STARWARS: Fallen Future
Part I: Path of Shadows
Chapter I: Reaction
"Something's wrong, I just know it, I don't know how and I don't know where, but something really, really bad's happened"
– Anakin Skywalker
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Anakin Skywalker landed the Nubian starfighter in the royal hanger of Theed, Still beaming in triumph. He had single handedly brought down the droid control ship – he still couldn't believe it! He couldn't wait to tell Qui-Gon about it! As he and Artoo reached the ground, they where surrounded by dozens of people and Gungans all running up to give him a pat on the back. His smile stretched from ear to ear as the many people congratulated and thanked him.
"Ani!" Anakin looked up to Jar-Jar bounding towards him. "Yousa do bombad!" exclaimed the Gungan giving him a pat on the back.
"Ani!" Came another shout and he turned to see Padmé running up to him giving him a quick hug. Anakin blushed. Now if only Qui-Gon where here. He thought, smiling. "Where is Qui-Gon?" he asked, Padmé looked up and scanned the room.
"I guess they haven't come back yet." She said with a slight frown. Master Qui-Gon and his Pada/Apprentice had been fighting a scary alien. Their fight had carried them out of the hanger as Anakin had inadvertently taken off, they hadn't been seen since. "I hope they're alright…" said Padmé, she turned to were Captain Panaka was. "Captain, Gather a few of your men, we've got to go and see if we can help the Jedi."
Anakin carefully remembered the strange man that the two Jedi had been fighting, even he had felt the darkness radiating of the Zabrak like a fume, he hoped Qui-Gon and the other Jedi where okay against that… Thing. As he watched captain Panaka gave Padmé a quick bow and turned to a group of his men, but at that moment the hanger doors opened and in strode Qui-Gon, his face set in an unreadable expression, his reddened eyes and lack of an apprentice trailing after him where the only that indicated something was wrong. Padmé strode forward towards Qui-Gon. "Master Jinn." She said "What happened?"
"The dark Warrior is dead." He answered flatly, stooping and scooping up both his and the other Jedi's cloak, "Congratulations on the Liberation of your planet, your highness. Now if you will excuse me I have to make a report to the Jedi Council. Anakin, can I get you to come with me." Without waiting for a response he turned on his heel and walked back deeper into the palace. After a quick glance at Padmé, who gave him a sad expression, Anakin jogged after him.
Anakin found the Jedi Master around the first corner, sitting hunched up against the wall, sobbing into his hands. Anakin stared in surprise; He could never have imagined that a Jedi would cry. "Qui-Gon Sir?" he asked hesitantly.
"I'm sorry Ani." Said Qui-Gon, "I'm not being a very good role model at the moment." He closed his eyes and gave a great sobbing sigh, seemingly letting go of his sadness.
"What happened to your Apprentice?" asked Anakin "Obi-Wan." He added remembering the other Jedi's name.
"He's dead…" replied Qui-Gon "No, not dead." He said as if trying to remind himself of something, Anakin stared blankly at him, 'surely he's either dead or he's alive and if he is the later why wasn't he here?' Qui-Gon closed his eyes and whispered softly, "There is no death, there is only the Force."
"What does that mean master sir?" Asked Anakin, puzzling over the strange words. "It's part of the Jedi code." Replied Qui-Gon slowly, "to remind us that those of us that pass on remain a part of us through the Force. 'There in no emotion, there is peace. There is no ignorance, there is knowledge. There is no passion, there is serenity. There is no chaos, there is peace. There is no death, there is the Force.'" As he spoke a look of calm descended upon him, as if the words themselves where comforting him.
"Oh." Said Anakin not fully understanding him, but not willing to admit it. "How did he die?"
A look of pain crossed Qui-Gon's features as Anakin asked this and so he quickly added "It's alright if you don't want to talk about it…"
"No it's… you're fine Ani." Qui-Gon sighed, "But I will already have to explain it to the council, and I really don't want to have to tell it anymore than I have to at the moment." Anakin nodded in understanding.
Qui-Gon waked into the empty communications room of the palace, closely followed by Anakin. Empty. That was how he felt. Obi-Wan had been his almost constant companion for 12 years. And now, in one moment, he was gone forever. Fighting down the urge to cry again, he entered in the clearance code for the Jedi temple. He was supposed to be better than this – a Jedi should be focused on the situation. Instead he felt like he was awaiting a firing squad.
After informing the communications droid at the temple that he wished to speak to the Jedi council, Qui-Gon turned to Anakin, forcing a smile to his face he said, "So, you took down a battle ship all by yourself."
"How did you know that?" Anakin asked, then in realization he asked, "You didn't read my mind did you?"
Qui-Gon gave a small chuckle despite himself, "With you being so full of excitement, it's more of a matter of blocking your thoughts out than reading them." He said. Anakin looked horrified at the idea that his thoughts where so easy to read. "Don't worry. Shielding your mind is one of the first things you'll learn when you are made a Padawan." He added quickly
"If I'm made a Padawan." Whispered Anakin "I'm afraid they won't make me one."
"Let go of your fear Ani." Said Qui-Gon gently "Jedi do not fear. You will be a Jedi Padawan." A tone rang out from the communications station, alerting him that the council where ready to speak to him. A flick of a switch brought the 12 members of the council up in a semi-circle hologram in front of him. "Master Qui-Gon," greeted Yoda "Concluded your mission is I take it." He looked at Qui-Gon expectantly.
Qui-Gon nodded hesitantly. "Yes, the Queen is back in control of her planet and the Trade Federation viceroy is in custody." He dutifully reported, keeping a serine mask over his features.
"What's wrong then?" asked Master Mace Windu "And where is your apprentice?"
Qui-Gon's serine façade failed as Mace spoke. "He his at one with the Force." He interrupted, his eye's glossed with pain "He fell in combat against the Sith."
Yoda's eyes widened almost imperceptibly. He hardly ever reacted surprised and this was a pretty good indication of just how much Qui-Gon's words shocked him. His ears drooped sadly. "Tell us what happened, you must." He said
Qui-Gon recounted what had happened since leaving Coruscant, finishing with the dual with what could only have been a Sith. "I think we should go to Naboo and examine this 'Sith'. His affects could provide a clue as to where the other one is." Remarked Mace thoughtfully.
"Referring to the rule of two you are." Said Yoda, as Mace nodded, "I agree."
"Very well then." Said Qui-Gon heavily "I will remain here 'till you arrive. May the Force be with you." He switched of the comm. And fell back in his seat with a heavy sigh.
Meanwhile on Coruscant, Yoda slumped back in his own seat "Hmm. Sad day this is, a bright future I had seen for young Obi-Wan. Now, fulfil it he cannot."
"I must admit, I didn't think that Kenobi would fall so young." Said Mace, he sighed "He would have been a great Jedi. He'll be sorely missed."
"What are we going to tell his friends?" asked Adi Gillia
"Hmm thinking of your Padawan are you Master Adi?" Questioned Yoda
"Yes, Master Yoda." Replied Adi, "Siri, as well as young Bant Eerin, Garen Muln and Reeft will be devastated.
"We shouldn't tell them anything but the truth." Said Ki-Adi-Mundi. "To do otherwise would be to insult Kenobi's memory."
"Come to Naboo with us, they should." Said Yoda, "Young Obi-Wan's memorial we will hold there."
"I feel we should also contact Dooku." Said Mace "He will want to see the Sith, and he may want to give his former Padawan some comfort."
Yoda nodded "Do it, I will." He struggled out of his chair "Now, ready to leave we must get. May the Force be with you."
Siri Tachi keyed open the door to the quarters she shared with her Master Adi Gillia. She kicked off her boots and sank down into one of the sunken couches to the right of the door. She couldn't shake the feeling that some event somewhere had caused a large shift in the Force. The apartment door slid open and Siri looked around in surprise, "Master!" she exclaimed springing to her feet. "I wasn't expecting you back for another couple of hours."
"There's been an emergency situation." Replied her Master, "We need to be ready to go in a couple of hours."
"Why what happened?" asked Siri following her Master across the room to their Kitchenette "Where are we going?" Adi turned to her and sighed "You might want to sit down – this won't be easy to hear." She waited for Siri to sit before continuing. "While escorting the Queen of Naboo to Coruscant, Qui-Gon Jinn and Obi-Wan Kenobi encounter a dark Warrior that Qui-Gon believed to be a Sith." Siri gasped, if the Sith had returned, that was indeed very bad.
Adi Nodded at Siri's reaction, "We instructed them to return to Naboo with the Queen in order to continue to protect her. It seems that the Warrior indeed was a Sith. It attacked Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan and although the two of them where able to destroy the Sith. I'm afraid Obi-Wan was killed in the fight."
Siri felt like her heart had stopped. "No." she whispered, tears welling in her eyes. Obi-Wan was one of her best friends, She had even fallen in love with him for a brief time, although they had both agreed to put their commitments as Jedi ahead of their personal feelings and had promised that they would not speak of their love again. "No." she whispered again, "You can't be serious."
"I'm sorry Padawan," Was the response. Siri couldn't stave of her grief any longer and dropped her head into her hands and sobbed. She felt Adi rest a sympathetic hand on her shoulder. "I'll give you some time, Padawan." Siri dimly heard her say. "But you'll need to be ready to leave in two hours. We're going to Naboo with the rest of the Council – among other things, that is where Obi-Wan's funeral will be held." Siri nodded automatically, she wasn't really listening, she was thinking about Obi-Wan and the last thing they talked about, she was sure that it wasn't about what his friendship had meant to her…
AN: I'm not entirely happy about the way this chapter turned out, but I've been unable to think of a better way of doing it. What of Obi-Wan's fate? You'll have to wait until the next chapter to find that out. Hopefully that will be up later in the week. R & R.
PS: Large parts of this story and its planned sequel will be based on plot points of the Jedi Quest series, with some references to Jedi Apprentice, before reverting to closer to the movies of episodes II and III.
Edit 21/11/2008 - clarification, rearranging and correction of spelling etc.