Part 1
Siri Tachi, Jedi Knight took a deep breath as she started to climb the large marble stairs of the Jedi Temple. It is the first time she had been back since she left when she was 17. Slave dealers and Pirates were getting old for her. She needed to regain her connection with the Force, her connection with her life. She was born a Jedi and would remain as such. That is of course if the Council would take her back.
She placed her dark brown hood over her head slowly as she walked into the big door way of the Temple. Younglings and other Jedi walked past her in the halls as she could feel their judgmental eyes on her. She put her head down in shame, trying to hide her face from anyone that might have known who she once was as a Jedi. Her past came rushing back to her as she went through those doors and there was no turning back now. Everything she needed to confront would be there waiting for her.
A sigh crept up from her chest and escaped her lips as she reached the Council's meeting room. She knew that Master Yoda and Master Windu would be in there and need desperately to speak with them about her returning. She had gotten a transmitted call a couple weeks back about a Clone War and how they needed help, from any Jedi. She didn't know it if was towards her or if she was just on another Jedi's wave link, but she didn't care. She would die for the Order and protect it anyway she could.
She took a step back placing her back against the wall next to the sliding doors. Master Jedi walked out of the meeting room carrying themselves in a manner she always wished she had. The way her Master Adi did and she admired it as a young padawan.
"Anakin you cannot blame the Council, you should be grateful for how they are treating you at your age. It isn't that they don't trust you, they are just concerned about you, as am I." A familiar voice said walking back placing his had on his apprentices back.
"Obi Wan…?" Siri said to herself but loud enough to be heard by the passerby. She covered her mouth quickly turning her head from the former friend. He stopped in his tracks and glanced over his shoulder. She could feel his eyes on her and her stomach dropped. She could feel him walking towards her and she finally saw Master Windu and Yoda leaving the room. She moved herself quickly towards them just before he could reach out and graze her shoulder.
"Master, may I speak with you?" Siri said in a quiet nervous tone bowing towards her two former Masters. She placed her hood down to her back and looked up into Master Windu's dark eyes.
"Siri?" Master Windu said in a shock look, still with a stern expressions that never changed. It took a lot for her to not wrap her arms around him in a daughter-like embrace.
"Got our message, she did." Yoda said looking at Siri. She smiled towards him and nodded her head.
"I heard of the war and that you needed some help. I only hoped that you would accept my offer." Siri said solemnly.
"Of course, we need all the help we can get." That voice came from behind her putting their hand on her shoulder. She shuttered to the warm familiar touch. Obi Wan stood next to her with his warming smile. He moved his hand and folded them in his biceps over his chest. "It's a shame you had to find out the way you did." he continued. She could tell he was serious by his tone.
She wanted nothing more than to keep looking forward at Windu and Yoda but couldn't help but look at her former friend, former padawan, former lover. She shook her head to the memories racing through it as their eyes met.
"Yes. I got it on my transmitter and didn't know whether or not it was for me, but I just couldn't think to stay away knowing there was something I could do about it." She looked towards Obi Wan as he looked back without even wincing. How could he do this? She was in almost shock when she saw him. Maybe he had forgotten?
"Obi Wan, show her to her quarters you will." Yoda said.
"Yes. Then you should go through some drills with her. See if she still is as fast as she once was. It has been quite sometime since you've been back Siri, and we just need to make sure you are up to the challenge of any missions in this war." Master Windu said.
Siri smiled towards her Master's and nodded. "I'll try my best not to let you down Master. I've always practiced and never lost touch of the force."
"Sense it in you, still strong it is." Yoda said to convince Windu in some way that re-training her is not needed.
"Still, it will be better to get some more training in you." Obi Wan said looking towards Siri, in a tone she couldn't quite make out. She knew he wasn't trying to put her down in any means, but he just had a way about saying things that got to her. Still, she looked back at him with a smile.
"I totally agree. A session would do me some good. Shall we?" She bowed before Yoda and Windu before turning towards the long hallway.
She took a deep breath with her first step as she walked away. Obi Wan mirrored her actions and walked next to her in the same rhythm. She instantly remember as a padawan how something like this would annoy her, set her off about Obi Wan and their on going battle to prove themselves to one another. It's like her leaving didn't interrupt anything, Kenobi and her are still where they left off. He's the same, just older and more distinguished, with an apprentice of his own. She looked over at him as he walked admiring his dusted gray hair across the tops of his ears and a little under his lower lip of his bread. She looked back ahead of her and smiled.
"So I hear you have a padawan?" Siri said trying to break the awkward silence as they walked.
"Yes. Anakin. He's much like you were when you were younger. Rebellious and ignores orders."
"I never ignored orders!" Siri said in dispute to Obi Wan's comparison. He stopped and looked over at her with a raised eyebrow.
"Siri please, every time you and I went on a mission you did the complete opposite of what your Master asked of you."
"Are you dead? She said crossing her arms opening her legs in a strong stance across from him.
"Well no, of course not." He said confused.
"And you have me to thank for that." She said with a smile continuing to walk through the hallway.
Obi Wan laughed to himself. "I suppose I do."
They walked until they reached Siri's new room. She had lived a couple doors down but it was still all the same living quarters. Siri placed her sack on the couch and sat down. "Home sweet home." She said dryly as she looked around.
"More or less." Obi Wan said sitting next to her. "But either way it's good to see you again." He placed his hand on her knee without thinking and removed it quickly as she looked at him. She didn't give him a bad look or at least thought she didn't. Maybe the touch scared him as it did her.
"I'm glad to be back. I can't believe I lasted as long as I did." She laughed to herself looking down embarrassed of how her life has gone these past years. She looked up meeting Obi Wan's gaze and sank into his deep eyes as she did was she was younger. Those eyes that knew her for who she really was, the Jedi she always wanted to be and left before she could become it. Those eyes that knew every inch of her body and soul. Those eyes. She looked away again and took a sigh in.
"Is this always going to be dreadfully awkward between us?" Siri said avoiding Obi Wan's stare.
"It doesn't have to be. I understand now why you left, and I'm happy you came back. I missed you. Well, I missed having someone to go on missions with when I was younger, having a friend there. After Qui-Gon died I didn't really know what to do with myself. I had Anakin but he was still young and worked a lot on meditation and fighting skills. He was a handful and still is, but at the end of the day I did sit down and think of you, and Qui-Gon. Both of you I missed dearly."
"I heard of his death and cried for days." She looked over at him now placing her hand on his knee, not removing it. "I heard whispers on the streets and never believed any of it at first. I didn't want to believe it." She took a deep sigh in before speaking again, "I attended his ceremony. I stayed far in the back, just enough to see the fire." She looked down, removing her hand slowly from his knee and folded them in her lap. She had never told anyone and never planed on telling anyone about attending Qui-Gon's funeral, especially not Obi Wan. "I left before it was over, I couldn't bare to see you."
"I don't think I could have bare to see you either." Obi Wan said trying to look down at Siri's face. She still had her head down not willing to look up at him.
"The reason I left…" Obi Wan interrupted her before she could finish.
"It doesn't matter. All that matters is you're back and your able to help us. If there is anyone I could think of that is able to do so, it's you." Obi Wan said with a smile placing his fingers softly to her chin, turning her head towards his. Those eyes.
"Well now that you've seen your new homestead how about those drills Master Windu suggested? I'm actually anticipating seeing how much you've lost your touch." Obi Wan said with a smile towards Siri. She glared back at him getting to her feet.
"Oh, you just wait Kenobi and soon you'll be on your back, pinned. Just like old times." She said back in a challenging tone.
"We'll just have to see won't we? I'll let you change and settle yourself in, maybe do some stretching? We wouldn't want you to hurt yourself." He left her room before she could retaliate.
"That's okay. He'll pay for that one later." She said to herself unpacking her things. She unpacked her tunic she worn in battles. It was dark brown leather and fit tighter to her body than her normal tunic. The looser tunics were for meetings or negotiations with other planets. The tight stuff was for fighting, and she planed on doing some to prove Kenobi wrong.
Kenobi was already in the training room with Anakin. It was just the same as it was when she was younger. She walked into the dark room, window shades drawn as the wooden floor cracking under her feet. The smell of musk and sweat filled her nostrils as Obi-Wan and Anakin were deep in combat with one another. They were using training sabers to fight instead of real light sabers so that no real harm would come to them, a few burns but nothing serious.
Anakin struck at Obi-Wan bringing his stick over his head aiming for Obi-Wan's neck. He quickly stopped Anakin's stick with his own and pushed him away with a kick. Anakin flipped backwards and landed on his feet. "Every good Anakin." Obi-Wan said breathing heavily.
"I learn from the best Master." Anakin said bowing his head barely in a sweat. He was strong, stronger than Siri would believe. She looked him up and down studying him and trying to figure out what Anakin was about. There was something there but she couldn't figure it out. Maybe he was like her in a lot of ways.
"I see you're ready for your lesson." Obi-Wan said walking towards Siri smiling. Siri smiled back breaking her stare on Anakin and crossed her arms. "Anakin come here." Obi-Wan said motioning for him to come over. "This is Master Siri. She is an old friend of mine and one of the best saber fighters I've seen since you. As well as hands on combat." He said tapping Anakin on the back. Anakin bowed before her. She was taken aback by this since she was never introduced as a Master.
"It's very nice to meet you Master Siri. I've actually heard a lot about you from other Jedi, you seem to have a reputation." Anakin said as he rose from his bow. "Go easy on him, he's not as limber as he used to be." Anakin said putting his arm around his Master's shoulders.
"Anakin don't fill the women's head with lies. I'm just as fast as I once was." Obi-Wan said with a smile knowing his apprentice's dry sense of humor. Anakin bowed again towards Siri and then again towards Obi-Wan and left the room. "So, do you remember how to use one of these?" He joked handing her a stick. Siri snatched it away getting more irritated with Obi-Wan's ability to still push her buttons.
He couldn't possible think that just her time away made her weak. She'd always been faster with a light saber than him, and he knew it. Maybe he was just trying to get to her. It was working.
She glared at him from across the room, "We'll just see if your tune has changed once you're lying on your back Kenobi." She said moving past him. He looked at her walk away and noticed her outfit and how when she wore it before she did fill it out quite as well as she did now.
Siri walked around the room getting her old bearings back. His eyes following her waiting for her to strike.
"It's weird isn't it?" Siri said softly. Obi-Wan put his stick down slowly confused by her tone.
"What is?" He asked in the same softness of Siri's voice.
"This." She opened her arms looking towards him. "Us. Me being back and being here, going through drills with you, you're a master, I've always dreamt of being one, having my own apprentice."
"It was your choice to make to leave the Order when you did. We couldn't stop you."
"I know. As much as Adi and Qui-Gon tried I still walked away from it, from everything. I should have listened better." She leaned against the window pulling the shades open slightly looking out at the endless sight of cruisers passing by. The light illuminated her light blue eyes making them as if they were twinkling. Obi-Wan just watched her and said nothing. He could feel her pain, her memories. He walked towards her slowly and put his arms around her pressing his body close to hers. She clenched on to him as if it was her last moments in this world, trembling to his touch.
"Maybe we should hold off on the training until tomorrow? You seem tired and need rest." He said looking down at her. She pulled her head away from his shoulder and looked back at him. She wanted nothing more than to feel his lips against her again, taste him again, and feel his heart beat with hers again.
"Maybe you're right." She said pulling back putting her hands to her head. "I don't know what it is but everything just hit me."
"I can feel everything your going through right now, and you're overwhelmed. It's understandable. It's harder to let go of some things." He said letting go of her embrace. "I'll walk you back to your room."
They walked back to Siri's room in an awkward silence. Obi-Wan stopped in her doorway as she turned towards him as he crossed his arms. "Well, have a good rest." He said before turning and beginning to walk away.
"Kenobi, wait." She said putting her arm out gazing his sleeve.
"Yes." He turned towards her as she was looking down.
"I just want you to know that I haven't changed. I can handle this and I will. I'm not weak." She said looking back at him with concern and determination that if this was the way he saw her, she would be able to change it.
"No one ever said you were, and far be it for me to say that you are." He said with a smirk. "Get some rest I'll be back in the morning." He walked from her doorway as her door slid shut in front of her.
She stood there for a moment until turning back towards her empty room. She walked slowly taking it all in and letting it out in a shaky breath. Cruisers whizzed by her window as she leaned against her window panel. She looked towards the sky now turning a hazy gold as the sun set. She raised her hand and touched her fingertips along the surface of the glass. "Another new beginning." She brought her hand to the string that held the shades dropping them.