DISCLAIMER: *sweeps Mace and takes back the Ring* Ha ha! My One Ring of Unlimited Copyright Privileges, which gives me ownership rights for Star Wars! Go me! *Yoda hits me with his gimer stick and snatches the Ring* OW! Bloody little troll!

Okay, Yoda now owns Star Wars. I don't. *glares*

Many, many thanks to all those who have reviewed! Wow, 32 reviews for two chapters? Nanashi and I are both in shock! And ecstatic over the response this story's getting! (Just to clear something up, for those of you who missed the note on Chapter One, this story is a stand-alone from any of my other stories. The only similarity is the existence of Zara Taerich. (Cin Drallig is a canon character. Look him up.) "Inner Death" and "Missing" have no bearing on what happens here! Apologies to anyone who was confused.)

Charie: Thanks very much! Here is your update!

Ren Ankh: Thank you so much for reviewing, not only this story, but my others as well! I'm glad you like what's going on with the story so far! (Trust me though, I'm just getting started with the cliffhangers. Mwahahaha.)

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"Ah," grunted Master Yoda as Qui-Gon and Anakin stepped to the centre of the chamber. "Good to see you, it is, Master Qui-Gon."

"Likewise, Master," said Qui-Gon politely before looking at Obi-Wan. The younger man hadn't been able to tear his eyes away from his former Master since Qui-Gon had entered the chamber, horror in his heart.

Force, I can't be on a mission with Qui-Gon! What kind of a joke is this? Obi-Wan crossed his arms in front of him, unobtrusively pinching his arm. The pain only served to prove he wasn't having a nightmare.

"Obi-Wan." Qui-Gon inclined his head politely to his former student, although his voice was still cool and emotionless. Beside Qui-Gon, Anakin watched the proceedings with interest.

Obi-Wan nodded once, curtly, to the older man. He didn't dare speak though, for fear that his voice would crack and betray his freshly-renewed pain.

There was a brief, awkward silence in the chamber before Master Windu spoke. "We have a mission for you on the planet Malastare. There has been an uprising of the native species..."

To his credit, Obi-Wan honestly did try to focus on the mission briefing. But his attention was always commandeered by the tall, grey-haired man standing just beside him. Qui-Gon, for his part was as emotionless and passive as he'd ever been in a Council meeting, not acknowledging Obi-Wan's sideways glance.

The Knight's heart leaped into his throat when he saw the robotic hand that replaced Qui-Gon's right limb, severed from his body during that fight with the Sith an entire year ago. Despite having practically carried Qui-Gon out of that reactor room and seeing the amputation numerous times in his nightmares (nightmares that Qui-Gon wasn't there to ease afterwards), Obi-Wan hadn't completely registered the replacement of the lost limb with the metal hand. Qui-Gon hadn't used his right arm during Obi-Wan's Knighting, instead severing the braid with the lightsabre in his left hand. I guess he was still getting used to having the artificial limb.

"Any questions?" Mace finished up his briefing, looking at the two adult Jedi in front of him. Obi-Wan nearly kicked himself for not listening, although he knew he'd receive the same information via datapad to study on the way to Malastare.

"None, Mace." Qui-Gon spoke first, smoothly, without hesitation, before turning to the younger Knight beside him. "Obi-Wan?"

How he wished he could beg leave to not go on this mission! Obi-Wan would rather take any other mission to any other planet, then be stuck with Qui-Gon and... that boy... on a mission. But he could not defy the Council, not without making a fool of himself. "No questions, Master Windu."

"Good." Mace sat back in his seat. "Your transport leaves tomorrow morning from the main hanger at 0730. May the Force be with you."

Obi-Wan bowed politely to the Council and followed the other pair out of the chamber. He had full intentions of escaping as swiftly as he could, to avoid another awkward moment with his former Master. However, his plans were spoiled when Qui-Gon caught hold of his shoulder. "Obi-Wan, I'd like to speak with you, if I may."

Forcing his dread down to a somewhat-manageable level, Obi-Wan turned to the older man. "I need to prepare for the mission, Mas- Qui-Gon." He very nearly kicked himself at the slip of his tongue.

"As do we." Qui-Gon nodded. "But I need to speak with you about the mission. Anakin-" here he turned to address his new Padawan, "please return to our quarters and start packing."

"Yes, Master." Anakin spared Obi-Wan one more questioning glance before trotting off, leaving the estranged pair behind.

An awkward silence reigned for a few moments. "Speak, then," said Obi-Wan as he shifted his weight, anxious to be gone.

Qui-Gon hesitated. "Obi-Wan... I know we haven't spoken in the last year and aren't as close as we used to be. There were some... issues surrounding your Knighting."

Correction: ONE issue, named Anakin Skywalker. Obi-Wan remained quiet though, listening to Qui-Gon speak.

"But if it's all right with you, I'd like to put those issues behind us and start afresh." Qui-Gon gave his former Padawan what he clearly thought to be an encouraging smile. "I know we can't change what happened, but we can move on, hmm?"

Obi-Wan closed his eyes in thought, to hide his emotions. He wanted so badly to be accepted and loved by Qui-Gon again, or at least respected, but... he was still so upset with the older man and his new shadow.

"Obi-Wan?" Qui-Gon squeezed his shoulder gently, trying to get a reaction from the younger man.

The Knight finally looked up. "I would like to start over..."

Qui-Gon smiled, obviously relieved to have gotten this out of the way. "Good, then. We can speak more on the transport-"

Obi-Wan felt like he'd been slapped. He hadn't expected a dismissal like this. "We can- and you can start by apologizing." He clenched his jaw, straining to hold back his emotions.

Qui-Gon looked surprised. "Apologize? All I did was ask if we could start over!"

He still didn't believe he'd done anything wrong. Obi-Wan blinked back the stinging moisture in his eyes. "You don't get it, do you? You've made the last year of my life hell!" He turned and nearly ran from the foyer of the Council chamber, ignoring Qui-Gon's confused query behind him.

How he was going to face this mission with his two greatest worries? Obi-Wan wished so badly that he could somehow stay off this mission! But he couldn't go against the Council's wishes.

In his quarters, he started to pack and prepare for the mission, but found he couldn't concentrate. Ugh. I need a drink. Or maybe he needed to find a friend to confide in...

Garen and Bant were off-planet. Reeft wouldn't understand. Siri... well, things were still awkward with Siri. Cin would only tell him that he needed this opportunity to be with Qui-Gon. That left one other person...

He grabbed his com link and hailed a familiar code.

**************

Twenty minutes later, he was walking beside a pond in the Temple gardens beside Zara Taerich. The petite Knight had always been a source of comfort and advice to Obi-Wan, who thought of her as a little sister. She'd sensed that Obi-Wan wanted to speak with her in person, and had told him to meet her by the pond. Now they were strolling along a broad gravel path in companionable silence.

Obi-Wan struggled with how to broach the topic of Qui-Gon to Zara. He knew she'd listen, but didn't want to overwhelm her immediately with his woes. Instead, he asked her a different question, one that had been eating at him for the last two hours. "So, did Cin tell you he was taking a second Padawan?"

"Yes, he did." Zara's soft voice held no emotion. Her Force signature radiated peace with the situation. "He asked my opinion a couple of weeks ago, to see what I thought of him taking on a new apprentice. I told him I was fine with it. He's been fairly bored since he received his permanent assignment to here; having a new Padawan will be good for him."

Obi-Wan nodded. "I was just wondering... I mean, he talked to me about it today, and I just wanted to know what you thought of it."

"I've seen Serra in the sparring classes. She's a good student, and will make a fine Padawan for Cin." Zara grinned wryly. "Did he talk to you about taking on your own Padawan?"

"He did." Obi-Wan glanced at his friend. "Did he try to get you to take one on as well?"

"I swear Yoda's hired him to pair up as many Knights and Padawans as he can." Zara sighed, although she was still smiling. "There were a couple of children in that class that I might consider later on, but for right now, I'm happy as a lone Knight." Her voice drifted off, and a slight melancholy look came to her eyes. "Besides, I'm still adjusting to not being around Cin all the time. It's strange enough to head to the apartment we used to share, only to remember that I don't live there anymore. It will be... odd, to see him walking around the Temple with a child in tow that isn't me."

Obi-Wan nodded. He could relate to that. "I hear you. I still haven't gotten used to the idea of Qui-Gon..." His throat tightened with pain as he remembered his present situation.

Zara's green eyes bored into Obi-Wan. She'd always been able to read him like a datapad. "You're still upset with him." She stated rather than asked her question.

Obi-Wan nodded again. "You would be too, if the Master who'd trained you for over twelve years of your life suddenly brushed you aside in favour of a new, more prized apprentice who shouldn't even be in the Jedi Order."

"I don't deny that, but why do you say Skywalker shouldn't be in the Order?" Zara raised an eyebrow at her friend.

"He was nine years old when he came here! We've had to refuse entry to five-year-old children before, so why is he granted an exception?"

"I can't claim to know the Council's reasoning, Obi-Wan." Zara looked away from her taller friend to the path in front of them, her face troubled. "The Force must have a reason for this. I don't like what it did though, in driving a rift between you and Qui-Gon."

Obi-Wan sighed. "Me neither." He was quiet for a moment longer before he whispered, "The Council has assigned me to a mission with them."

Zara glanced sharply back at Obi-Wan. "With Qui-Gon and Anakin?"

"The same." Obi-Wan became aware that his hand was clenched into a fist. He forced his hand to relax. "We leave tomorrow morning for Malastare."

Zara's eyes widened. "Oh Force... Malastare? Of all the kriffin' planets in the galaxy, why'd they send you to Malastare?"

"Is it that bad?" Obi-Wan really wished he'd listened harder during that briefing.

"Is it that bad?" repeated Zara incredulously. "They've sent two other Jedi already to go and help the situation there. Both of them have been presumed dead for the last month."

Obi-Wan could feel the blood drain from his face. He now remembered hearing reports of the failed Malastare missions, and could barely remember the last time he'd been on a mission this dangerous. "Why would they send an emotionally compromised team on such a risky mission? A team with a ten-year-old apprentice, as well!"

"I don't know." Zara stared at Obi-Wan. "But you'd better come through that alive, or Force help me..." Impulsively, she gave Obi-Wan a tight hug. "Dammit, you'd better not die! And not Qui-Gon or Anakin, either. Promise me you'll protect them, Obi-Wan. Please?"

Obi-Wan hugged his friend back. "I'll do what I can to protect them, I promise. You sound worried about them..."

"Qui-Gon's over sixty years old, and Anakin's just a child." Zara looked up at him. "I know you're upset with them, but please, don't shut them out. You're going to need each other on this mission. I'm... I'm really worried about you three, Obi-Wan. Please don't do anything stupid because of a grudge."

"I won't, Zara. I promise." Obi-Wan gave her a tight squeeze before loosening his grip. "I'll look after them."

"And yourself, of course." Zara managed to smile despite the obvious worry in her eyes.

"And myself." Obi-Wan grinned. "Thanks."

"Any time, Obi-Wan." Zara reached up and planted a small kiss on his cheek, like a sister would. "Now, you have to go get ready for tomorrow. Call me if you need to talk while you're on the mission, about anything, you hear?"

"Yes, Zara." Obi-Wan smiled and started walking away, despite his spirit being no lighter for speaking with her. New worries about the mission clouded his mind.

"May the Force be with you, Obi-Wan." Zara raised a hand in farewell as she left in a different direction.

Obi-Wan returned to his quarters, filled with anxiety about the mission, and his tense relationship with his former Master. It didn't take him long to pack for the mission, so he settled in to meditate, hoping the Force would ease his worry.

Instead, the Force revealed feelings of darkness and premonition, increasing his sense that something very bad was about to happen. He came out of meditation even more worried than before. After grabbing a quick bite to eat, he opted to go to bed early, to be well rested for the mission.

He may as well have stayed up all night, for the rest that his nightmares permitted him to have.

**************

Sorry it took a while to get this chapter up. I blame my professors. Don't get me started on my tale of woe concerning my alarm clock that decided not to wake me up on the morning of a test... or the professor who wrote a book that I can pick out spelling errors in... Gah. *headdesks*

Oh, new poll on my profile, concerning a Skillet-based one-shot. Go check it out! (After you review this chapter, of course.) ;)

Thanks for reading! Nanashi and I love you guys!

Xaja