Title: Selflessness
Author: jacen200015
Timeframe: During TPM
Characters: Obi, Anakin, Siri, Yoda, Mace, Qui
Genre: AU
Keywords: Obi, Anakin, Siri
Summary: What if Obi-Wan had spoken up in the Council scene when the Council refuses to have Anakin trained?
Notes: Lucas owns these characters, places, etc. Jude Watson owns Siri. I am making no money off of this.
Author's Note: As of 9/15/2013 I have updated chapters 1-12. So please be sure to reread them. Thank you.
"No. He will not be trained." Mace Windu replied, his tone firm and final.
A wisp of a momentarily unrestrained smile appeared on Obi-Wan's face as his Master repeated Mace's first word in surprise. I told you that they would never agree. He chanced a look at Anakin and saw a glimmer of tears in his eyes.
Tears? Tears won't make them train you. Obi-Wan looked at Qui-Gon from the corner of his eye and saw firm resolve in them as Yoda finished speaking. No! Obi-Wan quickly stepped forward before Qui-Gon could speak. "Masters…"
The Council members and Qui-Gon looked at Obi-Wan in surprise as he continued to speak. "I believe it would be unwise to have Anakin remain untrained." He felt his words catch Anakin's attention as he sensed a shift in the boy's emotions.
"Why?" Mace asked, a hint of irritation in his voice.
"If the Sith have indeed returned, then they will no doubt use Anakin for their own purposes."
Ki-Adi shook his head as he responded. "We don't know that the Sith have returned for certain."
Anger briefly flared in Obi-Wan's eyes as he spoke. "You doubt our judgment?"
"Padawan." Qui-Gon said in a low warning tone in an attempt to rein Obi-Wan in.
Ignoring his Master, Obi-Wan continued. "No one on this Council is all knowing or have all of you all of a sudden become all knowing? No one on this Council saw what my master and I have. We have battled Dark Jedi before, we know the difference! Where is the trust that should exist when a Jedi reports something that he believes is true? When has the Council declared that they have to see it to believe it?"
"Padawan Kenobi!" Mace tried to interrupt without success.
"You all think you would have sensed the return of the Sith before they even made an appearance! What happened to the saying that the Dark Side clouds everything?" Obi-Wan looked at Yoda who was watching him with interest.
"I believe the threat is real. I also believe that the Council should take my Master more seriously! When has he ever been wrong? Okay, maybe he made a few mistakes, but that is how we grow, it is how we learn. The point is that I believe that if Anakin is not trained then this may be a mistake we may never recover from."
Obi-Wan glanced at Anakin to see him looking up at him in amazement. A small smile lit Obi-Wan's darkened face and he looked back at the Council. "If the Council will not allow Anakin to be trained then you will be accepting my resignation from the Order."
Muffled gasps were heard in the Council room, even Yoda looked shocked. Well, this is a change. Some time in my training they must have begun to see me as important instead of someone to be tossed to and fro. Interesting. "I will also take Anakin as my unofficial Padawan learner." Let them chew on that.
Yoda tapped his gimmer stick on the floor twice to hush the murmurings among the Council members. "Discuss this we will. Qui-Gon, remain here you will."
Obi-Wan gave a curt bow and strode from the room, followed by Anakin. As soon as the doors shut behind them, Anakin looked up at him with a puzzled expression on his face, "Why did you do that?"
Obi-Wan paused for a moment before turning around to face Anakin. "Why do you think I did that?"
Anakin's face scrunched up in thought for a few minutes and then relaxed as he responded. "I don't know."
"Well, I would like to know." A female voice commented from behind Obi-Wan. "The last time you did something rash was on Melida/Daan."
Closing his eyes, Obi-Wan took a deep breath and slowly let it out. "And why were you listening in on the Council meeting…" He paused before saying, "Siri?"
Siri shrugged her shoulders and walked around him so that she could face him. "The doors are not totally soundproof and you weren't being that quiet either. To answer your other question, I am here for a meeting about a mission I am going on."
"I did what I felt was right, instead of doing what the Council wants me to do." Obi-Wan answered, his face showing how serious he was.
Siri snorted in disbelief, "You? Go against the Council? What possessed you to do that Obi-Wan? Whatever it was must have been as ground shattering as Melida/Daan had been."
Obi-Wan narrowed his eyes at her. "Stop rubbing Melida/Daan in my face. I was young then and immature." He snapped. "I have grown up since then."
Siri raised a skeptical eyebrow, "Have you really? Then what happened to you being the Council's little pawn?"
Instead of answering he walked away from her and headed toward the turbolift. "Let's go, Anakin."
Fuming, Siri charged ahead of them and blocked the entrance to the lift. "Spill it Kenobi!"
Obi-Wan halted midstep and sighed. "Why do you even care, Siri?"
"I never stopped caring." Siri said so softly that Obi-Wan nearly missed it. The words were filled with a buried emotion, a feeling that they both had buried so long ago.
Anakin stared up at them both with wide blue eyes. The silence became deafening, so much so that Anakin blurted out the first thing that was dwelling on his mind. "Obi-Wan had a disagreement with Master Qui-Gon…about me."
"Oh." Siri looked down at Anakin and smiled. "What was the disagreement about?"
The turbolift door slid open after Obi-Wan had used the Force to activate the controls and Obi-Wan slipped behind Siri and into the turbolift. "It does not concern you Siri."
Anakin took that moment to enter the turbolift with Obi-Wan but Siri followed a step behind him. The door slid just and the turbolift began its descent.
"Obi-Wan said that I was too old to be trained, but Master Qui-Gon disagreed." Anakin continued.
"In the conventional sense, yes." Obi-Wan answered.
"Meaning that Anakin would need to be trained by an unconventional master." Siri finished and her eyes sparked with sudden understanding. "Qui-Gon wanted to train Anakin himself."
Obi-Wan nodded his head. "And the only way to do that while staying in the Order would have been to declare Anakin as his apprentice before Anakin was sent out from the Temple."
"Does that mean you like me?" Anakin asked Obi-Wan softly, cautiously.
Obi-Wan's mouth quirked into a smile as he knelt down to be eye level with Anakin. "Honestly, I do like you and want what is best for you. I admit that I was jealous at first that you had captured my master's attentions so easily."
"Why?" Anakin asked, his clear blue gaze looking into Obi-Wan's own.
Siri snorted and replied before Obi-Wan could. "He has plenty of reasons." Siri paused and looked at Obi-Wan, who was standing up again. "And I might add, you…" She pointed a finger at Obi-Wan. "Are trying hard not to be angry at Qui-Gon and in doing so, let an innocent boy bear it by your cold reserve."
"Now who's being cold?" Obi-Wan responded with a raised eyebrow.
Anakin interrupted them with a question. "You're really going to train me then?"
Obi-Wan looked back at Anakin and nodded. "Yes."
Siri shook her head in mild amusement and irritation. "You really think the Council will approve?"
"No. That is why we're leaving before the Council session ends and I doubt the session will end soon." Obi-Wan replied with resolve in his voice.
"Leave? Obi-Wan, it's your dream to be a Jedi." Siri protested.
Obi-Wan chuckled. "Siri, it is a title only, a label. It is how we live our lives, how we act selflessly towards others that count. I may not be a Jedi by title, but inside I will always be a Jedi."
"Where will we go?" Anakin asked, interrupting their conversation.
Obi-Wan grinned. "You can pick our first stop."
Anakin's eyes widened even further, his eyes sparkling with excitement. "Wizard! Can we stop by Tatooine to see mom?"
"Sure." Obi-Wan replied as the turbolift slowed to a stop.
Siri stepped out of the turbolift with them. "I'm going too."
Obi-Wan looked at Siri in surprise. "What?"
"You heard me. I said I am going too." With that she kissed Obi-Wan's right cheek as she passed by Obi-Wan and Anakin.
Obi-Wan blushed, any argument fleeing from his mind.
"Wizard!" Anakin exclaimed.