Alex Rider: Jedi Knight

Jedi Goat

Disclaimer: I don't own Star Wars or Alex Rider.

Author's Note: This story occurs during the beginning of the book Skeleton Key and a few months after the events of The Phantom Menace. It includes spoilers for both and for Point Blanc.

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Chapter 1: Trouble Brewing

Alex Rider sat on a bench, his eyes closed, drifting in a meditative state. All around him, schoolchildren bustled by, chattering excitedly. Alex ignored them; they probably thought he was weird, but he paid that fact no mind.

Mulling over the events of several months ago, Alex wondered if he would see the Jedi again. He was one of them now, after all. Would the Jedi call him out on missions like MI6 did?

Like MI6 did, a day after I got back from Naboo? Alex added bitterly. He hadn't even gone to school for a day before MI6 had called on him again, this time to investigate Point Blanc, a school for troubled rich teenagers in the French Alps. As it had turned out, Dr. Grief, the school's principal, had been creating an army of clones of his students.

After a week or so, Alex had returned, battered and bruised after a fight with his own clone, to his home to enjoy the summer break. Then he had been asked to become a ball-catcher in a Wimbledon tennis tournament and investigate an odd winning streak of an underdog player. During the tournament, he had met a new friend, Sabina Pleasure.

After having the rest of vacation to rest and recuperate, school time had rolled around again. Alex felt out of place in the familiar surroundings; so much had changed. He had changed. Going back to school and being an almost-normal teenager for six hours seemed impossibly strange.

The bell rang, its loud toll echoing across the field, a reminder of the work and long, empty lectures to come. The students angled back toward the school, hanging on to the last moments of freedom before the afternoon.

Alex stood. It was time to go back to class. I wonder why MI6 doesn't let me quit school altogether. It's not like I'm here enough to actually learn anything. He sighed bitterly and scuffed a foot on the ground as he headed back for the afternoon of classes.

The first lesson after lunch was gym, and Alex entered the boys' changing room. He removed his shirt, gingerly flexing his scarred shoulder muscles. Slowly, slowly the souvenirs of his missions were fading, but the memories of pain – both physical and mental – stuck with him like angry burrs.

Abruptly someone shoved him from behind, and Alex caught himself before he stumbled into the wall. He turned to face whoever had pushed him.

A hulking boy with a shock of brown hair glared at Alex. "Hey, wimp!" he growled. It was Greg Leroy, the class bully and a new student. Before, Alex had managed to evade his attention, but now it seemed his luck had run out.

"Yeah?" Alex replied cautiously, moving to pick up his gym shirt.

Greg ripped the shirt out of his hands. "Where'd you get those scars, wimp?" he hissed, teeth barred in a nasty smirk. "Got beat up or somethun'?" A few of the other boys gave nervous laughs at his comment.

"It's none of your business," Alex replied evasively.

"I think he got beat up," announced Greg. "Now let's see it happen again!"

Without warning, Greg's sledgehammer fist slammed in to the side of Alex's face. Stars danced in front of his eyes and Alex blinked them back, focusing on Greg and blocking out the uproar of the crowd.

As Greg moved to punch him again, Alex ducked and kicked out, hitting Greg in the stomach. When Greg stumbled back, Alex advanced, eyes smoldering with anger. How dare he attack me! He doesn't know the half of what I've been through!

Alex plowed his fist into Greg, sending the bully reeling into the wall. Greg stumbled to his feet shakily. For a moment, he stared up at Alex, shocked. Then Greg bolted out of the change room.

The room was eerily silent as Alex nonchalantly changed and left.

Soon after, Alex was called to the office. When he arrived, the kind secretary, Miss Bedfordshire, handed him an ice pack before ushering him wordlessly in to the principal's office.

Inside the room, furnished completely in wood, the principal sat at his desk, mouth set firmly in a line. Across from him was Greg, clutching his stomach, and a man in an impeccable suit whom Alex assumed was Greg's father.

"Mr. Rider," the principal said, angling his head for Alex to take a seat. "We were unable to contact your guardian, Jack Starbright. I was hoping you might have an alternative number where we could reach her."

Alex pressed the ice pack to his swelling black eye, savoring the slight relief it gave. "Did you try her cell phone?"

"Yes, we already tried that."

Alex frowned. Jack always has her cell phone with her. However, he had bigger things on his mind at that moment. "Maybe she's just busy?"

Beside him, Greg rolled his eyes before quickly resuming his look of intense pain. It was quite obvious to Alex that he was faking. He released his irritation into the Force, allowing his calm to return. Alex turned his gaze on the principal, waiting.

The principal seemed slightly perturbed by the absolutely composed look, as if Alex had simply come in to visit instead of to be punished. He averted his eyes, instead examining the stacks of papers on his desk as he said, "This is unacceptable behavior for both of you boys. I must discuss this with you and your guardians so that we can be assured that it will not happen again."

"I'm sorry. I don't know where Jack is." Alex spoke in a calm and level voice, an argument-winning trick he had picked up on from Master Qui-Gon.

The principal shook his head, sighing, "Then if perhaps you know of someone –"

The door opened. The principal paused mid-sentence, giving his secretary a stern look. "Yes, what is it?"

Miss Bedfordshire cleared her throat. "Someone is here to see Alex."

Alex's interest was piqued, but he continued watching the principal, knowing it was very much unnerving him.

The principal frowned slightly. "Well. They're right on time then."

"I'll be in my office." Miss Bedfordshire closed the door quietly as she left.

For a moment there was silence, as everyone except Alex stared at the new arrival.

"What's going on?" a male voice asked.

Alex raised his head slightly without turning around. He recognized that voice!

The principal seemed to unfreeze. "Alex here has gotten into a little…incident with a fellow student."

"Really." There was a clicking of boots moving across the room, and then Jedi Knight Obi-Wan Kenobi straddled the chair next to Alex. For a moment he glanced over at Alex, and Alex knew he was silently taking everything in: his black eye, the shock on his face.

Then Obi-Wan turned to the principal. "I'm Ben Kenobi, Jack's boyfriend. I was home when you called, but she wasn't and she forgot her cell phone. I hope we haven't caused you too much trouble."

The principal forced a smile. "None. None at all." He stuck out his hand. "Brian Longwood."

Obi-Wan shook his hand. "Hi." Then his gaze turned serious. "All right. What seems to be the problem?"

To be continued...

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