AN: I do not own Star Wars or any of its characters. Nor do I own the original idea of a magic mirror...
I took some of the lines from the Internet...
I hope you liked this little (different) story and I would really appreciate the feedback.
Mirror
"He should not be here," Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn almost shouted at the small green and the dark skinned Council members.
"Why not?" Mace Windu demanded to know, he was slowly loosing his patience with his friend since childhood.
"He is the son of a Sith, he shouldn't even be allowed to run free!"
"Calmer, you will be, or ended this conversation is," Yoda said sternly and knocked his gimer stick on the stone floor to get his point across.
"Yes Master," Qui-Gon said and took a deep brief all the while trying to find his centre, "I don't understand why the Council chose to take him. We know almost nothing of the Siths' power, he could be an adult in disguise for all we now, yet you let him resident here as if he were a youngling."
"But a youngling he is, hmm."
"He is a danger to the others."
The wise and green Jedi shook his head in disapproval, "Letting your fear cloud your mind, you are."
"It is not fear, it is knowledge of what the Sith are capable of."
"Haven't you just said that no one truly know what kind of abilities the Sith possess?" Mace Windu raised and eyebrow and leaned forward in his seat. He rested his elbows on his knees and his chin atop of his folded hands.
"That is not the point. The point is, the boy is dangerous and not to be trusted. I have seen what he can do with that mirror of his and it wonders me also, why the Council hasn't taken it from him yet. It is a Sith device for Force sake!" the Jedi Master had been getting louder at the end of his speech.
Yoda closed his eyes and once more shook his head. Mace on the other hand looked as if he wanted to say something, but then his gaze fell on something behind Qui-Gon and his expression turned shocked. Qui-Gon whirled around only to be faced by the boy he had just been talking about. The boy's blue-green eyes looked up at the Jedi Master from behind sandy coloured hair. The boy's face gave away nothing of his feelings.
"Obi-Wan," Yoda called out to get his attention.
The boy immediately turned towards the green Master and bowed deeply, "You have summoned me, Masters?"
Qui-Gon huffed, which earned him a disapproving look from the two Council members and an unreadable one from the boy, who now stood next to him.
"We did indeed, Initiate Kenobi," Mace Windu began, but Yoda interrupted him, "Heard what was said, you did?"
"Yes Masters… forgive me, but I was told to enter and you were not very silent…" he trailed off and Yoda chuckled.
"No, calm and silent we were not. Your thought on this matter, tell us you will."
"Yes Master…" he paused, "I think Master Jinn does not like me…and I am sorry if I have offended him and others with my presence. If it is the Council's wish, I shall leave the temple, I do not wish to cause further trouble." Qui-Gon was surprised at the honesty of the words, but then again, the little Sith was probably a Master of deception and manipulation already.
"Heard enough I have. Remain here, you shall. A Master we will find for you, trained to be a Jedi, you will." The boy bowed.
"Masters," Qui-Gon had taken a step forward and began to protest, but he was cut off this time by Mace Windu.
"We heard enough, Qui-Gon. This matter is decided and you will accept the Council's decision. These are our last words!"
The long haired Jedi Master looked furious, but bowed stiffly, "If you'll excuse me now, I have a mission to attend to." With a last glance at the youngest person in the room, Qui-Gon eventually left.
The old Jedi Master sighed and Windu suddenly looked older too. "Masters, are you alright?"
"Yes Obi-Wan, it is Qui-Gon we are worried about…" Mace Windu stated, "He let's fear cloud his judgement and connection to the Force, young one."
"What is he afraid of?"
"I fear that only he really knows and I ask of you not to ask your mirror for an answer. I have a feeling he will tell you in due time."
The ginger haired boy looked confused at his elder, but he eventually shrugged, "I will not ask my mirror, I promise you." The dark skinned Council member smiled at that.
"You are a good boy, regardless what the old fool says." Obi-Wan gave him a small smile.
"See this in time, Qui-Gon will. Connected his future and yours are, young Initiate. Until then, guide us the Force will."
"You are dismissed." Windu said and Obi-Wan bowed a last time, before he vanished as well.
"Hey, Obi-Wan!" Garen Muln shouted over the heads of his fellow comrades and waved the ginger haired boy towards his table.
Obi-Wan smiled at his friends, Garen, Siri, Reeft and Bant had immediately accepted him as he was. They didn't care that his parents had been Siths, they accepted him for who he was.
"How are you doing?" Garen asked.
"I am alright," Obi-Wan answered with a shrug.
"I don't even need that mirror of yours to know you are lying," Siri said seriously.
Obi-Wan shrugged, "Master Jinn does not like me…"
Garen huffed at that, "It is his problem then, because you are a great guy."
"He is right, Obi. Why do you even bother about his opinion?" Bant asked.
"He is the key to my future, at least that's what my mirror and Master Yoda told me."
"Can you ask your mirror everything?"
"I guess, but I won't ask him for any questions of the test, Garen." The other boy pouted at that.
"I never saw you using it… can you ask it something now?" Siri asked excited.
"Ask it what they will serve in the Cantina tomorrow," Reeft suggested which earned him the laughter of his friends, "What?"
Obi-Wan shook his head, "Alright, alright." He reached for a pocked in the inside of his tunic and pulled a small round mirror from it. He carefully settled it against the wall their table was standing against. "Let's see.
Mirror, mirror against the wall,
my goals, will I achieve them all?"
Just after the last word was spoken, appeared fog in the mirror and a moment later the picture of a proud and confident looking man appeared. He was way older than any of the Initiated, but he had the same hair colour as Obi-Wan. He wore a beard and his lightsaber had a similar design like Obi-Wan current one had.
"Look at his eyes," Bant suddenly exclaimed and all the Initiates leaned closer to the small object, "these are totally your eyes, Obi."
"It looks as if you are going to be a great knight, my friend!" Garen laughed and patted the smaller male's shoulder. Obi-Wan smiled at him.
"Can you ask it something that is not related to you?" Siri inquired.
"Yes… but what would you have me asking?"
"I don't know… think of something!"
"Siri is right, my friend. Don't be so egoistic," Garen laughed.
Obi-Wan rolled his eyes, but complied,
"Mirror, mirror, I'll make amends,
who is the fairest of my friends?"
A moment later the face of Siri Tachi appeared in the mirror, causing the said Initiate to straighten up and to look satisfied.
"Your damn mirror made a grave mistake; clearly I am the 'fairest of your friends'!" Garen protested loudly and Obi-Wan was extremely glad that they were almost the only once in the dining hall.
The ginger haired man shook his head and quickly pocketed his mirror, he didn't notice Bant following his every move, "My mirror makes no mistakes… now if you'll excuse me, I wanted to spar."
"I'll come with you!" Bant exclaimed and stood up, when Obi-Wan gave her a smile.
Together they left the dining hall and made their way through the temple's corridors.
"I was wondering," began Bant, "on whose opinion is your mirror based on?"
Obi-Wan thought for a moment, "As far as I know it refers to all those, who knows all of my friends… why do you ask?"
"Oh, I was just wondering… what is your opinion?" she asked cheekily.
The ginger haired boy stumbled over his feet and blushed, "Oh, eh, I do not have an opinion. You are all equal, I guess."
"You are still a bad liar," Bant replied and before Obi-Wan could do or say anything, she dashed forward and reached into Obi-Wan's tunic and drew out the small mirror.
"Bant!" Obi-Wan exclaimed, but the Mon Calamari girl was already out of his reach.
"Mirror, mirror with all your odds and ends,
who does Obi think is the fairest of his friends?"
Nothing happened and she looked bewildered at Obi-Wan, who looked apologetic and shrugged, "It only works for me, I fear. I don't know why, but that's just how it is. It wouldn't even work for Master Yoda."
"That's because WE are not using the dark side of the Force, you dirty Sithspawn!" a voice behind Obi-Wan sneered and the ginger haired boy turned around abruptly, only to come face to face with Bruck Chun.
"Leave him alone!" Bant demanded.
"Stay out of this, Mon Calamari. This is between Jedi and a pathetic Sith."
"I am no Sith," protested Obi-Wan.
"You are the damn spawn of one and that means you are. Face it Oafy-Wan, you will never be a Jedi. Which Master would voluntarily take you, hm?" Obi-Wan found himself unable to reply, which caused Bruck to laugh loudly. "You are so weak," and before Obi-Wan could react, the other boy had boxed him in the face and the ginger haired male found himself dizzy on the floor with Bruck hovering over him.
"What is going on here?" a stern and deep voice suddenly asked.
Bruck turned around, "Master Jinn, he suddenly attacked me for no reason and I had to defend myself."
Jinn's gaze turned cold as he glanced at Obi-Wan and his bleeding nose.
"That is not true!" Bant exclaimed when she realised her friend wouldn't defend himself, "Bruck is lying!"
"Master, she is his friend, of course she would protect him. Please don't punish her for that, she is just protecting him," Bruck said in a fake worried voice.
"Master Jinn, listen," but she was interrupted by Obi-Wan, who stood up on slightly shaking legs, "It's alright Bant. He is not going to believe you… why should he? I am only a dirty Sithspawn after all." With that the young boy turned around and almost fled.
"Go to the healers, Initiate Chun and you Initiate Eerin will go back to your room."
"Yes Master," Bruck bowed and returned, but before he vanished behind the corner he gave Bant an evil grin which the Jedi Master did not see.
"You call yourself a Jedi Master?" Bant shouted at the taller man, who locked down at her in surprise and shock, "Obi-Wan hasn't done anything, not now not ever! Why do you hate him? Why does everybody hate him and treat him as if he had a deadly disease? He doesn't deserve this, especially not from somebody like Bruck or you! Yes, you heard me right, in my eyes you are just a tyrant, just like Bruck Chun," with that she ended her tirade and stomped angrily away, leaving a stunned Jedi Master behind.
Qui-Gon suddenly felt guilty, the Initiate had been right, he shouldn't have come to any premature conclusions. He felt ashamed, he was normally better than that, but with Obi-Wan Kenobi. Yet, he reflected, the boy had projected nothing but hopelessness and defeat, there had been no anger, no hate. He had expected this, especially from the son of Siths…
The tall Jedi Master shook his head to clear his thought and then he noticed a small object lying abandoned on the ground. He knelt down and carefully picked the little mirror up. Apparently Initiate Eerin had let it fall, he had seen something in her hand before. Qui-Gon was already standing up and walking towards the Initiates' quarters, when he suddenly noticed the neatly scribbled name on the back of the mirror. It read: O-W. Kenobi
Qui-Gon found himself wondering, why the boy had given his mirror to the Mon Calamari. As far as he knew, the boy was very protective of it. He clutched it tighter; he would have to find the boy then. He just had no idea where Obi-Wan could have gone. He hesitated, but then looked down at the mirror in his hands. He had seen how the boy had used it. The tall man sighed, he felt ridiculous,
"Mirror, mirror… in which Obi-Wan confides…
eh, show me where your Master hides."
Rhyming was definitely not one of his strengths, Qui-Gon decided.
He watched, almost in awe, at the picture the mirror was providing him. It showed one of the more secluded gardens, one he used quite often himself. The Living Force was very present in this garden and Qui-Gon was surprised the Initiate chose to go there. He sighed again and slowly went to the garden, mirror still clutched in his hand.
He spotted the young boy under one of the trees, he was leaning against it, face turned upwards and eyes closed. The tall Jedi Master could see the wet trails on the boy's cheeks as well as the blood from his nose and he hesitated. But exactly at this moment, the boy opened his eyes and looked directly at the older man.
"Master Jinn. Here to punish me?" it was said in an emotionless tone and Qui-Gon forced himself not to flinch. He had done this. Obi-Wan WAS the son of Siths, but he was also still a child, he could still be formed, right?
"No, you are not going to be punished. Your friend helped me… realise that I have not acted appropriately and I apologise for this." The boy's expression did not change, it remained neutral, almost defeated.
"Do you want to tell me your view on the events?" Qui-Gon tried again and stepped a little closer.
"No, it doesn't matter now."
Qui-Gon would have sighed in frustration if this whole mess were not his own fault, "I think your friend lost this."
The long haired Jedi showed the boy the object in his hands, who looked at it for a moment.
"Are you not going to keep it or bring it to the Council?"
"Why would I-" he stopped himself when he remembered his conversation with Yoda and Mace. He sighed, "No, it is yours and… and I have no right to keep it." The boy looked up at his face, before he turned his head away again. "Don't you want it back?" Qui-Gon asked bewildered.
"Mirror, mirror on the wall,
who's the biggest fool of all?
Is it the boy who can't stop crying,
or maybe the boy who kept on trying?" startled at the younger male's question, the Jedi Master looked down at the mirror. Letters were starting to form and since Obi-Wan couldn't see it, he read it out loud,
"The asker is the biggest fool,
cause he's become another's tool.
Very deep," Qui-Gon said.
Obi-Wan ignored his comment,
"Mirror, mirror don't you see?
What you show, is ruining me."
To the taller man he sounded as if he were on the verge of breaking down again.
The mirror formed new letters,
"What you think you see? It isn't true.
The misery is found inside you.
Don't lock yourself in a broken soul,
or I promise you, one day, you'll lose control."
Obi-Wan laughed bitterly and Qui-Gon saw fresh tears trailing down his cheeks, "There you have it, I am going to lose control… why don't your report that to the Council, maybe they'll let me go then."
"You don't want to be here?" Qui-Gon asked, not quite believing he was having this conversation.
When Obi-Wan only shrugged, the taller man carefully kneeled down, next to the boy. "I don't want to be anywhere…"
Qui-Gon carefully placed the mirror next to the boy before mumbling,
"Mirror, mirror on the floor,
show the boy what's worth living for."
Curiously Obi-Wan looked at the Jedi Master, whose eyes were trained on the mirror with an unreadable expression. The ginger haired boy quickly looked down as well and was astonished that the mirror was actually working for somebody other than him.
"Asker and boy, both,
Take each other's oath.
The two are looking for,
What's already in their core.
Just open your hearts and you will see,
What's worth living for and what could be."
"That sounds like something Master Yoda would say," grumbled the boy and Qui-Gon silently agreed.
"Maybe the troll is hiding in your mirror, it would be big enough…"
The boy actually chuckled, "I don't think Master Yoda has a talent for rhyming… or for speaking with correct grammar."
"Who knows, maybe there are two of them," Qui-Gon shrugged.
Silence arose between the two Jedi. Qui-Gon had handed the ginger haired boy a handkerchief, which he gratefully accepted.
"I am quite surprised, Master Jinn."
"Oh?" the taller Jedi raised an eyebrow and glanced sideways at the boy, who was wiping away the blood from his face, "Care to indulge me?"
"You are the first to whom my mirror responded. Normally it only listens to me…"
"Maybe it felt that I was trying to help his Master," the long haired Jedi suggested, but Obi-Wan shook his head, "I am not its Master. It allows me to own it, so to speak."
"What happened really back there?" Qui-Gon tried again.
The ginger haired boy looked at him for a moment and then turned his gaze to the bloody handkerchief in his hands. "Bruck just likes bullying people I guess, especially 'dirty Sithspawns' who cannot go to a Master for help, since no one would believe them."
"I believe you," Qui-Gon had no idea why he did, but the Force told him it was the right decision. Blue-green eyes turned to look up at him, full of shock and something else. It was gone the next moment, replaced by a carefully crafted mask that could easily rival his own, but Qui-Gon was sure he had seen admiration in those eyes. The boy seemed to search for something in his face and Qui-Gon allowed it, he even lowered parts of his shield, because the Force urged him too.
"You are going on a mission, right?"
Qui-Gon was startled by the sudden change of topic, but he easily caught himself, "Yes… why are you asking?"
Obi-Wan shrugged and then held out his mirror to the older male and turned away his face again, "Maybe you should take this with you… it works for you and I have a feeling you will face great problems and danger on your mission."
Qui-Gon's hand closed over Obi-Wan's and the older Jedi was surprised how tiny the boy's hand looked compared to his, "This is kind of you, but I won't need it. I trust the Force to guide me and I trust it to keep me out of harm or to help me through it." He hesitated, "Maybe you should learn to do the same."
Obi-Wan bit his lip and nodded slowly, "Maybe I should…"
The older Jedi retreated his hands and slowly got up, the young boy followed his example.
"You should let a healer look at your nose, not that it is broken."
"It is fine… I am fine." At Qui-Gon's raised eyebrow he added, "I am mostly fine… besides, I do not like the healers very much."
"That is something we have in common then," he sighed, "May the Force be with you then, Obi-Wan Kenobi."
"And with you, Master Jinn."
They bowed and when Qui-Gon turned to leave for his mission, he suddenly had a very bad feeling about this.
"Oh and Master Jinn?" The older Jedi Master turned around at the voice and was greeted by mischief eyes, "Your rhyming is sluggish."
"Brat," he shook his head, but he made sure the boy saw his amusement before he turned around and left.
"By the Force Obi-Wan, you look as if a herd of banthas had stomped over you!" Siri exclaimed once he sat down to his friends in the quiet and almost empty dining hall.
"I feel as if a herd of banthas has stomped over me," Obi-Wan retorted.
"What's the matter, pal?" Garen asked, but the ginger haired boy just shrugged.
A few weeks had gone by since Obi-Wan's talk with the Jedi Master and the Master had still not returned from the mission, at least if you could believe the temple rumour. Two or three weeks after the Jedi Master's departure, Obi-Wan wasn't quite sure, he started to have strange dreams. Usually he heard a strangely familiar voice calling out and most of the time he couldn't make out the exact words. Only a few times had he been able to understand the words 'free', 'will come', 'help' and 'please'. Obi-Wan was highly bothered by this dreams and not only because they robbed him of his much needed sleep, but because he felt as if they were significant. He had talked with Master Yoda and Master Windu, the two Jedi Masters he could trust with anything, about his dreams, but the two Masters were just as clueless as he was.
After their little lunch and break time, his friends decided to go to one of the trainings hall to spar against each other, but Obi-Wan declined the offer. He had finally decided that he had enough of this dreams and he would ask his mirror about them. Actually he had wanted to use the device less since his talk with Master Jinn, but drastic situations needed drastic measures. So he went to his usual spot in his favourite garden, exactly where Master Jinn had found him, and pulled out his mirror.
"Mirror, mirror please just hear me out,
what are my strange dreams about?"
It took a moment for the mirror to react and Obi-Wan feared for a few seconds that it wouldn't work, but then the usual fog appeared and when the image finally cleared he, the ginger haired boy was so shocked by what he saw that he almost dropped the device.
Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn was captured and tied up to a strange looking machine. He looked way too pale, as if he had recently lost a lot of blood and if it weren't for the rise and fall of his chest, he could have been dead. Obi-Wan simply stared at the picture for a few minutes, before something happened. The Master moved his head to look at something that Obi-Wan couldn't see, but he could hear the voice nevertheless.
"I hope you are ready for the next round, Jedi?" the voice of a woman sneered and a moment later, the long haired Jedi convulsed in pain. He actually screamed and between the pained screams Obi-Wan could hear single words and phrases.
"Help me… please… need you… Obi… please."
Obi-Wan was beyond shocked. He suddenly recognized the voice in his dreams as that of the tortured Master. So Master Jinn had called out for help and to him, at least the ginger haired boy could have sworn that the man had called his name.
With new found determination, Obi-Wan clutched the mirror tighter,
"Mirror, mirror something is greatly amiss,
show me who is responsible for this."
The picture of a blond woman appeared. She wore a white lab coat and was working and playing on a device with which she surely controlled Master Jinn's torture. Unfortunately Obi-Wan did not know here, but he was sure that the Council could.
Still clutching the mirror in his hand, he practically raced in record time towards the Council chamber, but he was not allowed to enter. His protests were cut short and every attempt to break through the guards was in vain. They said that the Council was in an important meeting and the did not want to be disturbed by anyone.
That is why Obi-Wan sat highly frustrated on his bed and thought hardly about his next move. His things were packed and he was ready for departure, but he was not sure if that was the right decision. The Council and Master Yoda and Windu would want that he waited, but he didn't want Qui-Gon to suffer any further. That and the Force urged him to hurry up and leave. So he eventually took his bag, the consequences be damned, and he quickly made his way towards the hangar, careful that he wouldn't be spotted by anyone.
"Mirror, mirror don't tell a single soul,
but you have to help me reach my goal."
The mirror showed him the shuttle he needed to get on and once Obi-Wan was safely hidden on board, it switched to a facility that looked like the laboratory the Master was held in. Obi-Wan tried to remember everything the mirror showed him, including the way he had to go, the dangers on his way and the places he could hide.
He sighed, hopefully neither he nor Master Jinn would suffer from his impulsive decision.
Obi-Wan sighed in relief when the laboratory finally came in sight. He was close to the Master now, but he still couldn't feel him in the Force. Obi-Wan was not surprised, the strange woman surely used something akin to Force inhibitors or another device to block the Force from escaping. She surely would not want to risk that her prisoner and lab rat could escape or that another Jedi caught her, how unfortunately that she had not expected Obi-Wan, Jedi Initiate and proud Sithspawn to find her. Obi-Wan had decided on the flight here that he could be at least a little bit proud that he was a Sith. Otherwise he would not have his mirror and he would not have known where to look for the Jedi Master.
With a last deep breath, the ginger haired boy eventually entered the laboratory that looked like a ruin from the outside. From the inside however, it was a place completely in a sterile white and Obi-Wan was sure that he would go nuts in such a place like this. He was climbing through the dusty ventilation shafts, careful not to make any sounds, or to use the Force. His mirror had warned him about the Force sensors and he didn't want to be discovered just yet.
When he finally arrived the room he was looking for – he had made a brief detour to grab the Master Jinn's lightsaber - Obi-Wan was silently thinking the Force that it was completely empty except the gaseous chamber in which the older Jedi Master was trapped.
He quickly moved out of the shafts and silently landed on the ground. He quickly took a look around, before his eyes settled on the strange machine next to the chamber. His skin crawled when he thought about all the things that crazy woman could do fit it and he decided to destroy or sabotage it after he had freed the older Jedi.
He approached the glass with determined steps and cut it with his activated lightsaber. As soon as the glass was destroyed, the strange gas escaped. Obi-Wan instinctively took a step back.
The Jedi Master groaned in pain and suddenly slumped forward, onto the ground and immediately Obi-Wan was at his side and gently turned him so that the taller man was lying on his back. Qui-Gon blinked a few times against the light, but his eyes eventually settled on the boy who was sitting at his side.
"Master… are you alright?"
Instead of answering, the Jedi reached up with a shaky hand and Obi-Wan allowed him to touch his face and to cup his cheek. "You are real," the man said in awe.
"Of course I am," Obi-Wan huffed in irritation, he was a little scared for the mental health of the Jedi Master.
"You came…" the taller man breathed out and his expression suddenly turned sad, "after all I've said and done. You heard me… and you came."
"Of course I came… can you get up?"
Qui-Gon looked confused for a moment, "No, I need a few moments."
"I do not know if we have so much time." Qui-Gon hummed in agreement, his eyes still resting on the boy's face.
"I should have listened to you," the taller male said, his voice was beginning to sound stronger and normal again.
"Excuse me?" Obi-Wan said bewildered.
"I shouldn't have let my fear blind me… I would have noticed the bond sooner otherwise and maybe I would not have been captured then."
Obi-Wan was confused, apparently the older Jedi had a talent for confusing and irritating him, but he chose not to ask. He shook his head and closed his eyes for a moment, in order to find his focus. He then placed his hands on the older man's chest and started to send healing energy through his hands into the man. Neither of them noticed the red light that started to blink wildly.
When something settled onto his hands, Obi-Wan opened his eyes and looked at the man, who wore something akin to a fond expression on his face.
"Master Jinn?"
"I was completely wrong about you… a dark side user could never heal another being."
Obi-Wan was perplexed for a moment and immediately lost focus because of it. "Damn it," he cursed silently.
Qui-Gon actually chuckled, "Release your frustration and anxiety into the Force, little one."
Obi-Wan retreated his hands and leaned slightly away from the Jedi, who gave him an irritated look, "Alright, I don't know what they gave you, but it seems to be brain damaging. I only hope for your sake that the effect is only temporarily or that the damage can be repaired."
The long haired Jedi felt slightly insulted at that, but before he could explain himself further, the door to the room swung open and two figures stepped inside. Obi-Wan immediately grabbed his lightsaber once he recognised the smiling figure of Jenna Zan Arbor. Meanwhile Qui-Gon struggled to get up and with a little help of Obi-Wan he was able to sit up and lean against a supportive wall.
"Nil, look who we have got here, a little Jedi youngling."
"I am not a youngling and you have got nothing."
"Watch your tongue or I'll cut if from your mouth!" the man, obviously Nil, threatened.
But Obi-Wan only huffed in amusement, "I dare you."
"Tsk tsk tsk, there is no need for that now. I just want to talk little one."
"Don't call me that," he wouldn't let a dirty scientist call him by a nickname."
"What should I call you then?" the blonde woman tilted her head.
"Obi!" Qui-Gon warned, but the ginger haired boy ignored him. Instead he got up and positioned himself more or less between the older Jedi and the two newcomers. "My name is Obi-Wan Kenobi, make sure you remember that." Obi-Wan had no idea where this new found confidence came from, but he wouldn't complain.
"What a temper you've got, Obi-Wan, especially for a Jedi."
"I am no Jedi," the woman raised her eyebrows at that, "I am much more, but also much less than a Jedi."
"Now you have spiked my curiosity, Obi-Wan. Care to indulge me?"
"Obi-Wan, what are you doing?" hissed the long haired Master between clenched teeth. E still felt too weak to actually do anything. The boy did not answer, he just held out a small mirror to the older Jedi, which he hesitantly took.
"Place that against the wall for me, would you?" Qui-Gon looked hard into the boy's blue-green eyes and when he was met with sheer determination, he finally complied.
"Well? Will you answer my question?"
Obi-Wan gave her a toothy grin and he straightened up, "Before you, stands a Sith in training and make no mistake, the Force is strong with me."
"I could see that," he gaze wandered towards the blinking machine. "My machine reacted quite wildly to your Force using, isn't that right Nil?"
"Yes my lady, whatever you say."
Obi-Wan raised his eyebrows. If the man started to drool while looking at Zan Arbor, the picture would be perfect. A blind man could see that he was head over heels in love with her and she seemed to use him for her advantage.
"I wonder, are the Sith really stronger than the Jedi or are they just pretending to be?" the female's eyes bore into Obi-Wan's, who held the gaze.
"Of course we are, that's why it would be very wise of you to let us go now. I promise you, no harm will fall upon you."
"Why should I believe you, Sith? Your kind is known for telling lies," the scientist spat.
Obi-Wan's grin widened, "It is, isn't it. But the Sith are also known for their impatience, as well as their angry and destructive nature, their true nature, not the one they pretend to have." He hesitated, "Want to see mine?"
Obi-Wan knew he had her exactly where he wanted her to be. Jenna Zan Arbor was a brilliant scientist, but she was too obsessed with her projects. She didn't even realise she was walking right into his trap. Maybe he was more Sith than Jedi after all and somehow, this realisation did not seem to bother the ginger haired boy at all.
"Obi-Wan, what are you talking about? This is your true nature," when Obi-Wan slightly turned his head to look at the Jedi Master he saw Qui-Gon gesturing at his body.
"Is it truly, Master? I wonder… maybe this is just an illusion…"
"This is a dangerous game you are playing and you will lose it… damn it, leave me and save yourself."
"Now you are willing to cooperate?" Jenna Zan Arbor asked in disbelief.
Obi-Wan ignore her comment, "I don't think that will be necessary, Master Jedi." He turned back to the scientists and looked deeply into her eyes, while he rhymed,
"Mirror, mirror on the wall,
who's the baddest of them all?"
The machine started to blink and to beep violently again and Qui-Gon couldn't help himself, but to look down at he mirror that rested beside him. The once clear surface was now pitch black and suddenly it's surface cracked. At the same moment something around the young boy began to shift as well.
Jenna Zan Arbor looked with astonishment when the boy's blue-green eyes turned yellow and when a strange looking, black tattoo appeared on the right side of his face. On top of it all, the boy's beige tunics began to turn black and once the transformation was finished, he spread his arms as if presenting himself.
"Well, Jenna Zan Arbor, what do you say?"
"Impressive," she said breathless, "you will be a worthy test subject."
"You still seem not to get it…" Obi-Wan chuckled, but it was without any joy, "You have no control over me, in fact I am the one in charge."
Qui-Gon was left speechless. Had he truly been caught in the boy's illusion? He shook his head, this was not it. But what had just happened and could Obi-Wan be brought back on the right way?
"We'll see who is in charge. Nil!"
The assistant grabbed his blaster and fired at Obi-Wan, who stood perfectly still. Faster than any of the other people in the room could look, Obi-Wan moved his arm and caught the poisoned arrow between his fingers.
"That's sweet," and with another movement of his wrist, the little arrow flew through the room and embedded itself in Nil's neck, who sank to the ground almost immediately. A predatory grin appeared on the ginger haired boy's features and he turned to gaze at the only female in the room, who watched him with wide eyes.
"I'll warn you! If you kill me, he will die!" she motioned to the pale Jedi Master, who still rested against the wall.
"What, you mean by the virus you implanted in his system? The virus I am already destroying?" he tilted his head.
Qui-Gon looked up startled and he forced himself to call for the Force to scan his body. There was really something in his system that meant harm and did not belong there, but there was also the boy's Force signature that slowly destroyed every single one the alien organism in the older male's body.
"Surrender Zan Arbor and you will not be harmed," Obi-Wan said in a calm yet cold voice and Qui-Gon saw the slight twitch of his fingers and how the assistant's blaster was slowly levitated up.
"I will never surrender!" she spat and turned around to run around, but before she even reached the door, the ginger haired boy had clenched his hand into a fist and the blaster fired. An arrow embedded itself in the woman's neck and she, just as her assistant before her, fell unconscious to the ground. The boy made a discarding gesture with his hand and the blaster clattered to the ground, "How uncivilised." He then turned fully around to face the Jedi Master, who was shocked by the changed appearance.
"Obi-Wan," the long haired man began in a calm and reassuring tone, "you have to snap out of it. This is not you, you are a Jedi."
"No, I am a Sith and that's what I will forever be… I realised that thanks to you and your words."
Qui-Gon clenched his hands into fists and prayed that he did not ruin another bright being. Xanatos fell to the dark side because of him and he could not let the same happen to Obi-Wan as well.
"I will not allow you to fall, little one."
Obi-Wan tilted his head, "Do you really believe I care for you approval?"
The words had hit its mark, but Qui-Gon took a deep breath and tried to find his centre again. When he opened his eyes again, he looked more closely at Obi-Wan's Force presence. It was still as bright as it had been in the temple, but the bright light was surrounded by darkness. But to Qui-Gon's surprise the darkness was not swallowing the light, but sheltering and protecting it. Suddenly the long haired Jedi Master realised something else.
"Obi-Wan, could you look at my Force presence?" The young boy raised an eyebrow and crossed his arms over his chest, but eventually shrugged and complied. "Can you see what I see? Your Force presence, your dark Force presence surrounds me…"
"I am aware… my presence surrounded you since we met the first time, we were just too blind to realise that back then."
"Yes, it surrounds my presence, but it is not touching it… I wonder what would happen then…" the older male trailed off.
"No!" Qui-Gon was startled by the exclamation and the wide an panicked eyes, but he had made his decision and he brought his own presence closer to the boy's.
As soon as they touched, Qui-Gon doubled over in pain and began to pant heavily. The dark presence tightened his hold onto the older male's signature and the next moment he fell unconscious.
When Qui-Gon came back to his senses again, he was lying on the ground and his head rested on something comfortable. Qui-Gon groaned and he blinked a few times to adjust his eyes to the light and when he did, he realised that his head lay on the ginger haired boy's lap, who was looking down at him with an unreadable expression.
"You are a stupid fool! How could you have done this?" the older male flinched at the volume of the boy's voice.
"I was curious…"
"Curious?!" Obi-Wan interrupted the long haired man, "You could very well be dead because of your curiosity! Do you realize how foolish you were?"
"But I am not dead, I seem quite fine actually."
The boy snarled in anger, "You just don't realise it, do you?"
"Realise what?" Qui-Gon asked.
"You are bonded to me," the boy spat out, his furious yellow eyes boring into Qui-Gon's.
"I thought we already were since the first time we met… besides, I don't see why you would be upset about this, Padawan."
"That's the point, I am not your Padawan. In fact YOU are MY apprentice now."
Qui-Gon blinked, not quite believing what he just heard, "I am your apprentice?"
"By Sith rules you are, yes." He sighed in exhaustion, "When I broke the mirror, I allowed the presence of my father to merge with me, just as he did with his father and he with his father. It is a long chain that goes over centuries. The first Sith of my line, trapped his being inside a mirror not unlike mine. He sent the mirror to his son, who broke it when the time was right. Once he did that, all his father's wisdom, knowledge, skills and power was transferred to him."
"And the son continued what the father did with his own son?" Qui-Gon assumed.
"Yes. My line, the Kenobis, is the oldest of every Sith line. The others either ceased to exist, split up or were too obsessed with themselves to even consider giving their own power to their descendants."
"Not the family types, I guess…" Qui-Gon joked, but the boy kept serious. Qui-Gon cleared his throat, "I guess you figure this out thanks to the knowledge hidden in the mirror?"
The boy nodded. "By Sith standards you became my apprentice when you accepted my presence, that's why your eyes are now yellow too and why you bear the same mark as I do," he motioned for the black lines on his face.
The older male hesitantly reached up, but stopped before his fingers met skin. He looked into yellow eyes for confirmation and once he found it, he touched the mark. "What does it mean?"
The boy huffed in amusement, "The first part means 'pure' the last part 'Kenobi'…" He paused, "I am bot quite sure about yours though… Of course the last part also means 'Kenobi' you belong to my line now, but the first part… I think it's 'devoted."
Qui-Gon blinked, "Devoted?"
"Apparently that is your most prominent character trait… I would have gone for foolish, stupid or stubborn." The older male flicked the boy's forehead, who leant back and rubbed it.
"What will we do now?" Qui-Gon asked, still too comfortable to get up.
"I will break the bond and sent you back to the Jedi temple."
"What? No, I will not go without you and you are certainly not going to destroy a bond that was created by the Force."
"I will not be responsible for your downfall," Obi-Wan replied seriously.
"I will not fall, I am too long a Jedi for this."
"Others have said this as well."
"I am not the others, I am me…" he paused and sighed, "We both could benefit from it. Actually the whole Jedi Order could benefit from it. This could be our change to restore our relationship with the Sith that are willing to work and live alongside the Jedi, in peace and harmony. I could also teach you the way of the Jedi and you could teach me yours… maybe I will be able to understand my first Padawan better."
Obi-Wan's curious nature was spiked, "What happened to him?"
The older man's gaze became sad, "He fell to the dark side…" He closed his eyes and Obi-Wan already regretted his question, but Qui-Gon continued, "But his presence was swallowed by the dark, yours is jus enveloped by it… I am terrible sorry for not seeing this sooner."
"You are forgiven, Master Jinn."
"This is another thing that distinguishes you from Xanatos. He could not forgive me and the Jedi for taking him away from what he called his birthright."
"Xanatos?" Obi-wan straightened and blinked in surprise.
"Do you know him?"
"My father knew him… he thought the boy was mad and probably beyond salvation. A dysfunction in his brain apparently caused multiple personality and while the one side was bathed in light, the other more dominant one was dark as the night. I guess if he could be caught and if the right person would take a look at him, his darker side could be destroyed or extracted."
"Could you do this?" Obi-Wan smiled at the hopeful tone in the older man's voice.
"Of course… at least I am able to extract the dark side in him…" he sighed, "You need to get better before we go searching for him though."
"Sounds like a plan," and with that Qui-Gon finally sat up.
Obi-Wan got to his feet, "Just for the protocol, I still think whatever that woman gave you, caused damage to your brain."
"No… it and the Force just opened my eyes and allowed me to let go of my fear."
Obi-Wan hummed, "Does not change my view…"
"Let us just go, shall we?" Qui-Gon said, but Obi-Wan was already halfway across the room and with seemingly no effort, he picked up Jenna Zan Arbor and her assistant.
"By the way, I've got your lightsaber… and stop that."
Innocent eyes looked at the younger male, "I am just curious…"
"Curiosity kills the gundark. Besides, curiosity my ass, you were trying to use the bond to use a mind trick on me," it was said with a great deal of amusement, "We will not search for Xanatos before you went to the healers… honestly, are you the older man or am I?"
"You are the one, who inherited his ancestor's knowledge, so tell me."
Obi-Wan huffed, "Just grab my mirror, would you?"
Qui-Gon did as he was told and then got up on shaky legs, "What will you do to secure your line… the Jedi are not exactly allowed to engage in romantic relationships."
"You forgot that I am foremost a Sith, a Sith who is still too young to think about things like this. Besides, what the Council does not know… and for now you would be my heir as strange and wrong as it sounds."
"And here I thought I would eventually be able to outsmart Master Yoda…" Qui-Gon joked while they slowly made their way through the corridors. He had pocketed the mirror and with every step, he felt more comfortable in his body again. He even took the assistant from Obi-Wan's shoulders at one point.
"Already planning on getting rid of me to gain my knowledge, I see. Is this how every Jedi treats his Padawan?"
Qui-Gon looked surprised at the younger male, who gazed calmly back. So you agree on being my Padawan?"
"If you still want me." Only now did Qui-Gon realise that the mark on the boy's face had disappeared and that his eyes were back to blue-green. His tunics remained black however.
"Of course I want you. In fact, I would be honoured if you became my Padawan learner, Obi-Wan Kenobi."
The boy gave him a brilliant smile and right now he was just that. A boy, not a Jedi and not a Sith, simply a boy who finally found his place in the galaxy and who somehow managed to melt the thick ice around an old man's heart.
"I have a question-" Qui-Gon began, but he was interrupted by Obi-Wan, "The mark and the yellow eyes will only appear when you use the dark side or when you want then to appear."
"How did you-" once more he was interrupted, "Your side of the bond is not shielded and you were projecting quite clearly.
The older male blinked and concentrated on the bond. Immediately he was greeted by a wave of joy that came from the ginger haired boy and he answered by sending pride and affection through it. This would certainly be not easy for both of them, but Qui-Gon was optimistic that they could do this together. Their bond was not only approved and forged by the Force itself, but with the boy's inherited wisdom and knowledge about the Sith and the dark side and Qui-Gon's knowledge of the Jedi and the bright side, they complemented each other. That and they both did not really follow the Jedi Code, even though they had different reasons for that.
"You know, I think the two of us make quite the pair…" Obi-Wan gazed quizzically at the older male, "You have quite the temper and a cheeky tongue for an instance, and my demeanour is calm and I know when something should be better left unsaid. Yoda would approve of the bond, he always preached about the importance of a team that can balance each other's missteps and problems."
Obi-Wan shrugged, "I am willing to learn, Master."
Qui-Gon returned the honest smile, "So am I, Padawan mine, so am I."