Title: No Matter Where You Are

Author: Jenn

Rating PG

Timeline: Obi is 15. This is set between JA 13 & 14. Ten years before TPM.

Category: Obi-torture, angst, action, a little romance. Also a loving father/son relationship between our boys. So if that brothers you, don't read. Non-slash.

Feedback: Of course!

Summary Obi-Wan is trapped on Earth during the time of the American Revolution with no way to got off the planet, all a while not being able to use the Force.

Achieve: Jedi Apprentice: Fan Dimension and JC forums.

Disclaimers: George Lucas who made Star Wars owns everyone in it. Jude Watson own any characters aside the ones that belong to Lucas, both really, own Jedi Apprentice books. Copyrights go to them and Lucasfilms and Lucasarts. I make no profit from this story, but the characters, Sam, Ben, Tom, and Benedict are mine. Anyone else that may not have been said are historical figures.

Thoughts are in and Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon talking through their bond are / in /.

Thanks goes to Jane for betaing this and for the feedback. Thanks also go to Cassia and Erika. Thank you so much you guys.

Part One

Obi-Wan Kenobi opened his eyes slowly. His head was pounding. Every part of his body ached.

As Obi-Wan tried to sit up, the world was spinning out of control. Looking out on the lake, he remembered what had happened, and groaned.

The spacecraft that he had been piloting had run into a small floating comet. On impact it had thrown the craft off course. Obi-Wan hadn't been aware of this; he had hit his head hard, causing the craft to float in space uncontrolled. When he came to, there was nothing he could do to control the ship on the itinerary it was going toward on the course it was following. The spacecraft was headed right into a green and blue planet, caught in its gravitational pull.

The craft had crashed into what looked to be a large and deep lake. Obi-Wan had scarcely been able to get out in time before the ship filled with water.

Obi-Wan looked at his surroundings. There where trees and other type of plants around the lake. The air was cold, and not just from coming out of the lake.

Getting slowly to his feet, Obi-Wan heard footsteps. A redheaded boy came into view. He was dressed in what looked like a shirt with white puffed sleeves and a brown vest with blue pants going to his knees and white stockings with black shoes. When he saw Obi-Wan he stopped.

"Ben!" the boy said with surprise.


Qui-Gon was covered in darkness. The kind of darkness that was blacker than the night. He couldn't see anything around him. But he could hear. And what he was hearing was pulling at his heart.

Screams. Tortured, soul-wrenching screams. Screams that sounded familiar.

Qui-Gon ran to where the screaming was coming from. But the faster he ran, the farther he seemed to be getting away from the screaming. Coldness chilled his body like a night on Hoth. It curled its fingers around his body and stopped him in a death grip.

Then Qui-Gon heard the familiar voice. It caused his blood to go cold. Not the voice, but the pained despondency that laced it.

"MASTER!"

Qui-Gon woke with a cry. "Obi-Wan!"

It was night, the room silent. He was still in the pub on Tatooine. His padawan was on his way back from a visit to his family on another Outer Rim planet to go on their next mission.

This wasn't the first time he had this dream. Just before this mission, the dreams of his screaming apprentice began. And Qui-Gon was always hearing, never reaching.

His padawan and others was more gifted in dreams and foresight, but it wasn't the first time he had a dream about the future. This dream was trying to tell him something, but what? He had a feeling that whatever the something was, he was running out of time.


Stupid! That's not Ben!

Sam McGregor looked at the boy. He looked a lot like Benjamin. The same frame. Even the hair and eye color were the same. Of course, Ben's hair was longer, and he didn't have the eccentric braid on the side.

The boy was giving him an odd look. "My name isn't Ben."

"I can see that! Who are you then?" Sam said, aggravated. Holding his frustration, he said, "I'm Sam McGregor."

The boy looked undecided whether to tell Sam the truth or not. He said, "Obi-Wan Kenobi."

Sam's brow wrinkled in confusion at the inconsistent name. "O B Won Kenobe?" he asked.

Obi-Wan had a feeling Sam wasn't saying it right. So he repeated his name a few times for him.

Sam nodded with understanding.

Unexpectedly, they both heard footsteps near by. Sam didn't know who it was, so grabbing Obi-Wan's arm pulled him towards the nearby bushes, where they took cover. It was a good thing too, because a minute later, men in red coats come in view. There were about four of them, two stepped up to the lake to fill deerskin bags with water.

"British lobsterbacks," Sam breathed the name.

"Hey, Todd! Get me some, too!" one of the British men yelled, tossing his bag at one of the men at the water.

"Why don't you get it yourself!" the man named Todd threw the bag angrily back.

Obi-Wan stayed perfectly quiet and motionless. Sam on the other hand was trying to move just a little to stay hidden. While doing that he stepped on a small twig and it snapped. Sam turned pale with his green eyes going wide and stopped.

One of the British turned toward the noise. "Will you two shut up! Dave, go check the bush over there."

In order to cloak the both of them from the eyes of the British, Obi-Wan started to gather the Force around him and Sam to become invisible. Much to his dismay he couldn't get tuned in with the Force. He could feel just a little of it, but it was just out of reach. He reached for his lightsaber. It was gone too! Obi-Wan wasn't sure if he and Sam could fight four grown men with weapons, and he had the gut feeling that there were more men near by.

As the Redcoat got closer, Sam tried not to panic. He saw the dismay in Obi-Wan's eyes, and his stomach fell with worry.

Suddenly Sam heard noise of feet and horses getting closer. The four lobsterbacks must have heard it too, because they went running.

Soon came about a half a dozen men in colonial clothing. They peered at the bushes and headed straight for them.

Two men each grabbed Obi-Wan and Sam, holding their arms behind their backs.

One of them stared hard at Obi-Wan and said maliciously, "Benjamin McGregor, you deserted the army. What do you have to say for yourself, boy?"

Sam spoke in Obi-Wan's defense. "He's my brother. He didn't desert!"

Obi-Wan shot him a Quiet look.

"Well, we'll have to see want the General thinks of your brother." He said the last words like a curse.

The soldiers tied their hands behind their backs, and then moved them into a clearing where their horses were. Four of them mounted, while the other two remained, prodding their two young prisoners with their muskets.


Obi-Wan had a very bad feeling about this. As they came into sight of the colonial army camp, he felt dozens of eyes boring into him, in the growing dusk.

What he saw wasn't helping either. Most of the men where dressed in blue coats or just shirts and vests. He knew he was very out of place with his cream tunics and light brown robe. He also noticed some of the men didn't have shoes. These where the men looking at his boots like Whiphid would at a fresh womp rat.

Hs hands were starting to become numb where the soldiers had tied them tightly. The rope was digging into his skin. Obi-Wan felt that he should be trying to untie the rope, but he also had to keep his balance on the uneven ground, and with no access to the Force, that task was hard enough, without having to worry about the rope as well.

Obi-Wan knew by the look on Sam's face, he wasn't use to this roughness. He hoped that Sam wouldn't get into trouble on his account.

Although Obi-Wan's statement remained calm, on the inside, he was trying not to panic. He had no touch of the Force and he had no weapon. What in the galaxy was he going to do? Would Qui-Gon even find him?

They were led to what looked to be the largest of the tents. It was dimly lit with lights that looked to be in some sort of glass. It was real fire and not generated. There were a dozen or so men and they were standing around a table looking at what seemed to be a map with markers in different places. The men all looked up at Obi-Wan and Sam.

One of the men who had captured them spoke. "General Benedict, sir, we have this boy and this one," he pointed to Obi-Wan, "he is a deserter. Lieutenant Thomas Anderson was his regiment leader."

The older man, General Benedict, stared at Obi-Wan with cold eyes. He turned to one of his men next to him at the table. "Get Anderson."

Benedict looked at Sam. "Who are you, to be socializing with a deserter, boy?"

Sam tried not to tremble under the defiant stare Benedict was giving him. "I'm Sam McGregor, Private McGregor's brother. I am a recruit and Ben didn't desert." He tried to say that firmly with conviction, but his voice cracked.

Obi-Wan started to deny that he was Ben McGregor. "Sir, I-"

The flap of the tent opened, Obi-Wan noticed a man in his early twenties. He had dark hair and glanced at him.

"General," he said, and saluted.

"Anderson, is this Private McGregor, who deserted?"

Anderson looked at Obi-Wan with a steady gaze. Obi-Wan could read the man's expression. Anderson said, "Yes, that is him."

Sam spoke up. "Lieutenant, with all due respect, my brother didn't desert."

Benedict glared at Sam. "Silence! Go sign up!"

Sam nearly choked on air. "Yes, sir." He said quietly. After getting his hands untied he left the tent.

Obi-Wan was relieved that Sam was not in trouble, but part of him wished Sam could have stayed for support.

"Sir, I don't believe that Private McGregor deserted. He wouldn't show his face again if that were the case," Anderson spoke in Obi-Wan's defense.

Benedict looked at Obi-Wan. The look made Obi-Wan's stomach churn.

"You have a good point, Anderson. Be as it may, he must be punished for leaving during war." Turning to Obi-Wan, he said, "Private McGregor, directly at sunup tomorrow you will be brought before all of the regiments and be flogged." Obi-Wan's face paled. "Fifty lashes."