he had been
fitted with as one of Offworld Mining.
"Stand back as far as you can."
"No, Padawan. There has to be another way."
It was the first time his Master had called him that though at
the time it had gone unnoticed in the pressure of the moment.
Later, after the matter had been resolved, the word had
scorched a path through Obi-Wan's brain, bringing with it a
hope which was realized when Qui-Gon accepted him as his
apprentice.
Years of missions followed that first fateful one with both men
learning from each other. There were successes and failures and
both came close to dying more times than they cared to count
but the Force was strong with them and they prevailed. And
somewhere, somehow, along the way their relationship changed,
deepening far past the bonds of a Master and his Padawan. Both
resisted at first, bound by the constraints of the code and the
fear of rejection. When the fear was finally released, it
revealed a love so deep and genuine that they wondered how they
had denied it for so long.
A single tear rolled down the apprentice's cheek as he relived
the gentle passion of that first time and the wondrous trail of
discovery it led to. The Council had questioned both Jedi
relentlessly after their relationship had become known but
neither man would be swayed in his conviction that this was the
right path for them.
When an emergency mission to Chandrila proved beyond a doubt
that the newly born intimacy between Master and Apprentice had
only deepened and improved their bond, the Council relented,
allowing Qui-Gon to continue Obi-Wan's training.
More years passed and a particular memory of a short respite on
one of the pleasure worlds brought s slight smile to the young
Jedi's lips but it remained only a fraction of a second before
Obi-Wan's expression became blank once more. The events rolled
through the recent past and finally slowed, resuming what felt
like normal time during the final battle with the Sith Lord.
Once again Obi-Wan was trapped behind the hazy red containment
field watching the black-clothed Dark Lord but this time the
scene was strangely split. In one vision, the Sith was
attacking Qui-Gon, in the second, he menaced Anakin.
In his deep state of meditation, Obi-Wan did not question the
reality of both images, in this place they were both the truth.
The crashing sense of urgency filled him once again as he
watched the two battles and it was then he knew. Only one of
them would survive the fight - and his choice would determine
the outcome.
Indecision tore at the apprentice as he watched Anakin's
frantic dodges and Qui-Gon's slowly tiring movements. The field
would drop any minute now, even a second's delay on his part
would spell disaster for both of them. His blue-green eyes
anguished, Obi-Wan looked from his Master to the boy Qui-Gon
had such hopes for.
He is the chosen one.
The words rang in his ears and it was then Obi-Wan knew what he
must do. Though part of him felt as he was dying, a sweeping
wave of tranquility rolled through him, carrying the pain away
and leaving only a sure sense of purpose. Letting his gaze go
to his Master's face one final time, Obi-Wan powered up his
lightsaber and turned his attention to his target.
The barrier flickered off and the young Jedi raced toward the
Sith Lord, cutting him down the second before his blade would
have descended on the small boy. Behind him, he heard the other
Dark Lord give a triumphant laugh as he ran the Jedi Master
through and then the dull thud of Qui-Gon's body hitting the
floor.
Obi-Wan gathered the shaking Anakin close to him, for the
moment unable to turn and see once again the horrid stillness
that had claimed his Master.
The vision faded, leaving the apprentice shaken and weak,
clinging to his composure by the barest of threads. A soft blue
haze coalesced beside the kneeling Jedi and part of it brushed
over Obi-Wan's spiky hair. You have done well, Padawan.
The words ghosted across the young man's mind, disappearing
before they had even been fully understood. His mind whirled
with a thousand questions and then slowly quieted once again as
he sought his answers within the Force and himself.
Outside, the members of the Jedi Council nodded to each other.
The trials were never easy and this test had been more severe
than most, akin to a final tempering of a sword in a forge. The
only way to see if the blade would remain whole under stress
was to strike at it's weakest spot. If it was going to fail,
far better to know now than when lives were at stake.
Leaning heavily on his cane, Yoda walked into the circular
room, the sharp tapping of wood on marble enough to rouse
Obi-Wan from his trance. The elderly Jedi studied the young man
for a long moment, searching his eyes for the
self-recrimination and doubt that had been there earlier. They
were still present, but it was also clear that Obi-Wan was
dealing with them and not wallowing in them.
The apprentice rose up on one knee and bowed his head
respectfully, his thoughts calm. At this point it did not
matter to him what the Council decided, he knew where his path
led and how he would follow it just as his Master had.
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