The Legacy of the Knight
By Kori Lewis
Rating: PG-13
Category: Romance/Angst/Drama
Summery: Obi-wan had a stronger bond to Qui-gon then he realizes, more then just the force. (Non slash) This is a lot of fluff really. It is not even that good.
Part One: Remembering
Qui-gon Jinn lay on the cold floor of the Nubian melting pit, his head cradled in the lap of his young Apprentice. He could no longer feel the coldness of the floor, or the warmth under his head. He could no longer feel much of anything. But he could feel the tears of a boy who had barley been given the chance to be a child and now he was forced to be an adult.
For 24 years Qui-gon had watched him grow, 12 of those years as his master. The other twelve as a spectator too scared to come in. His Apprentice had been his sole pride ever since the day he was born. Qui-gon knew that this was the one thing that made dying easier, that he had left behind the best part of himself. He knew he no longer lived, but he still watched as boy sat crying over his body. How he wished he could reach out and tell him that it was all right, but he knew he no longer could. He no longer could tell this boy what he meant to him.
It was then that Qui-gon be-rated himself. He had spent his last words telling his apprentice to train the young boy who Qui-gon had come to believe was the chosen one. He never told the boy whose tears were falling on his dead body what he meant to him. He never had the change to tell him the truth about their relationship. Now he never could. He never realized till then how much the boy took after Heather. His personality was like hers, always having that reluctance to show their emotions. He had her intelligence and her power to heal. Qui-gon remembered many times when the boy would end up healing wounds that Qui-gon had ended up with. He had her never-ending wit. Sometimes people would say the boy was not very tolerant of other species but Qui-gon knew most of the time he was joking about 'pathetic life forms' mostly because Qui-gon seemed to attract beings that were indeed pathetic. His mother had been the same way. Memories came suddenly to him of long ago when he had first loved Heather Kenobi.
Qui-gon had been knighted for only a short time, two years to be precise, when Yoda asked him to take his first padawan. He had followed the older Master to where the hopeful adolescents were to fight. As they had turned the corner, a girl had ran into him, causing him to trip as well as her.
It had taken him a moment to realize she was not a hopeful padawan, but a healer recently knighted herself. She was not as tall as he was, perhaps six inches shorter. Her hair was a golden blond that reached down to her waist. Her eyes were a deep green and her face was quite beautiful. Had he believed in love at first sight, he would have considered that it.
"I'm so sorry Master Yoda, Knight Jinn. I didn't see you coming. I guess I wasn't aware of my surroundings as I thought I was"
"Obvious that is, Knight Kenobi. Short I am, but not that short. Introduce you, I should. Knight Qui-gon Jinn, Knight Heather Kenobi, meet you."
"Hello Knight Jinn, I have heard much about you. You were Master Dooku's apprentice, right?"
"Yes, I was. Call me Qui-gon."
"Call me Heather. Master Dooku likes to brag he has trained the best Jedi Knight."
"Hfm." Yoda said as all three turned to enter the gym, Heather temporarily forgetting her mission. "Arrogance does Dooku have. Good Qui-gon is, but best he is not. Dark side feelings Dooku allows in himself. Bad this is." Qui-gon didn't reply to that, knowing it was helpless to argue with Yoda.
"My Master was Master K'tal. He knew your master it seems. They went out and had tea together often." He remembered they had met before, when they were both 17. She had been much shorter then, not as thin, and homely with her freckles. Master Dooku had asked Qui-gon to walk with her though the garden while the elder friends discussed the mission at hand. He had secretly hated his master for that. They had walked through the garden silently and Heather had pointed out the different varieties of plants to him. Qui-gon hadn't listened to a moment of it and Heather had walked off, never seeing Qui-gon till that day. Dooku had been mad at Qui-gon for a long time. Qui-gon now realized she had forced herself to forget it.
Obi-wan Kenobi stood up off the floor and looked down at his master. The master looked oddly calm for someone who had just fought a Sith Lord. But then, Obi-wan figured, when you die, things like that didn't matter anymore. He turned away from the older man's body and walked towards the hanger to find Anakin.
His clothes hang on him, with burn marks in the multiple places Obi-wan had been hit. Bruises and cuts were beginning to show as well. His eyes were still read from crying, making the blue-green eyes even more present in his face. He hurt all over from the many falls he had taken while fighting, but he ignored it all. He had to find Anakin.
Anakin meanwhile was starting to land in the Nubian hanger. He had felt Obi-wan searching for him, although Anakin had not known right away who it was. He had never felt Obi-wan's mind before, only Qui-gon's. Qui-gon's was somehow missing he noticed.
What scared him was how Obi-wan's mental touch had been filled with sadness and anger. Was Obi-wan still mad at him for Qui-gon's decision to take him as a padawan. He rushed out of his plane, egger to apologize to Qui-gon for flying in the battle. He really hadn't meant to. The plane had just taken him there. He had somehow blown up the Trade Federation's droid control ship, wining the war.
"Anakin," came a voice from the one door as Anakin zoomed past it, trying to get to the palace and find Qui-gon. He stopped and looked at the speaker startled by what he saw. There stood Obi-wan Kenobi, looking like he just arrived from hell and was trying to hide it. Anakin could feel that the man was in pain, emotionally as well as physically. Anakin had never seen him this way. He had always seen the man as someone who had no emotion and was infallible. But as he looked at Obi-wan he realized that was as far from the truth as it could be. Obi-wan was just as vulnerable as he was.
"Obi-wan?"
"Come here." Anakin did as he was told, very confused. Where was Qui- gon? Why was Obi-wan here like this? Nothing was making sense. When he reached Obi-wan, who was leaning against the door for support, Obi-wan slid down to look him in the eye. " Qui-gon isn't in the palace Anakin. You won't find him there." How did Obi-wan know that he was going to look in the palace. "He died Anakin, He died." Obi-wan pointed into the melting room. "He's in there."
Anakin ran into the room. He didn't need Obi-wan to lead him. He had it in his head. He never realized Obi-wan had shown him it telepathically. When he reached the room, he rushed to Qui-gon's side. Tears already flowed down the nine year old's cheeks. Qui-gon was indeed dead. He thought at first Obi-wan was trying to lie to him, trying to hurt him. But the truth was that Qui-gon was dead and Anakin had to accept that. And it was Obi-wan's fault.
Obi-wan put a hand on his shoulder but Anakin jerked his shoulder away.
"Go away."
"Ani."
"I said go away! And don't call me Ani. You don't deserve to. If it weren't for you he would be alive. You killed him. You could have prevented his death but you didn't and you allowed him to die!" Anakin turned back to Qui-gon's body, never hearing Obi-wan leave.
"Your right Anakin. It was my fault."
Part Two: Reminiscing.
Kayla Morna, a young Arcadian healer followed her Jedi master off the transport. They had arrived the day after the battle and were now following the Chancellor to meet the Queen. The Queen was not the one she wanted to see. She wanted to see Obi-wan, her boyfriend since they were 11. Well, at least most people saw it like that, Obi-wan and her thought each other as just friends.
Her master was healer Heather Jade. Both women had a common appearance. They both wore the healer uniforms of the Jedi Order and wore light sabers. Heather was the only healer trained to use a light saber. Kayla had learned it from her.
Heather was a tall woman with long blond hair, although it was considerably shorter then when she was younger. She had green eyes that shined like Qui- gon's saber blade. She had a slight figure, which was typical of a Tattoine woman. Kayla on the other had had blazing red hair. Her eyes were a subtle blue- green. She was about the same height as her master, perhaps an inch shorter. Like her master she had a slim build, but that was not typical of her planet. Most women had a stronger look to them then she did, but her father was a Nubian fighter pilot, killed in an fatal crash between him and another pilot. Heather had been the one who had found Kayla to be force sensitive and her mother had gladly given her daughter up to a brighter future.
"Be mindful of your thoughts, Kayla. I don't think you want master Yoda to think you are being disrespectful to the queen by not paying attention," the older Jedi said. Kayla turned to face the Queen.
"Yes, Master." They were up next and bowed to the Queen and Chancellor. They then walked off to the side. Although it didn't show on the outside, Kayla knew Heather was also worried about Obi-wan Kenobi. Heather had told her the truth about everything, including a secret kept from Obi-wan
"Kay! Master Jade!" Obi-wan called to them. He walked up to them followed by a sullen looking little boy. "This is Anakin Skywalker. Master thought he should be trained. Anikin, this is Jedi Master Heather Jade and her Padawan Kayla Morna."
"Hello Anakin. Would you come with me and talk to me a little bit?" Heather asked. Anakin nodded and the two walked away. Obi-wan and Kayla watched them for a while and then turned to each other and embraced in a hug. Somehow their lips came together and they remained locked together until someone had to ruin it for Kayla. She was really enjoying it.
"Padawan Kenobi, are you going to introduce me to this beautiful young lady?" came the voice of the Supreme Chancellor.
"Chancellor Palpatine, This is Padawan Kayla Mourna."
"Chancellor, it is an honor to meet you." Kayla bowed.
"The honor is mine, Padawan Mourna. It is not everyday you meet a talented young Jedi and meet his beautiful and no doubt as talented Lady." Kayla blushed. She had never been called Obi-wan's 'lady' before. She kinda liked it. She had been in love with Obi-wan for years. Hopefully he never knew about it. "I came to express my sympathies, Jedi Kenobi. Qui-gon Jinn was a great man and a honor to the Order."
"Thank you Chancellor." The Chancellor squeezed Obi-wan's shoulder before walking away.
Heather had taken Anakin to a small fountain and had sat there listening to the boy talk about his life. He had just gotten to the part where he had come off the plane in the hanger when he stopped and asked her about her life.
"What would you like to know about me?"
"Anything." Heather thought back and remembered.
Heather waited patiently inside the gardens, her heart beating faster as time went on. He was coming back from a mission with his padawan, Xanatos. Qui-gon would be there in a moment.
"Hey there." Heather turned and ran into the arms of the man she had grown to love in the last twenty years. He hugged her close to his large body and kissed her.
"C'mon don't you two ever stop?" came the voice of nineteen year old Xanatos
"No, because I happen to love her. Now didn't Master Yoda tell you to see him when you got back on the planet?"
"Yes Master." Xanatos walked off and Qui-gon turned back to his wife. "Now where were we?" He leaned down and kissed her again, but as much as she enjoyed her husband's kisses, She had something to tell him. Something that could drastically change their lives.
"Qui, hold on for a moment. We need to talk." She lead him to a bench that sat near the stream. She sat opposite of him.
"What is it that you want to say, love?"
"Qui, you know that vacation we had on Alderran?"
"Of course." He smiled. "We really didn't get out much now did we?"
"No, but that may be the problem. I'm pregnant."
"Well, that's not so bad."
"Qui, how are going to do this. The council hardly approved of our marriage, they surely wouldn't approve of a baby."
"Since when has the Council ever mattered to me when I made my decisions?"
"He really said that?"
"I would like to know this too. Qui-gon never told me this." Heather turned to see Obi-wan standing behind Kayla with his arms around her.
"He would've told you. They said we could tell you when you were a knight."
"Did you have the baby?"
"Yes, Ani, I did. You already meet him too." Ani looked confused before it donned on him.
"Telling him, you are?" came the voice of Yoda.
"Yes, Master Yoda."
"Make his father proud, Qui-gon's son did. Made the Council proud as well."
"Will someone tell me who this boy is?"
"You, Obi-wan. Your Master was your father. "
Part three: Reconnecting
Obi-wan stood beside the window, looking at the peaceful scene below. The sun was slowing setting in the background, coloring everything in it's soft light. He closed his eyes for a moment, still trying to understand all that had happened in the last five days. Five days ago, His master was killed, Four days ago he found his master was really his father and Heather Jade Kenobi-Jinn was his mother, Three days ago he had been knighted and the funeral had taken place. Now he was a true knight, even having a padawan. He had not talked to anyone since the funeral, hoping to sort out his feelings.
He had been able to let go of the anger and hurt of being lied to for years, but another feeling still remained. Kayla was still in all his dreams. She had been his best friend since they were both in the Crèche together. He couldn't understand that after 23 years of knowing her, he was suddenly attracted to her. He guessed it must have been something that had grown over the years, like something else. He smiled. He had something to ask her when they got to see each other again. Something he hoped she would say yes to. It wasn't as if he had never noticed that she was attractive, he had like any other normal human boy, but he had never dwelled on it. It was his best friend and the most he had spent on it was trying to get the other padawans away from her. Some padawans, mainly Gerek, had asked him to set them up with her. He had of course said no.
This had made everyone think that they two were together. It had been that way since they were eleven. He laughed to himself. In someway they were. They just never admitted it to anyone or each other. He wondered if Kayla knew how he felt about her. More importantly, did she feel the same way? He guessed that he would never knew if he never asked, but he really wasn't sure He wanted to know. He really enjoyed having a friend like her to come back too.
"You could still be friends with her without missing out of being her love." Obi-wan smiled. He turned around and faced the astral image of Qui- gon.
"You really think so?"
"Of course. Look at your mother and I. We were good friends and lovers. Romance doesn't end the friendship." He paused for a second before continuing. "I'm sure you have questions about that." Obi nodded.
"Why didn't you want to take me if I was your son?" Qui-gon sighed.
"Because I was afraid that you would end up on the dark side like Xanatos. I very little faith in my abilities to teach padawans and the least of those I wanted to risk was my own son." Obi-wan nodded at the statement. It made sense although the fact that his father had refused him for a while still hurt.
"Why didn't I know?"
"The council decided it was for your best interest to be treated like any other Jedi hopeful and be taken away from us. Your mother changed her name by taking her last name off and used her middle name Jade."
"Why did you and Tahl go together if Mum was still there." For the first time since he died, Qui-gon laughed.
"There was nothing between Tahl and me. She was one of the few who knew your true identity. Heather, Tahl, and I were best friends." Obi-wan nodded.
"I'm sorry Master."
"For what Obi?" "For not making in time to save you."
"It's not your fault, Obi. My destiny was to die there. Yours was not nor was it to save me. I have to go now. It takes a lot of focus to appear to those alive, and I am tired now. I wish I could stay some more, my son, but I can't. Just remember I am always with you." Qui-gon faded away as the door was being knocked upon.
Obi-wan walked over to the bed and pressed a button on the console that was on the night table. A screen lit up, showing him who stood out side his door. It was Kayla and Anakin. Obi-wan unlocked the door and allowed them to come in. Anakin was the first to speck.
"Mister Obi-wan, I'm sorry for what I said when I found out that Mister Qui- gon was dead. I really didn't mean it. I was just angry." Anakin looked at the ground, clearing not expecting to be forgiven.
"I forgive you Anakin. I never really had anything to forgive you for. You were just specking my thoughts." Anakin looked up at Obi-wan and smiled. He ran over and hugged the older Jedi. Obi-wan laughed and hugged him right back. Kayla, smiling as she went, was about to leave when the two noticed her retreating.
"Kayla wait." Obi-wan said. Anakin looked at the two and horridly pulled on Obi-wan's sleeve.
"I'm going to visit the queen, alright." Obi-wan nodded, as did Kayla. Both knew how attached the two had become. Anakin left and smiled as he closed the door. "Your were right Mister Qui-gon. I do feel better now, and they do belong together."
"Thank you, my young friend." came a voice from the air. Anakin smiled then ran the way to the queen's rooms.
Kayla watched as Obi-wan approached her. She hoped he wouldn't notice her nervousness. She had come to the conclusion that she would slowly step out of their friendship, as being a friend would be too close to him.
"Kay, why don't we set down?" He took her hand and led her to a table that sat across from the bed in the massive room. She sat down and he sat in the seat beside her. "We need to talk Kay."
"Yeah, we do."
"I love you." Kayla was about to say she was no longer going to be his friend anymore when the comment hit her. For a second she said nothing, shock being her primary emotion at the time. "Please say something. I feel kind of stupid telling you that. I don't even know if you could think that way about me, let alone feel."
"Oh, Obi, you have no idea." Kayla said taking his hands. "I have waited ten years to hear you say that. I love you too. I always have, in one form or another. But we are Jedi and there is nothing we could do about it. It goes against the council." Obi-wan looked up at her. "Why do we have to follow the council's every word? They don't know everything. I love you and I want to show you how much I love you, I don't care what the council would say." Kayla smiled.
"I feel that way too, but I always thought you were the type who was strictly by the code."
"In most ways I am. But in the last week, I have found that sometimes you have to throw the code out the window and do what the force and your heart are telling you. My heart tells me to stay with you forever and the Force seems to agree with it right now." Obi-wan took a deep breath and slid to the floor in front of him. He wasn't one for traditions, but he had heard that on Kayla's planet, the traditional thing to do was to ask on your knees. "Kayla Lee Morna, will you marry me?" Kayla eyes filled with shock at the fact that he was doing this. She had never expected this...everything was going so fast. She smiled.
"How could I not"? She got down to his level and put her arms around him and kissed him. "I love you." She said quietly as she held on to him, leaning her head on his shoulder. Tears were coming down her eyes. She was happy. He loved her like she loved him, and now he wanted them to be together. He had even asked her to marry him in the traditional Arcadian way. Obi-wan moved her so she could look at him. He stood up and brought her with him and walked over to the dresser stand. He turned around and shyly smiled.
"I've been thinking about asking you for a long time. When I was in Courscant last time with the queen, I managed to get something." He reached into the drawer, grabbed a small box and walked to where she was standing. He opened the small white box and took out a ring that made Kayla gasp and then start to cry.
The ring was a symbol of their Jedi lives as well as their love. It was made from two crystals, intertwined with each other. One was blue, the color of Obi-wan's light saber, and the other was purple, the color of her own. It was something that the Jedi used instead of the gold bands that most citizens wore. It was more personal and meant more. When one was made, the maker would carve the first stone, most times the husband's and then intertwined the other spouses around the perfect circle of the first one. It was sealed together with a force lock that also contained the maker's force signature, which meant the maker wished them good luck in their marriage. Only Master Jedi could make them, and it was a skill not learned by most. Heather wore one that was green and white, the colors of the light sabers of her and Qui-gon around her neck and Master Yoda had made it. The most special thing about a Jedi band was that before the bride could wear it, the council blessed it. There was no formal ceremony in the Jedi lifestyle. Just the ring. Obi-wan took Kayla's hand and placed it on there. Like most, it sparkled as it absorbed a little of the force signature of it's wearer. It fit perfectly, so the person who had made it had obviously known her.
"Master Qui-gon helped me make it. I made most of it but he taught me how to make it." Kayla smiled. That made it even more special. It had the blessing of Obi-wan's father and the man who loved her own master. Now there was only one thing that was needed to seal the bond. They had to say the words that would make them officially married by Jedi Standards. They both smiled at each other and said them as they stared into each other's eyes. Love is eternal as the force
Heather Jade Kenobi-Jinn stood on her balcony looking at the stars, knowing full well what was happing on Naboo. She not only had her link to her padawan, but she had her husband beside her. He was not showing himself, like he did with Obi-wan, but she didn't need that. All she needed was the soft mental touch of her lover.
"They belonged together. The council can't deny that." Qui-gon laughed. "Not after Yoda told them he approved of the marriage. He said he had a vision about thier child. His vision was that the child they were to have would be one of those chosen to regenerate the Order. That child as well as the children of Anakin."
"Yoda is a wise old troll."
"He approved of us. He was the only one who did."
"Yes, and that is why I trust him with everything I held dear. My husband, my son, my daughter."
"Your Daughter?"
" Kayla is the closest thing I could have to having a daughter. Besides she is now." Heather smiled as she quickly closed her link to her padawan. There are certain things that are best kept between the two at Naboo.
"Heather, I am glad it is your 'daughter'."
"Why?"
"Because she is the only one I could think of who would love Obi-wan as much as we do. He is our legacy." Yes, Heather thought. He is the legacy of the Knights.
I wrote this several years ago and decided to post it up. It's not very canon and frankly not one of my best, but it is one of my first complete fics, so it holds a special place with me. Originally this was going to be continued into a second "book" that was Mara/Luke but I decided against it. If you haven't figured it out, I had hints in this story about Mara's connection to Obi-wan. It's also not cannon but who knows what is when it comes to Mara's parents.
