This is my very first fanficiton. I wrote this story last year for my brother Zach's 13th birthday. I hope you like it!
*Disclaimer: I do not own Star Wars... although it would be awesome if I did!
Master of the Chosen One
"Obi-Wan is a great mentor;
as wise as Master Yoda and as powerful as Master Windu.
I am… very lucky to be his apprentice."
—Anakin Skywalker
(the Chosen One)
A LONG TIME AGO IN A GLAXY FAR, FAR AWAY…
He sat crouched atop the roof of a sixteen story alien office. With his eyes glued to the brightly lit cantina across the street he silently waited, his cloaked figure silhouetted against the dark night sky like a cat; alert, coiled and ready to spring. The many noises of the city below reached his ears as his grey-blue eyes roamed the streets of the planet Nargossa. Speeder bikes roared by, horns honked, alien and human species yelled at each other in anger and the laughter and music from the cantinas mingled loudly with it all.
The cloaked man's hand fisted around the hilt of his silver light-saber, the leader of the group of smugglers should be arriving at this cantina soon for a meeting. Normally the Jedi wouldn't be worried about smugglers at all, but this group—this certain man named Hareim Cole, was smuggling dangerous weapons and drugs to a warlord somewhere out in the outer rim—a warlord that the Jedi had been keeping an eye on, waiting for him to make his first move outside of his borders and into the Republic's space. And following the wake of the smuggler had been a trail of murders…murders the Jedi could not just overlook.
That was this Jedi Knight's mission, to find, and put a stop to the deadly deliveries and bring about justice to the man who's hands were now covered in innocent blood.
The lone Jedi went back to searching the streets, the smugglers should be arriving soon, the information he had gathered pin pointed to this cantina as their next meeting place. It had taken him more than two weeks to find which planet Hareim Cole and his group were hiding, and it had taken him three more days to pinpoint where, who, and what the smuggler was. And finally, he had tracked them to this scum filled cantina, and they would be arriving soon.
Suddenly the man's comlink blinked and he reached into his cloak to pull it out. Bringing it to his lips he turned it on.
"Kenobi here."
"Master?"
Obi-Wan Kenobi's hand fisted in irritation. It was his Padawan. "What is it Anakin? I told you not to call when I was on a mission unless it was an emergency!"
"Sorry Master," Anakin said quickly, "but I—uh, I—"
"Anakin," Obi-Wan said warningly.
"I dreamt of mom again," the youngling said quietly.
The Jedi Knight felt himself soften. "I'm sorry Anakin," he muttered quietly. "Go talk to Master Yoda about it, he can help calm you."
He could feel the apprentice's apprehension even billions of miles away. "Go talk to him," Obi-Wan repeated quietly. "I have other things to take care of at the moment but I should be back in Courasant in about five days to help continue your training."
"Y—yes Master," Anakin replied.
"Kenobi out." Turning the comlink off Obi-Wan tried to get his mind off the fact that he was Master to the Chosen One—the one who would bring balance back to the Force.
Obi-Wan thought back to the first time he had met young Anakin Skywalker. He, along with his deceased Master Qui-Gon Jinn (he always felt a pain in his heart whenever he thought of Qui-Gon), had fled from Naboo with their Queen and had had to land on Anakin's home planet of Tatooine to repair the ship. Obi-Wan had stayed behind with the queen while his Master went into the desert planet's city of Mos Eisly. He had returned with a slave boy saying he had brought his freedom because he was sure the boy was the Chosen One. Obi-Wan hadn't thought much of it then, but after his Master was killed by the Sith, he had taken matters into his own hands and had started training the boy at the dying request of his Master. The boy, being nine, had been too old to start training to be a Jedi, but Obi had persisted, determined to carry out his Master's last request. Finally, Yoda had granted him permission and after his Knighthood, he had begun to watch out for and train the young Skywalker.
The Jedi reached up to stroke his Padawan's braid, only to realize it wasn't there. He smiled at that—right—he wasn't a Padawan any more, he was a knight. He had cut off his braid three months ago at the knighthood and now his shaved dusty red-brown hair was doing its best to grow back. Obi-Wan started stroking the stubble on his chin instead as he stretched out with the Force.
No, he wasn't here…yet.
Two minutes later, he felt him, and after another two minutes, he saw him. He was clothed like a simple traveler with tan pants, dark, dusty knee high boots and a peasant's cardigan. Obi-Wan could see the man's hard, chiseled face in the dim light of the street. He deftly pulled out a small cylinder and pressed a red button in the middle. The blue hologram of a man appeared. Obi-Wan looked at the hologram and then at the sinister looking man in the street. Yep, he defiantly looked like Hareim Cole.
The smuggler walked quickly into the cantina as Obi-Wan pulled out his comlink and flicked it on. His partner answered gruffly but quietly. "Windu."
"I've caught sight of him, Master," Obi-Wan whispered. "He's headed into the cantina, I'm going in after him."
"Good," Jedi Master Mace Windu responded. "I'm following the five other's from his gang. I'll meet you at the rendezvous."
"Right."
"Windu out."
The Jedi Knight shot off his comlink. They would meet there if they made it that far. Obi-Wan stashed his comlink and light-saber in the folds of his tunic. Stretching out to the Force he stood up, and then leapt off the roof.
The cold wind ripped at his garments as he fell, pulling the folds above his body like a flag. The street grew nearer and nearer. At the last moment the Jedi reached out and grabbed hold of a thick copper piping on the side of the building. The wind stilled as he got a grip and flung him-self onto a handhold. Looking down, he flipped off the side of the building and landed silently in a crouch. Standing up he looked up and down the dark, littered alleyway to see if anyone had seen him.
No one had.
Taking off his Jedi robe Obi-Wan stashed it in a crevice in the brick work and then strolled casually into the crowded street. Soon he was in the loud, hot cantina. Aliens and human's mingled and the smoke from their death-sticks rose up like a cloud above their heads. A couple of Hutts and a Twi'lek dancer were playing the merry jig in a corner.
Obi-Wan's eyes roamed over the scum. They stopped when he caught sight of the evil smuggler. Hareim Cole sat hunched over a mug of golden Rodian ale, he glared at the swirling liquid.
Using the Force to make him look in-suspicious, Obi-Wan walked over to a seat at the bar not too far away from the smuggler. A Besalisk lumbered into view and he quickly ordered a drink. As the alien—who reminded him of his old pal Dexter—handed him his drink, he caught the presence of five more sinister beings enter the cantina. He didn't even have to turn around to know they were headed to Cole's table.
Stretching out with the Force, Obi-Wan enhanced his hearing as the five other thugs sat down. He could detect the radiation from numerous weapons concealed about their persons as they began to talk in low voices.
"Report," Hareim Cole demanded gruffly.
"All the cargo is locked away."
"And the suspect?"
"Taken care of."
Obi-Wan felt a shiver travel up his spine. Another murder.
"The last shipments have been made," Cole muttered. "We leave for the outer rim at dawn. Warlord Nesu Evsa is waiting for us. When he gets the supplies…"
To Obi-Wan's frustration the smuggler dropped his voice so low that he couldn't even here him with his advanced hearing. He did catch one more word before the group stood up though. "Now."
Hareim Cole and his gang silently filed out in different directions, Obi-Wan watched them until they were lost in the crowd. Taking one last gulp of his drink he threw a couple of credits on the counter and quickly weaved his way out of the cantina.
After grabbing his robe it took three minutes to walk quickly to the landing bay. Ducking out of sight, he waited for the first of the smuggler's to arrive.
He didn't have to wait long, exactly thirty seconds later the Jedi saw the first burly Hutt smuggler enter the bay and jumped on a speeder bike. He roared off into the night.
Creeping out of his hiding place Obi-Wan walked up to the line of speeders. In the very center of the line a small cock-pitted ship gleamed in the moonlight streaming in through the pillars. It was only about three times as big as the speeder, Obi-Wan knew exactly who the vehicle belonged too. Hareim Cole.
Smiling grimly Obi-Wan opened the storage unit and quickly climbed inside. He could hear footsteps as he closed the lid. Bellying farther into the back he covered himself with spare robe and a dusty blanket he found.
He sensed Cole was going to open the storage and quickly used the Force to divert the smuggler's thoughts. It worked and he felt Cole climb jerkily into the small ship. After a few more seconds Obi-Wan felt a jolt and then they were flying out of the bay.
Opening his mind to the Force the Jedi settled back to wait. He had a feeling it was going to be a long drive.
• • • •
Two hours later Obi-Wan felt the ship shudder to a stop and slowly opened his eyes as he let the warm blanket of the Force he had wrapped himself in slowly melt away. He waited until all of the footsteps had faded and he detected no close presence before he opened the lid and slowly stepped out of the storage space.
Walking quickly to a dark corner Obi-Wan stretched out with the Force until he detected the presence of Cole.
Shrouding himself in a Force veil Obi-Wan moved out of his shadow and into the open. Leaving the landing bay he walked through the dark, dank area that the smuggler's had claimed for their hide-out.
He passed many smugglers on his way but they paid him no mind. Obi-Wan quickened his step, he had to catch Cole and end this. As he walked the Jedi passed many large crates. The smugglers were loading them onto fierce, bulky looking ships with heavy pieces of equipment. That was where their dangerous product was kept. Obi-Wan made a mental note to where it was so he would be able to destroy it later.
Picking up his pace Obi-Wan detected the smuggler up ahead and walked until he caught site of Cole. Getting into step behind him Obi-Wan instinctively let his hand curl around the hilt of his light-saber as he followed Hareim Cole through the labyrinth of tunnels.
Wires and control panels lined the hard rock walls and lights flashed as the smugglers hurried back and forth past them. Obi-Wan flinched but Cole didn't seem to notice as a blaster shot echoed through the maze followed by angry voices. He was slightly shocked at how many of the scum filled the place.
They continued through the caverns. The dank smell of oil, machines and other scents he couldn't identify pressed down on Kenobi like a wet blanket. Their footsteps echoed off the walls and the whirring of machines filled the air. Finally, the crowd of smugglers thinned and soon Obi-Wan and Hareim Cole were walking alone down a silent hall.
As Cole turned toward a blackened door Obi-Wan drew into the shadows. The smuggler looked behind his shoulder and then quickly entered the room beyond the door. Before he closed it, Obi-Wan used the Force to silently slip through the door.
Entering the room the Jedi slipped into a shadowed corner as Hareim Cole stood in front of the door, his form slightly silhouetted against the faint light streaming in through the cracks. The smuggler turned stiffly and walked over to a metal desk backed up against the wall. He pulled it open and Obi-Wan saw the flash of a bottle. The smugglers shoulders were stiff and Obi-Wan could hear him wheezing.
"Hareim…" he said quietly.
At hearing his name the smuggler whipped around, a blaster pointed at the darkness. "Who's there?" Hareim snarled, taking a small step forward.
In answer Obi-Wan stepped out of the darkness and ignited his light-saber. The brilliant blue-white blade sprang forth with a snap-hiss, illuminating his face in a ghastly glow.
The smuggler stumbled back in shock. "J-Jedi?!"
"Yes," Jedi Knight Obi-Wan Kenobi replied. "Your justice."
Hareim Cole recovered his shock and growled under his breath as he shot out a quick volley of five blaster shots toward the Jedi.
Letting the Force flow through him Obi-Wan deftly blocked the shots, they shot into the ceiling, bringing small rocks tumbling down. Cole shot off another volley and bolted out the door. Blocking the shots Obi-Wan ran after the smuggler. It was now, or never.
"Sing!" Cole screamed.
Obi-Wan wasn't surprised that the bounty hunter that dropped in front of him was a woman, but he was surprised when she pulled out a light-saber and a crimson blade sprang forth.
"Obi-Wan Kenobi," she hissed mockingly, her bald, grey head gleaming the light. The only hair she had sprouted out of the very back of her skull in a flaming waterfall and the glint of many weapons about her slender frame gleamed in the dim light.
And then, it clicked.
Obi-Wan held his slight-saber out in defense. "Aura Sing!"
She hissed at him through her teeth and then attacked! The bounty hunter brought her light-saber down on Obi-Wan with incredible force. He blocked and then swung at her neck but she jumped out of the way just in time. Their blades flashed as they battled, weaving and duck and stabbing in an art only they knew. The blue and red lights flashed off their blades and danced eerily on the dark walls. Obi-Wan called the Force to him as Sing twirled her blade above her head and swiped at his legs. He jumped and the blade sliced the air beneath his feet as he landed again. He brought his own weapon down on her, cutting to the side just at the last moment. Sing howled in pain and rage as the blade cut through her arm slightly, burning her flesh.
With fury building behind her eyes she attacked the Jedi more violently this time, her pale grey face eerily shadowed. Obi-Wan was grateful she didn't know how to truly use the Force. They battled through the halls, trying to get the upper hand.
Obi felt a presence and then a flash of warning. He spun around and blocked the bolt that Hareim Cole had sent out and the flipped back around to block the next blow from Sing. They moved out of the halls and were soon in the docking bay.
The smugglers dropped what they were doing and turned to watch the two figures moving at an alarming rate through the cavern.
Gritting his teeth Obi-Wan gathered the Force to him and then sprang over Aura's head. He landed in a crouch behind her and as she whirled around, he sliced toward her middle. She blocked the blue-white blade and then back flipped onto a large wooden crate. Although there was no markings, Obi-Wan could sense it was the deadly drugs that Cole had bartered to deliver to the warlord.
As he leapt onto the crate he could hear Hareim Cole screaming. "Shoot you idiots! Kill the Jedi!"
As Obi-Wan landed on the crate in front of Sing he heard a dozen blasters go off and blocking a blow from Sing, he whipped around to ward off the shots. His light-saber flashed as he twirled it at a blurred rate to block off the blaster bolts. They ricocheted off the blade and shot into the ceiling, dust and rocks fell to land with a thud on the ground.
Obi-Wan could feel Sing coiling her muscles to bring her crimson Sith's blade over his head. he whirled around to block her blow. But as he turned, he knew he would be too late to avoid injury.
But then, he felt another presence. With a snap-hiss, a purple blade threw itself into the path of the crimson light-saber.
Obi-Wan granted himself a small smile as he looked into the dark brown face of Master Mace Windu. "Just in time," he said as Mace flipped his blade around and Obi blocked Sing.
"As always," Mace replied as Obi-Wan pushed with his light-saber, sending Sing tumbling over the edge of the crate. She let out a frustrated scream as she landed in a crouch, her light-saber held protectively away from her thin body.
Both Jedi jumped off the crate to land with a small cloud of dust in front of the bounty hunter.
"Shoot! Blast them to bits! Kill the Jedi!"
As Master Windu attacked Aura Sing Obi-Wan blocked the rapid blaster fire shot off from the gang of smugglers. Letting his thoughts go, he relaxed and called the Force to him. He closed his eyes halfway, letting the Force control his actions, it swirled through his veins like a warm wave. He blocked the rapid blaster fire and sent the bolts back into the smugglers. He tried to ignore the screams when the repelled blaster fire found a target.
Through his haze of Force shrouded concentration, Obi-Wan heard the roar of an engine being revved.
Obi-Wan's eyes snapped open and he dove out of the way as a rickety speeder roared toward him. He dropped and rolled under its spikes as it flew past. The speeder didn't stop. To his horror, Obi-Wan watched as the speeder-bike picked up speed and then crashed into a stack of huge crates. With a defining roar, the bike exploded and the crates instantly went up in flames.
Instantly, alarms began to ring and the smugglers dispersed. He could see Mace and Aura Sing fighting on the other side of the flames.
And then, he saw what was causing the panic.
A giant tank of Dik'uut oil standing right in the path of the flames.
Obi-Wan's eyes widened as he blocked a blaster fire. The heat washed over him as he ran closer to it and shouted over the roar of the flames. "Mace! It's gonna explode!"
He felt the other Jedi's sudden realization and turned to block another volley of blaster fire. The smugglers were quickly thinning as they jumped onto any flying machine available and sped off into the night.
Obi-Wan closed down his light-saber with a snap-hiss and brought his arm in front of his eyes to shield them from the intense heat and flying sparks. He watched as the fire licked its way closer and closer to the tank. He had to get out of there before it transformed into one of the volcano's of Mustafar.
A warning flicker from the Force exploded into his consciousness and he ducked a blaster fire and then rolled out of the way as a speeder zoomed past. Obi-Wan popped back up and looked after the man on the speeder. Hareim Cole.
The heat was becoming unbearable as the Jedi spotted a lone speeder and flung himself onto its back. Revving the engine he sped after the smuggler. The cold wind of the Nagrossan night hit him full blast as he exited the cavern. His speeder was flung out into the air, he seemed to hang by the threads of the star's light beams before he plummeted down to the rocky desert ground below. Behind him, the cavern and everything in it exploded in a fiery mountain. The heat seared the Jedi's back and the force from the explosion pushed him forward as the night around him turned bright red. Embers raced toward him and landed on his robe as the thunder and roaring from the fiery explosion pounded into his ears.
He felt a flicker of worry pulse through him. But then he felt Master Windu's life Force silently telling him he'd gotten out in time.
Nodding, he sped away into the night. The wind screamed past as Obi-Wan pushed the speeder's handle to full throttle, the belly of the bike skimmed over the ground as he perused the smuggler.
Towering spirals of rock shot up into the sky to pierce the twin moons embedded into the royal blue of the night. Far out, Obi-Wan heard the piercing cry of a local creature rise into the air and then fade with the gathering mist. The Jedi weaved and dodged through the maze of the Nargossan landscape, the faint haze of Cole's speeder bike wove and ducked in front of him.
Letting the Force flow through him, Obi-Wan zeroed in on the murdering smuggler. Opening the capsule, he opened fire on the other speeder. The red lines of blaster fire shot out of the barrels hidden underneath the hull and shot out into the night after Cole's speeder. The smuggler tilted his bike and the shots sped past. Pushing his bike to full speed, Obi-Wan gained on the other speeder. He didn't want to kill the smuggler, the right thing to do would be to capture him and then bring him in for trial.
Suddenly, the sky opened up and rain began to fall.
Cursing, Obi-Wan used the Force to pin point Hareim's location and then pulled back on the speed. He could feel the smuggler's frustration and mounting fear as he used the Force to pull back on the power even more and finally drew up alongside him.
"Give up, Cole!" he called over the stream of the wind and rain. "You're through!"
"Never!" Cole hissed in return. "Nesu Evsa will get his supplies and will carry out his master plan even if I die and even if it takes him twenty years! He will destroy—"
Not waiting for him to finish, Obi-Wan rammed the hull of his speeder into the smuggler's bike. The bike swerved and Obi rammed into it again. He heard Cole curse and then the flash of a black blaster. Too late, the laser struck his bike.
Obi-Wan heard Cole's laughter as he struggled for control. His bike rose into the sky, above the spirals of rock and into the mist weaving through the droplets of hot rain. As Obi struggled with his controls the nose to his bike dipped. A flicker through the Force rippled through him and he pulled out his light-saber just in time to block the volley of red blaster fire. Obi-Wan's bike zoomed to the ground and he brought the nose up as he fell in line again with Cole's speeder. His engine started smoking as Cole rammed his bike into his, and again.
Closing his sputtering light-saber down but keeping it in his hand, Obi-Wan gritted his teeth as he struggled with his controls. The smuggler pushed his bike into the path of an outcropping of rocks.
That's when Obi-Wan's controls froze up.
With a grunt, Obi-Wan threw himself off his speeder and rolled along the ground before shooting back up in a crouch. Hareim Cole ducked his bike and then swerved back around. The bike's sharp spikes gleamed in the moonlight as the smuggler bore down on the Jedi.
Obi-Wan waited until the smuggler was almost upon him. He had no choice now. The smuggler was too dangerous to let live, he had to extend justice now!
Still in a crouch, Obi-Wan waited until the murderer was almost upon him, he saw the bloodthirsty glint in Cole's eyes as he brought the speeders sharp front in level with Obi-Wan's chest.
Bringing his Light-saber out, Obi-Wan ignited it with a snap-hiss.
As he swung the brilliant blue-white blade, he saw the flash of raw fear in Cole's eyes and the knowing that he was going to die.
Knowing it was too late for mercy, Obi-Wan didn't slow the arc of his Jedi weapon and sliced it across the front of the speeder. The whole front half of the bike dropped to the ground and Obi-Wan watched as Hareim Cole's bike spun out into the night.
It crashed into the giant rock tower with a thunderous crack and then exploded in a burst of fire and hot metal.
Obi-Wan shaded his eyes as the sparks flew toward him and the fire faded.
The Jedi lowered his arm as he looked at the smoldering mess that had once been the most dangerous smuggler in the galaxy. He closed his sputtering light-saber down with a quick whirr and turned on his heel as he pulled out his comlink.
It was done; justice had been fulfilled.
Another Jedi mission had been completed.
Jedi Knight Obi-Wan Kenobi tucked his master of weapon's away as he flicked on his comlink as the rain continued to fall.
"Windu here."
The Jedi turned and looked at the smoldering heap one last time before turning and striding away. He answered the Master calmly.
"Kenobi—Its finished. Time to go home."
• • • •
It took two days to wrap the details of the mission up and clear everything with the Nargossan governor. The smugglers who had escaped the explosion had been hunted down and slapped behind bars and files had been pulled up to see who this mysterious Nesu Esva character was. Obi-Wan knew it wouldn't take long to find why he had ordered the forbidden drugs and weaponry and why Hareim Cole had claimed that the warlord had a master plan and was coming to destroy…something.
Aura Sing had also escaped, but it wouldn't be long before justice came knocking at her bloody door.
Obi-Wan strapped into his ship and turned on the engine as a questioning warble came from his droid.
"Yes R4, we're done here—time to go home."
Moving into the blackness of space Jedi Knight Obi-Wan Kenobi pushed on the lever and the sky exploded into starlines as he jumped into hyperspace.
Yes, it was time to go home and continue the training of the Chosen One…
The End
but only the beginning…