Thank you to everyone who left comments, favorited, and followed! It really means a lot to me :) This chapter and future ones will make references to The Clone Wars: Wild Space by Karen Miller, but it's not required to read that to understand this story. I hope you enjoy this chapter!


"What's the deal with them?" Ahsoka asked once they were alone. Obi-Wan left some time earlier to get some datapads from the Archives, while Master Qui-Gon went back to his apartment.

"It's a long story, Snips," Anakin answered, scrolling through a datapad.

"You know, I had a feeling you would say that, Skyguy," she said before sighing, standing up, and walking back to the bedroom she shared with Anakin.

The door flew open moments later. Obi-Wan walked in, holding a few datapads. Anakin looked up at him and shook his head. "Master, I'm sorry, but have you been sleeping?" he asked. He figured that since Ahsoka and Qui-Gon weren't in the room, he could finally address this.

"Anakin, really, I'm fine," Obi-Wan answered as he shuffled towards an armchair and sat down. He still looked pale and the dark shadows under his eyes suddenly seemed more prominent than usual.

"That's not what I asked," Anakin pressed. "You only just left the Healers' a few hours ago; can't you take a break until tomorrow at least?" he asked.

Obi-Wan frowned at this. "That was the plan, but now I'm even more behind than I was before, Anakin. I need to finish these now," he answered. His voice was soft but sharp, allowing for literally no argument. Knights, Padawans, and even some Masters would immediately back down from any argument with Obi-Wan using that voice, but Anakin wasn't just anybody.

"If you do that, I'm going to call Master Che," Anakin threatened. "I can practically feel your migraine coming. If you don't sleep now, you'll be out of commission for at least a week, and then you'll end up even more behind!"

Obi-Wan blinked. He remained completely still. Then his eyes widened. "Something's wrong," he murmured, and then Anakin felt it. Despair in the Force. Moments later, the door opened again and Qui-Gon stood in the doorway, midnight eyes wide.

"Did either of you think of telling me that Dooku is the leader of the Separatists?" he asked, walking over to the couch and sitting next to Anakin.

Obi-Wan sighed. "I really hoped you wouldn't find out this way," he admitted. "A lot had happened since the time you arrived from."

"I wasn't quite surprised to hear that Dooku left the Order; he was talking about it for years, Obi-Wan," Qui-Gon continued, voice in a rush. "And that's why I never really wanted you to meet him. But the fact he's leading the ones we're fighting against? That doesn't sound like him," he said.

"I'm sorry," Obi-Wan said finally. "You must know, Master…" he continued, distantly realizing that this was the first time he was addressing Qui-Gon as such. "Dooku is a Sith Lord."

Qui-Gon's eyes widened. "No, that's impossible, Obi-Wan," he murmured. "Remember that red and black beast, from Tattooine? That was a Sith Lord. Dooku wouldn't join them…He wasn't exactly happy with the Order, and I knew he was going to leave eventually, but I know him. He wouldn't join the Sith."

"Master Qui-Gon, I know it's hard to hear, but it's true," Anakin said. He lifted his mechanical hand and slowly removed the glove, removing the prosthetic underneath.

Qui-Gon gasped. "Ani, I…how?" he asked, voice rough. Though his eyes were shining, no tears fell. Anakin was a little surprised to see such emotion from him.

"It was Dooku, Master Qui-Gon. He is a Sith Lord. I know it's hard to hear, but…" Anakin trailed off and put the glove back on.

"How did you find out?" Obi-Wan asked.

"I wanted to see if he was still here, and when I couldn't find him, I took to the Holonet, and…" Qui-Gon trailed off.

"I'm sorry, Master," Obi-Wan repeated. "If there's anything else you want to talk about, let me know," he said before picking up the datapads and standing up. As soon as he stood however, the datapads slipped from his hands and he collapsed back onto the chair with a quiet gasp. Anakin shouted and moved forward immediately, but Qui-Gon was faster.

"Obi-Wan!" Qui-Gon exclaimed, reaching forward and picking up the datapads from the ground. Luckily, none of them were broken. He placed them on the side table and studied his former padawan, who exhaled slowly and opened his eyes again.

"I'm fine," Obi-Wan murmured.

"Stop lying, Obi-Wan," Anakin answered, moving closer. "Get some sleep, and if you're feeling up for work in the morning you can do it then," he insisted. Convincing Obi-Wan to do anything was incredibly difficult, but Anakin hoped that having Qui-Gon around would make it easier.

It turned out that Qui-Gon's presence didn't do much for Obi-Wan's stubbornness. "I only tripped, Anakin; it's fine," Obi-Wan responded, reaching around Qui-Gon for the datapads and standing again. He moved slowly this time to his bedroom and closed the door behind him.

Qui-Gon remained kneeling against the armchair, head bowed. Anakin could feel a desperate sadness in him. "Tell me how I died, Anakin," he said finally. His voice was quiet, but Anakin heard him clearly.

Anakin shook his head. "You know I can't, Master," he answered.

"If I go back to my own time, I need to stop my death from happening," Qui-Gon's voice was insistent, and Anakin wanted nothing more than to agree with him. "I cannot…stand to see Obi-Wan like this," he admitted. "He did a fine job training you, Anakin, don't get me wrong, but it feels as though it came with a cost to himself."

Anakin frowned, deep in thought. "I may have been…difficult at times, Master Qui-Gon, but the situation right now is more due to the war and Obi-Wan's role in it," he said. When Qui-Gon frowned, he continued. "And besides, Obi-Wan would have to be the one to tell you. It would be wrong for me to say anything without him knowing or being there."

Qui-Gon sighed. "I'll have to convince him," he murmured, more to himself it seemed.

Anakin didn't reply, but fidgeted slightly with the sleeve of his robe.

"Is he still getting migraines?" Qui-Gon asked softly. They were a bit of a problem at times during Obi-Wan's apprenticeship, but recently, Qui-Gon has become quite adept at nipping them in the bud, even without Obi-Wan having to say anything.

"Well, yes, but…" Anakin bit his lip. "It's different now."

Qui-Gon frowned. "What do you mean?"

"A few months ago, he went on some mission to Zigoola," Anakin explained. He dropped the sleeve of his robe and leaned back in his chair. "I still don't know exactly what happened there, but it was—bad," he finished.

"Zigoola?" Qui-Gon murmured, reaching back deep into his memory. The name certainly sounded familiar…

"Obi-Wan hasn't been able to bounce back from that," Anakin sighed. "The migraines come almost once to twice a week, and according to Master Che it's near impossible for him to sleep or eat regularly."

Qui-Gon thought of his padawan, back in his own time, struggling through the beginning of his apprenticeship because of these sudden, but incapacitating headaches. It wasn't often, he recalled, maybe once every few months, but that fact that now it was every week was, well, extremely concerning.

Anakin continued softly. "He collapsed mid-mission last week, when we were on Ryloth, before you arrived. Force exhaustion, of all things," Anakin mused. His eyes widened at the memory of it. "It was scary, Master."

Qui-Gon frowned. "I want to help, Anakin, but if Obi-Wan is not willing to talk to me properly, there isn't much I can do," he said.

"Maybe if we give it some time…" Anakin trailed off.

Qui-Gon shrugged. "We'll have to see," he decided. He looked at the chrono on the wall and blinked in surprise. "It's getting late. I suppose I'm not quite on Coruscant's sleep schedule yet," he realized. "Good night, Anakin."

"Good night, Master Qui-Gon," Anakin responded.


Qui-Gon found himself amazed at Anakin's ability with a lightsaber. He used a variant of Form V, Djem So, with a strength that was well beyond Qui-Gon's. He dueled with Ahsoka with vigor, while Obi-Wan stood behind Ahsoka and corrected the grip on her shoto every so often. It apparently was Ahsoka's second time using a shoto, but she was showing affinity for it, especially with the reverse grip. Qui-Gon never really considered a reverse-grip as an option, but seeing Ahsoka use it so well almost made sense.

Qui-Gon watches them, feeling loneliness more keenly than before. He missed his padawan and Anakin and even Dooku and Yoda and Mace from his own time. He felt as though he didn't belong here. He wondered, not for the first time, if the Force would ever send him back or if he was just stuck here.

Anakin turned to him. "Master, do you want to spar?" he asked eagerly. Ahsoka has turned off both sabers and was watching him too.

"Obi-Wan," Qui-Gon answered, and when his former padawan looked up at him with a strange expression in his eyes, Qui-Gon moved up to him and pulled out his own saber. He switched the setting to the lowest one, watching as Obi-Wan did the same with his own saber and as Ahsoka and Anakin backed away.

Qui-Gon activated his lightsaber first and immediately shifted into an Ataru stance. Obi-Wan stared at him for a moment, eyes bright, before turning on his lightsaber. In a single, fluid motion, he was holding a Soresu pose, of all things.

Qui-Gon's eyes widened. "What happened to Ataru?" he asked. Obi-Wan seemed pretty intent as a padawan to learn Ataru, but to see him now, as a Jedi Master, using a different form was shocking. Especially since he knew that Obi-Wan did not particularly like Soresu when Qui-Gon first taught it to him.

Obi-Wan shrugged. "I changed my mind," he answered.

With that, Qui-Gon struck first. Obi-Wan met every single one of his blows with well-practiced ease, even when Qui-Gon began to speed up his movements with the Force. Soon enough, Obi-Wan was able to anticipate his own movements even before he decided what he would do. Soresu was a smart choice, and it fit him well, Qui-Gon realized. His padawan's abilities were now…incredible.

The bout was quick, but within thirty seconds, Qui-Gon's saber flew out of his hand and Obi-Wan caught it, pointing both at Qui-Gon's throat. Qui-Gon blinked. "Solah," he murmured as Obi-Wan turned off both sabers and handed Qui-Gon's back to him. Obi-Wan looked pale now, his breaths momentarily uneven. Qui-Gon saw his hands shake slightly for a moment, but they stilled and Obi-Wan crossed them and turned around to walk towards Anakin and Ahsoka.

"Master, you're sweating," Anakin pointed out, moving closer to Obi-Wan, who released a breath.

"I'm fine," Obi-Wan insisted. "You two spar for a bit," he told them, and sat down against the wall, arms loosely wrapped around his knees. Anakin shrugged and walked with Ahsoka to the center of the sparring mat.

Qui-Gon walked over and sat down next to him. Obi-Wan practically vibrated with tension. His Force bond with Obi-Wan was practically nonexistent now, but he could feel illness spread throughout his Force presence. Obi-Wan took another breath and rubbed at his forehead.

"Do you need a Healer?" Qui-Gon murmured, so that Anakin and Ahsoka wouldn't hear.

Obi-Wan snorted. "If I go now, Master Che will keep me there for at least another week," he answered.

Qui-Gon frowned. "Maybe that's what you need, Obi-Wan," he said gently. "Anakin told me that you've been getting migraines every week. You need to resolve this."

"Believe me, I want to, Master," Obi-Wan said, watching Anakin and Ahsoka intently. "But with this war, there simply isn't time…" He trailed off and chuckled lightly as Ahsoka quickly tripped Anakin over with a quick sweep of her right leg. He tumbled onto the ground on his back and she kneeled on him, both sabers crossed at his throat.

"She is quite talented," Master Qui-Gon commented, as Anakin quickly used his saber to knock Ahsoka's shoto out of her left hand and rolled so that Ahsoka was pinned on the ground. After a moment of struggle, she deflated and murmured, "Solah."

"She is," Obi-Wan agreed with a light smile. "She reminded me of you sometimes," he continued, watching as Anakin and Ahsoka started to spar again, Ahsoka using only one saber this time.

"If you mean that she has affinity in the Living Force, I might agree with you there," Qui-Gon said.

Obi-Wan's commlink beeped before he could reply. He sighed and pulled it off his belt, glancing at the message he just received before standing up slowly, hand resting against the wall. "I'm needed for a briefing," he explained, dusting off his robes quickly. His eyes were red with dark shadows underneath that contrasted greatly with the pallor of his skin. Before Qui-Gon could comment, Obi-Wan was walking away quickly towards the door.

He looked at Anakin and Ahsoka and stood up. He should practice a bit more, considering it (apparently) was twelve years since he had last done so.


"So I realize you can't tell me about my death, Anakin," Qui-Gon began. They were back at Obi-Wan's apartment, sitting at the living room. Obi-Wan was still at the briefing, while Ahsoka went to do some homework in the Archives. Anakin was working on a report he was apparently supposed to submit two weeks ago, before he left for Ryloth, while Qui-Gon drank some sapir tea. "Could you tell me about your apprenticeship, then?" he asked.

Anakin frowned and tapped at the datapad furiously. "I don't see why not," he answered, "what do you want to know?" he asked.

"When did you become Obi-Wan's padawan?" Qui-Gon asked, figuring he should start at the beginning.

Anakin blinked. He put the datapad to the side and looked up at Qui-Gon. "Master, it was right after…your death," he answered slowly.

"Right after?" Qui-Gon commented surprised. "I'm surprised the Council allowed that to happen. Usually it takes a few weeks to transfer a padawan, even if my own former padawan was teaching my current one."

"Well…" Anakin trailed off and sighed. "It was an unusual occasion," he explained, eyes dark. Qui-Gon raised an eyebrow, clearly wanting more explanation. "I never really was your padawan to begin with," he mumbled.

Qui-Gon frowned. "What do you mean?" he asked, surprised. "The Council didn't…" then he trailed off, eyes widening suddenly. "Anakin, did I die on that day on Naboo?" he asked, voice low. "The time that I just came from, was that…my death?"

Anakin cursed. "I should not have said that!" he exclaimed, eyes wide with frustration. "Obi-Wan and the Council's gonna be so upset," he continued, covering his eyes with both hands. "I am so stupid!" he shouted as the door opened and Obi-Wan walked in.

"Well, the first step is admitting it, Anakin, so that's a good sign," Obi-Wan said with a quick smile, then turned to Qui-Gon, who still looked horrified. "Master, what happened?" he asked, his smile quickly turning into a frown.

"I'm sorry, Obi-Wan, we were talking and it accidentally slipped out. I didn't mean to, I swear, it just happened," Anakin rambled.

Obi-Wan sat down next to Qui-Gon, who remained silent. "What do you mean, Anakin?" he asked, voice even.

"I may have told him a tidbit about his death," Anakin mumbled.

Obi-Wan's eyes widened. "Stars' end, Anakin!" he exclaimed. Anakin was a terrible liar, he knew that, but he was sure that Anakin would be careful not to reveal anything to Qui-Gon about his death. Obi-Wan sighed. He should have known better. He breathed deeply, preparing himself for a long conversation. "What exactly did you tell him, Anakin?" he asked.

"He said that I died on Naboo," Qui-Gon answered, having recovered slightly from his shock. He turned to face Obi-Wan now, eyes honest. "That day, the time I just came from. I died inside that palace, didn't I, Obi-Wan?" he asked quietly.

Obi-Wan froze for a brief moment.

"For the record, he guessed all of that, I technically didn't say anything, actually," Anakin put in.

There was a long beat of silence. Obi-Wan shifted, turning slowly to Anakin, eyes wide and face white. "Anakin," he whispered. "Leave."

Anakin blinked, stunned. "What?" he gasped. Obi-Wan never ordered him just to leave or to do anything before, he usually just asked, unless it had to do with a mission or something important. And he never ever said it so bluntly. He felt his stomach twist slightly, a burning feeling taking over inside him. "No, I'm gonna stay—"

"I'm going to tell Master Qui-Gon everything," Obi-Wan explained, voice slightly louder, but still hoarse. "In order for me to do that, I'm sorry, but I can't have you here while—"

"No!" Anakin exclaimed, jumping to his feet. "Look, I already know everything that happened that day, so what do you have to hide from me? What is so important that you can say to him that you can't say to me, Obi-Wan?" he asked, anger coloring his voice.

"Anakin."

Qui-Gon's voice cut through the air like a shard of glass. Anakin immediately deflated, though he still seemed shaken by rage. He stood up, his Force presence and his expression icy. "Let me know when you're done, Obi-Wan," he gritted before turning sharply and leaving the apartment.


"Anakin!" Padmé exclaimed, running over to her husband. She was alone in her apartment at 500 Republica, looking over some documents for the Senate when he walked in. Padmé frowned when she saw the deep scowl on Anakin's features. "Ani, what's wrong?" she asked, sitting him down on the couch next to her.

"It's just that…" Anakin bit his lip, deep in thought. "I'm not really supposed to be telling you this, Padmé, but it's Master Qui-Gon," he explained, voice shaking.

Padmé frowned. The Jedi Master was one of the two Jedi that had saved her planet from the Trade Federation's blockade twelve years ago, the second being Jinn's padawan, Obi-Wan Kenobi. Master Jinn died during the Battle of Naboo at the hands of the Sith. She remembered Anakin and Obi-Wan's devastation, remembered that amongst all the celebration and happiness that ensued after the battle, the Jedi were mourning. "What about him?" she asked carefully. Why bring him up now, almost twelve years after his passing?

Anakin blinked. "Well, we don't have an exact explanation for this, but he's here now. The Council thinks that he was sent here from the past. Sent by the Force," Anakin explained.

"Wait, so he's here?" Padmé asked, surprised. Time travel was…well, she'd never heard of it actually happening before, so to hear that it was possible was, well, surprising.

Anakin nodded. "He came here from the time right before the Battle of Naboo began," he explained. "The Council decided that it was best that he didn't know how he died, but he was able to figure out pretty quickly that it was going to be the very day that he just came from." Anakin's words were quick and low, so Padmé inched closer to listen carefully. "Obi-Wan decided to tell him everything, but he didn't allow me to stay!" Anakin exclaimed.

"So?" Padmé asked, confused.

"So, I know what happened that day! You do too, Padmé!" he shouted. "I feel like Obi-Wan is trying to hide something from me, or he thinks that I don't deserve to hear what happened from his perspective," he continued. "I've seen the security recordings, but he's never, ever, talked to me about that day since it happened. In his eyes, it's like it never happened. And now that he's willingly talking to Master Qui-Gon about it, he refuses to let me hear it?" he asked passionately.

Padmé put her hand on his forearm, gently stopping him. "Anakin," she said softly. "That day was…terrible." She put up a hand, preventing him from starting another tirade. "Don't get me wrong, it was an important victory for Naboo, and I am glad to have been a part of it, but there were so many lives lost, Master Jinn's included," she murmured. "I am willing to assume that it is not easy for Obi-Wan to talk about it, and he'd rather it be a private conversation with Master Jinn than—"

"But I could've helped him then," Anakin insisted, voice quieter now.

"Sometimes, Anakin, people need to do things on their own. This might be good in the long run," Padmé explained. She smiled and then moved closer to him. "Now, husband, I haven't seen you in almost two weeks," she said with a smile before moving forward to place her lips on his.


Obi-Wan released a sigh and sat back, closing his eyes. Qui-Gon watched him, wanting to speak but not knowing what to say. After a few moments, he opened his eyes and moved forward again, hands resting on his knees.

"I haven't talked about this in…years, I think," Obi-Wan began. "Anakin does have a general understanding of what happened there. He has watched the security recordings multiple times, from what I understand, but for me to talk to you about it…it would be impossible for me to do it as a Jedi, Master," he explained. "And I don't want Anakin to see that."

Qui-Gon nodded. "That's fine," he said quietly. Qui-Gon wasn't exactly a strict follower of the Code, so he believed that emotions were necessary to a Jedi's life, but they had to be released into the Force once they were fully acknowledged. He understood what Obi-Wan was trying to say without exactly speaking it aloud.

Obi-Wan swallowed. "As you might know, we entered the palace through the hangar," he began. "We cleared the hangar and the Queen's pilots took the ships to destroy the blockade. The beast you faced on Tatooine—the Sith—was waiting for us."

Qui-Gon wasn't surprised to hear that. Once he knew he died on that day, on Naboo, it was easy for him to deduce who it would be that sent him to the Force.

Obi-Wan began to slowly describe the duel that ensued. His voice was quiet and relatively even, but he had to stop from time to time to gather his bearings.

"I was knocked off and landed down at a lower level," Obi-Wan explained after another lengthy pause. "You continued dueling the Sith. I kept telling you to wait, Master, through the bond—" he cut himself off harshly and rubbed at his eyes furiously. "You didn't wait for me."

"You were heading into a power generator complex," Obi-Wan continued. "There were a series of ray shields that turned on and off with a timer." He took a few breaths, as if he was forcing his tears back.

Qui-Gon rubbed at his arm. "Take your time," he said gently, wondering if Obi-Wan had ever talked to anyone about this in detail. He wondered how or why he didn't go to the mind healers, but he put that thought to the side. That wasn't important right now.

"You were dueling the Sith inside the complex. I was—" Obi-Wan's voice was slightly harsh now. "—too slow. Trapped behind the last of the ray shields. And I couldn't do anything but watch, and…" He wiped a tear from his eye and blinked a few times. "He stabbed you, Master," he whispered.

"The ray shields opened, and I was—giving into my anger. It's not the Jedi way, I know that, but…" Obi-Wan shook his head. "He knocked me into the pit, but I held on to the edge. My lightsaber fell in, so I was dangling there with no weapon," he said. "The Sith was overconfident. I used the Force to grab your lightsaber, jumped over him, and then cut him in half. He fell into the pit right after," Obi-Wan's voice was basically nonexistent, but Qui-Gon had no trouble hearing him.

"You were barely alive, Master," Obi-Wan said, rubbing at an eye. "You made me promise to train Anakin, and then…you passed."

Qui-Gon blinked. "I told you to train Anakin and that's it?" he wondered, surprised.

Obi-Wan frowned, pressing a hand to his temple. "Were you expecting something else?" he asked, confused. His voice was haltingly slow now, as though just talking completely drained him of energy.

"I mean, I—" Qui-Gon cut himself off and took a deep breath. "I suppose I was being short-sighted at the time, Obi-Wan," he explained. He moved closer to face Obi-Wan directly. "I found it very important that Anakin was to be trained as a Jedi. He is the Chosen One, after all. But I shouldn't have pushed you aside to achieve that," he said with a smile. "I was so glad to have trained you, Obi-Wan," he admitted. "I am amazed at the Jedi Master you are, and I will always be honored to have known you. I see now that the Force has given us this miraculous opportunity for me to say this because I clearly did not get to say everything I wanted to before," Qui-Gon admitted. "But, that's beside the point. I am proud of you, Obi-Wan Kenobi."

Obi-Wan shuddered before tears filled his eyes. Qui-Gon quickly wrapped his arms around his quivering shoulders and pulled him to his shoulder. Obi-Wan stiffened at first before melting into the hug with a dry sob. Obi-Wan shook with his cries, while Qui-Gon rubbed his back soothingly and forced his own tears back.

After a few moments, Obi-Wan pulled away. His eyes were redder than before. He sagged against the back of the couch, clearly exhausted. "Obi-Wan?" he asked, slightly concerned. Obi-Wan trembled again, pressing his fingertips to his skull tightly. Just as the Force blared suddenly in warning, Obi-Wan fell sideways off the couch and onto the floor, unconscious.