Life's Lessons Vol. II, Chapter I
Summery: It's been three years since the Xanatos incident on Reesha, and Obi-Wan is about to turn sixteen. Until… well I can't tell you that now, can I? READ ON IF YOU WANT TO KNOW : Dramatic Music:
Disclaimer: George Lucas owns it all but Sha-Rea, and the Characters and worlds I created in Life's Lessons Volume one.
Authors note: For all of you readers who have a burning question, my IM SN is Revan 3186. My e-mail is Drop me a line and we can chat.
A brown-cloaked figure stood next to another on a balcony bathed in the setting sun of Coruscant. They were about the same height and build, but one was a little stockier then the other. The man turned to the woman and spoke. "Master, I have been having those dreams again."
"Which ones, Padawan?" Adi Gallia asked, concern tingeing her voice.
"The ones that have raised so many more questions then answers, Master." Obi-Wan replied, his voice sounding somewhat tired. He hadn't gotten much sleep the past two nights.
"Obi-Wan, we have searched the Archives extensively for the past three years… there is still much left, but I don't know if you will ever find the answers you seek." His Master said.
"I know Master. With all the research I have done, I could probably take over the Archives from Madam Jocasta." Obi-Wan said dryly.
Adi chuckled somewhat. "Don't worry Obi-Wan. With the way you have advanced, I doubt the council will ever let you become a Librarian."
"I guess you're right. Do you need me for anything, Master?" Obi-Wan asked.
"No. You may go." Adi said.
"I'll be in the Archives if you need me." Obi-Wan said, his tone showing impatience.
"Don't center on the length of the search, center on the search itself. Time will fly past then. Besides, you always loved history, did you not?" Adi asked.
"Master I am two thousand years into the past. There wasn't much in the way of action then. Just heated senate debates. Boring." He smiled.
"I know what you mean, Obi-Wan. I know what you mean." She responded.
With that Obi-Wan turned and walked out of the room. He headed straight for the library, stopping only at the dining hall to grab a very large cup of caf.
He entered the Archives and headed straight to the back of the room, and into his usual research cubicle, a shadowed one off the right, whose only illumination was the blue glow of the screen. He sat, placed the cup of caf in its usual spot, directly overtop of the brown ring that was there previously. The cleaning droids couldn't keep up with him. The brown ring on the desk would more then likely remain there unless a thermal detonator went off right above it, and even then, some evidence might be left.
"Computer, open records I was looking at last. Authorization Kenobi Alpha 3."
The computer screen hummed and the records flashed open. He began to painstakingly read everyone, stopping only to rub his eyes and drink some caf. He closed the door to the cubicle and went into his utility pouch. His hands brushed something soft and he pulled it out. The Jedi looked at them and smirked slightly. His nicotine sticks. He sighed and pulled one out with his mouth, his other hand opening the lid to a lighter. Obi-Wan lit it and let the first puff of smoke out without inhaling it. "Where to search, where to search…" he trailed off and took a long drag. He exhaled it and began reading again.
Obi-Wan had picked up the habit from a little too much time spent with his friends with nothing to do. He knew he should quit, but it was the one thing that could make him relax while researching for long hours at a time. "Ahh… let me see here." He took out a small pocket ashtray and set it on the counter as well. He went back to searching through the Archives.
Adi stood in Yoda's private chambers. "Master Yoda, thank you for seeing me."
"Nonsense, never to busy to see you I am. Now, troubled you are. About what I wonder." Yoda said, his head bobbing slightly.
"It's my Padawan. He is growing more and more impatient with these dreams. I was wondering if you could help him." Adi said.
"Hrmm… just because old I am doesn't mean know everything I do." He tapped his walking stick with a smile.
"Well, you are one of the oldest Jedi, and I figured you could help him with the rigors of research. Maybe point him in the right direction." She said slowly, a grin spreading across her lips.
"Try I will. Have free time now, I do. In the Archives is he?" Yoda asked.
"Yes Master Yoda." Adi answered.
"Go to him I will, and help him." Yoda said.
"Thank you Master Yoda. I will be down to assist him also when I have completed my report on our last mission."
Yoda nodded and hobbled out of the room with Adi close behind.
Obi-Wan put out his second Nicotine Stick and fished for another. He lit it up and sighed, leaning back in his chair. Just then the door slid open and Obi-Wan was caught by a diminutive Jedi Master wielding a gimmer stick. "Uhh Master Yoda I can explain…"
Yoda merely stared at Obi-Wan. "Put it out you will."
Obi-Wan finished his drag and put it out.
"Came to help you I did. Help you I will." Yoda said and pulled a tall chair over to the cubicle and sat in it. He gazed at the screen blankly. "Hrmm…" Yoda said and then hit two keys on the touch pad. Another screen came up. "Don't think tell your Master I will not." Yoda smiled.
"I figured you would Master Yoda." Obi-Wan said glumly.
"Concentrate on this you will." Yoda chided.
"Yes Master." Obi-Wan said, focusing his eyes on the screen.
They were no closer to the answers in four hours then they were then. Obi-Wan went back to his quarters slowly, facing a dressing down from his Master, who would be none to pleased at his habit of Nicotine Sticks, but you make bad choices, you get bad consequences.
Lord Maul stood in his private chambers holding his lightstaff hilt. He fingered the deep cuts on the side slowly and smiled. Twenty-three kills and counting. He then fingered another three marks on the other side. "Three Jedi in four years isn't bad at all." He said to himself, smiling at the memory of destroying them. He had finally proven his worth to his master. The Jedi had been two Masters and one Padawan. The Padawan had been entertained and toyed with for a while after dispatching the Master. Even though the Padawan had turned to the dark side quite fully after feeling his Master die the Lord of the Sith still killed him slowly. Maul smiled widely once again.
Obi-Wan entered his chambers he shared with his Master. She was waiting.
"Padawan." Her tone booked no argument.
Obi-Wan handed the half-pack of Nicotine Sticks to his Master. She smiled.
"Obi-Wan I realize these past few years had been hard on you. There was no need to start smoking." She said
"Yes Master, I realize it now. I was just using it as a way to bleed off some tension. By the way, we are no closer to the answers. But we have traced it back far further then we had originally thought. We haven't looked into it yet, but the estimate Master Yoda provided was… about the time of Revan and Malak's campaign against the republicafter the Mandalorian Wars." Obi-Wan stated.
"Interesting. Just remember you aren't off the hook about smoking yet, but explain this." Adi said.
"Well Master Yoda recognized some of the markings on different ships in the dreams, and he remembered them from his own history classes when he was a Padawan. He then said, "Jedi Civil War, the time period is. After the Mandalorian Wars, yes."." Obi-Wan mimicked.
Adi suppressed a laugh and smiled.
"So I plugged the numbers in and I noticed that a ship called the "Leviathan" matched deck for deck, and plate by plate the one I saw in my dream. Hopefully this will bring me, no, us, the answers we seek." Obi-Wan finished.
Adi nodded. "Tomorrow, we look. For now, meditate on the reasons not to smoke Nicotine Sticks, and then meditate on the purpose of meditating." She smiled.
Obi-Wan suppressed a groan, and then moved to go do as his Master asked.
Qui-Gon stood in his Spartan quarters, even dustier then before. He hadn't been at the temple much for the last three years. Moving kept the gnawing hole in his heart at bay. Xanatos was gone, and so was his purpose. Even after the turn, his one purpose that he could hang onto, was that he could hunt Xani down and help him come back to the light. Or at least put a stop to his madness. But now that was gone.
"I don't know where I went wrong… what did I do? I did all I could, but it wasn't enough." He spoke to himself quietly, dropping to sit on the sleep couch. He put his head in his hands and just sat in the dark.
Several hours later Obi-Wan was asleep, but the dreams came again. This time he saw a Jedi fighting the metal-mouthed man in a battle for survival. Then he saw a woman, more beautiful then he had ever seen. "Obi-Wan…" she whispered.
The shock that she knew his name was a little too much and he sat up, breathing heavily. "Gods… she said my name." He breathed.
This was quite the development. He decided to research more fully in the morning.
Obi-Wan awoke to the sound of his chrono wailing in his ear. His body felt a tingling sensation all over, almost as if he was… more complete somehow. He turned and placed his feet on the floor and reached into his belt pocket for something good to start the day off…but they weren't there. He remembered yesterday and sighed. It was going to take a lot of will power to get past this and he may fall but he would beat that damn habit.
His metal lighter was still there though and he pulled his hand out, rubbing his forehead. "Obi-Wan?" his master's voice floated through his door like beautiful music.
"Yes Master?" he asked.
"Get your things. We are leaving. Relief mission to Dagaron V. Massive earthquakes and mudslides brought about by testing new weapons. I'll explain more later, for now pack your stuff, and bring your first aid kits."
Obi-Wan sprung up and rushed to prepare. He stopped and then smiled wickedly. He reached into his bedside table and pulled out a soft paper package that contained 20 grade A nicotine sticks. He chuckled and opened the pack, pulling one out with his teeth and opening the lid on his lighter and lit the stick. He pulled a long drag in and felt lightheaded immediately. He let out a muffled cough and sighed. 'Well looks like it's starting to affect me. Gotta quit and soon.' He thought.
He stubbed out the smoke and shoved the pack into his belt. He then packed his stuff quickly and his medical equipment. "I'm ready Master!" he called out.
She shoved her head into the doorway. "Come on then!" He jumped up and ran out the door with her, meeting Master Jinn and Windu on the way. The quickly boarded the transport along with Bant and her Master. Ten healers and three more knights jumped aboard and the ship lifted off, rocketing off into the sky.
Dagaron V was in ruins. General Rasho stood on a balcony overlooking the capitol city. He sighed deeply. His people were dead and dying, and all because of that blasted Zabrak. He growled slowly and muttered. "Dealings with the Sith bring nothing but death and destruction. Damn them!"
"Sir?" A Captain asked,
"What is it, Captain?" Rasho growled.
"Jedi sir. They are on they're way." The blue haired man said.
The General sighed gently and then looked to the sky. He would tell them. Not that it would do his people any good, but he would tell them that their ancient enemy had returned.
More soon. REVIEW!