Title: I Will Do What I Must
Author: Darth Corsa with the help of Darth Manul
Beta-Reader: Arya Daeriel. Many thanks for your help!
Genre: Drama, Angst, Adventure
Summary: TPM, AU, non-slash. After Tatooin Master Jinn rejected Obi-Wan and took Anakin instead. The Agricorps, being Valorum's aide and then Palpatine's secretary, Clone Wars, Qui-Gon's true intentions, Anakin's friendship... all lay ahead.
Feedback: Always appreciated.
Disclaimer: These characters definitely are not mine.
Author's Note 1: Obi-Wan is younger and about twenty in the beginning (In TPM he was about 25)
Author's Note 2: Because of our very poor English, we've found a beta-reader. So, we deleted the old chapters and here will be corrected ones. Everybody, thanks for reading!
Obi-Wan had already turned to the door of the Council Chamber, having every intention to leave this place and finally sleep for a while.
The last mission… it hadn't gone as planned. Well, most of them usually didn't, but this one had been a special case. You didn't find a Sith on an average mission. The bad luck had begun with their failed negotiations and ended with a fight with a red-skinned Zabrack on Tatooine. Obi-Wan shrugged remembering the events. He had been pretty sure that he (or Qui-Gon, or even both of them!) would not survive the battle, but they somehow had managed to defeat the enemy with minimal losses. Obi-Wan just had had to spend some time in a bacta tank (it was quite usual for their missions, so he was used to it). The worst part was that the Jedi Masters thought the Zabrack had been a Sith.
Now Obi-Wan was deadly tired and only wanted to get to his bed and have a nice sleep. He and Qui-Gon, both, were exhausted. Master/Padawan team came to the Council Chamber directly from the Medical Ward after the healers had agreed to release Kenobi, but to Obi-Wan's surprise, Qui-Gon was still standing, facing the High Council. There's already nothing left to discuss; Master has told them about his guesses, Kenobi thought, frowning slightly. Suddenly a bad feeling (Jinn's favorite reason for jokes) appeared in the corner of his mind, but he quickly restrained the thought.
"Master Qui-Gon, more to say, have you?" Yoda asked, staring intently at the tall Jedi Master.
"With your permission, Masters," Jinn bowed, "I've already told you about the boy who helped us to repair the Royal ship. The Force is very strong with him. I sensed it and asked my Padawan to take his midi-chlorian count. Anakin's cells have the highest concentration of midi-chlorians I have seen in a life form." Qui-Gon looked in Mace Windu's eyes. "He is the Chosen One."
"You mean he is a boy from the ancient prophecy?" Adi Gallia wondered. She seemed to be skeptical as she only believed in facts and not in 'ancient tales', as she once had said during one of the classes, which a young Obi-Wan had attended.
"Yes, he is the one who will bring the balance to the Force," Jinn replied, respectfully bowing his head.
"And what suggest you, Master Qui-Gon?" Yoda asked, moving his long ears.
"He must be trained as a Jedi. Finding him was the will of the Force, I have no doubt of that." Qui-Gon's voice left no doubts too. Obi-Wan knew this tone well, it meant that nothing could make Qui-Gon change his decision.
"Tested, he will be, but promise you more right now, we can not." Yoda closed his sleepy eyes.
Qui-Gon bowed contentedly. "Come, Padawan." He put a hand on Obi-Wan's shoulder and headed to the door.
Obi-Wan still couldn't believe his ears. To test the boy! How ridiculous... it just didn't make any sense! Well, it was none of his concern, but somehow disturbed him.
Qui-Gon didn't say a word as they were heading to their shared quarters, and neither did Obi-Wan ask anything. He was slightly afraid, but still could not tell why. What a Jedi he was, he blamed himself.
Fear leads to anger.
Obi-Wan remembered a familiar line from Yoda and quickly released the feeling into the Force before Qui-Gon could detect it.
Obi-Wan reached out, opened the door to his room, and stopped, unsure of what to say. Everything was the same—another mission and now they were at home, and yet, something had changed.
"Master, I…" Obi-Wan mumbled.
"Yes, Padawan?" Qui-Gon asked tiredly, but with concern in his voice, and raised a brow.
"Oh, it's nothing. Sorry... Good night," Obi-Wan replied, shaking his head.
"Sleep well, Padawan," Jinn said and disappeared in his room.
Obi-Wan stood there for some time and closed the door. Despite that he desperately had wanted to rest some moments earlier, Kenobi could not fall asleep for a while, still thinking about his unreasonable worries and fears.
It wasn't a dream, but a nightmare. The images quickly changed from one to another. That damned tattooed Zabrack was grinning madly, killing Qui-Gon with his double-bladed lightsaber.
"Obi-Wan, promise me you'll train the boy… Tell Ani, I wish him luck… He is the Chosen One…" Then older Jedi died in Obi-Wan's arms. After this Kenobi saw a young Anakin and himself as his Master. The picture changed again and he saw an adult Anakin with Palpatine, a burning Temple, and a river of lava… Then Qui-Gon's voice said, "It's your fault! You failed everybody!"
Obi-Wan woke up in a cold sweat. According to the chrono, he had been sleeping for some time, and such a terrible nightmare! Kenobi calmed down, trying to forget about it, and closed his eyes once again.
This time there was very alive Qui-Gon who was training Anakin, the Chosen One. Skywalker, as a young man, killing a Sith (somehow, Obi-Wan knew that it was a Sith, though he did not see the face), and another man with a hood over his head, who was looking at them… Then, he unclipped the lightsaber from his belt…
Obi-Wan awoke. It was late morning and the sun of Coruscant was shining through the light green curtains. Master Jinn rarely let his Padawan oversleep, so he seemed to have taken it easy on him this time. Kenobi yawned and threw the covers aside. He wondered what had happened with him in the last dream, but quickly forgot about it. A nightmare. Humph! Some years ago he saw a gigantic, infinite, integral haunting him in the dark dungeon, and called him to the Room of the thousand fountains. It was after a night full of studying that he had dreamt that. Yesterday he had been very tired, so everything was very simple—a reaction of a fevered mind… Perhaps.
Kenobi remembered that Qui-Gon was going to the Council with Ani today. He tried to reach Master Jinn through their training bond to check if he was awake, but he could not. It was closed from his master's side.
He must be very tired and feels unwell, so he decided to shield, not to worry me more, Obi-Wan thought.
Kenobi dressed quickly and went into the common room. Qui-Gon was already there, sitting in the armchair, drinking his coffee, and, obviously, waiting for his sleepy Padawan.
"Good morning, Master," Obi-Wan said, smiling.
"Morning, Padawan. Ani will be waiting for us near the Council Chamber. We should meet him later. Master Windu commed me and told they've already tested him, so there's a decision made. Er… they'll let us know about it," Qui-Gon said in dull voice. He seemed to be very tired, and not just physically. Obi-Wan frowned.
"Right now we have some free time," Qui-Gon continued. "I think you want to have a breakfast. Besides, I've heard that they have another mission for us, so I suggest you to pack your things." Qui-Gon sighed and went to his room.
"Well, it is not a problem, Master. I've not yet unpacked them after our last one."
They were walking to their destination when Obi-Wan finally managed to ask the question. Something was still bothering him and felt wrong.
"Master, what do you think will happen to Anakin?" he started casually.
"He will be trained as a Jedi. Why?" Qui-Gon looked at his apprentice.
"He is too old for this, Master! And then, even if the Council approves this, he must learn some basic skills first. It can take a long time, and he is already too old." Obi-Wan stated.
"Obi-Wan, I did what I had to do. I found him on Tatooine, and I brought him to the Temple. Now he will be a Jedi. After all, I promised that to his mother. She is still there, a slave, but she believes that her son will have a better future here, with us," Jinn answered.
"I agree with you entirely. Almost everything is possibly better than slavery, but who will accept him as a Padawan learner? Even I can feel his fear, anger, and uncertainty."
"It will disappear with a proper training. Remember yourself, you had much anger in you, too. Don't you remember that fight with Bruck?"
"But… it was different! I was fighting for the chance to be a Padawan! Your Padawan! And—"
"I see no difference. I stuck with you then, and now you're a promising Jedi, so this can happen to Anakin as well. He cares about his mother, and yet you say he is evil."
"Do not twist my words! I've just said—"
"Enough. Silence, Padawan." Qui-Gon was walking faster. "Don't you think that it is not a hard decision?" he asked in a suddenly sad voice.
Obi-Wan was still unsure. The last words seemed to be about something else… No, of course, his Master's words made sense! He trusted Qui-Gon, he always did.
Finally they met Ani, who was pacing near the Council Chamber. He beamed with happiness and joy.
"Hello! Nice to see you, Master! Obi-Wan!" The boy tried to perform a bow.
Obi-Wan frowned slightly. It's proper to call him Master Jinn or Qui-Gon. But the boy doesn't understand the rules. And he will never do, Obi-Wan thought gloatingly.
"And what if nobody wants to take him?" Kenobi tried to continue the unfinished conversation. Of course, he would apologize after. Maybe he would even get some extra hours for meditation as a punishment.
"Obi-Wan! I've done what I had to do and I shall do what I must. I always follow the will of the Force, you know this," Qui-Gon answered with steel in his voice, not looking at his Padawan, and put a hand on Anakin's shoulder.
"Master—"
"You may come in, Master Jinn," a Padawan on duty said, coming from the Council Chamber.
They went in and bowed respectfully in front of the Councilors.
"Master Qui-Gon, a decision we made," Yoda began, staring at the tall Master.
"Yes, Masters. I have already spoken with Mace Windu." Qui-Gon closed his eyes and bowed his head. It seemed as though it was hard for him to say those words aloud.
What? Obi-Wan thought, frowning. He said—
"You know," Mace continued. "It was not an easy choice, but considering everything, it was the only one that is possibly right, I hope. If we can save lives, we will do this. May the Force be with us."
Qui-Gon lowered his head, but said nothing. Obi-Wan sensed a great disturbance in the Force. He looked at his sad Master and at the happy Anakin. He could understand nothing!
"Qui-Gon Jinn, Anakin Skywalker is officially your Padawan now," Ki-Adi-Mundi finally said.
I must be still sleeping, Obi-Wan thought. What about me? Or wait… Will they knight me? He was a bit too young, but he had faced a Sith, after all.
"Thank you, Masters." Qui-Gon bowed. He did not seem to be much surprised.
Obi-Wan smiled. So, what would happen now…
"Dismissed to the Agricorps, young Kenobi will be," Master Yoda said sadly.
"I'm against this decision and still do not believe in Prophecies or dreams," Adi Gallia said, "but we can't jeopardize the life."
"Are you… have you gone mad?" Obi-Wan asked stupidly. These were not the words he had expected to hear from them. The Agricorps?
"I'm very sorry, Obi-Wan. I don't expect you to understand our decision, but it's for the best." Qui-Gon finally looked in Kenobi's eyes.
Obi-Wan stood still. He wished this to be a nightmare too, but it wasn't.