STARWARS: Fallen Future

Part I: Path of Shadows

Chapter III: After the Funeral

-"I'm worried about the effect that Obi-Wan's death has had on Qui-Gon, He seems to bottle up his grief rather than release in into the Force"

– Mace Windu

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An hour later found the gazebo empty except for Siri, Bant, Garen and Qui-Gon. The sound of Yoda tapping his stick as he approached threatened to change this situation though. Siri watched as the little green creature walked down into the sunken area and stood next to Qui-Gon. "Why sit you here like staring at the flames will bring Obi-Wan back to life, Qui-Gon?"

"For stars sake Master, I've just lost my Apprentice." Snapped Qui-Gon in a quick flash of rage "Is a Jedi not even allowed to feel grief anymore?"

"Allowed to feel grief, a Jedi is." Said Yoda with a slight bristle "Aloud to bemoan like a Bantha with a lost calf, a Jedi Master is not!" in normal circumstances Siri would have laughed at Yoda's chiding of Qui-Gon. Attending her best friend's funeral though was hardly a normal circumstance; Siri's frown only deepened.

"Why do you want me to forget Obi-Wan so quickly Yoda?" asked Qui-Gon, "He was just a boy…"

"Just a boy, Obi-Wan was not!" stated Yoda firmly "A young man he was, a senior Jedi Padawan about to face his trials he was, and want his master to carry on like an injured Chiiruben, he would not!"

"That's not fair Master! You…"

"Think that miss him I will not?" challenged Yoda, cutting across him, Qui-Gon fell silent "Fond of the boy I was. The only reason I did not take him on as my Padawan after you refused was that too attached already I'd become to him." 'Wow Obi-Wan, you had connections.' Thought Siri, everyone knew the story of how Yoda had tried in vain for months to get Qui-Gon to take Obi-Wan as his apprentice, before a coincidental meeting on Bandomeer—where Obi-Wan had been sent as part of the Agri-Corps program—had forced them together. Siri had always assumed that Yoda was mealy following the will of the Force by trying to get the Master to take the Apprentice. Now… well she still thought that it had probably been the will of the Force, but perhaps Yoda's own feelings had influenced how hard he had pushed.

"Miss his bright presence at the Temple I will," Continued Yoda, "A great Jedi he would have been, a council seat I had foreseen for him. Miss many people that rejoin the Force I do, but if carry on like you I did, for every one of them, on a pedestal in the Room of a Thousand Fountains you could put me." Siri did snort with laughter with that. She heard a similar noise coming from Garen a few metres away to her right. But if Yoda or Qui-Gon heard them, they made no sign. Qui-Gon just stared at him "You're being heartless." He said at last, turning away from Yoda to look back at the dying flames.

Yoda's voice softened, "Miss young Obi-Wan you always will," he said "But accept that gone he is, you must. Let your grief flow through you then into the Force. Bottle it up and let it consume you, do not."

"Decided young Skywalker's fate the Council has," Siri heard the ancient Master say after a short pause. "Train him you will." Siri felt a flash of anger, how could Qui-Gon take on another Apprentice so soon after Obi-Wan had died?

Apparently Qui-Gon was equally upset, though for different reasons, "I don't think I'm capable of training someone like Anakin," he said "I've lost one Padawan to Dark and one to death; I'd be a poor Master at present times with Obi-Wan's death anyway—Anakin deserves better."

"A copout that is." Said Yoda irritably, banging his stick on the ground for emphasis. "Wallow in your grief, you cannot. The problem of the boy you caused when from Tatooine you brought him, now you the problem will solve."

At that moment Siri almost felt sorry for Qui-Gon, he had lost his apprentice, he was now backed into an arrangement that he had made before Obi-Wan's death, he was in a lose, lose situation; the fact that he'd been willing to slight Obi-Wan for Anakin while he was still alive didn't make it into the equation at that moment.

"If train him you will not, send him back to Tatooine the Council will have to." Continued Yoda when Qui-Gon had not answered after a few seconds. "Until tomorrow I will leave you to decide." He turned to walk from the pergola. "Padawan Tachi. A word I need with you."

Wondering what Yoda could want with her, Siri gave Bant and Garen a quick hug, gave Qui-Gon a stiff nod and walked off after Yoda. "What do you need me for?" she asked Yoda as she caught up with him.

"Hmm a mission, we have for you." Said the small green master.

"But!" protested Siri "Obi-Wan has just died, I'm still feeling grief…"

"Know this I do, but no time we have to select someone else for this mission." Said Yoda "Uniquely suited to this mission you are."

Siri suddenly had a very bad feeling about this. "What kind of mission is it?" she asked hesitantly, curiosity overruling any other emotion she might have.

"An undercover mission it is. Heard have you, about a Slave trader called Krayn?"

"Report, Gray." Sidious stood in a small disused med-centre aboard a privet shuttle that belonged to him. A field medic—Gray—was one of Sidious faithful servants; he was doing an examination of the injured—and unconscious--Jedi.

"Two broken ribs, a dislocated shoulder…" reported the medic dutifully before he was cut across by Sidious,

"No, no, I don't care about that!" said Sidious "I meant his head condition."

"Oh." Said the flustered medic, he switched to another screen on his Datapad. "The Brain scan shows that he has lost almost all his conscious memories, which means that all his memories that tell him who he is, his name, who his parents where… basically everything except basic instincts like walking, talking although even then, some of his knowledge of more obscure words may be gone."

"He was a Jedi. Would he be able to remember his training?" asked Sidious

"No, not really." Replied Gray "He'd probably relearn things like his force abilities and lightsaber training pretty quickly though."

"What about his outlook on life? Personalty?"

"Personality will be pretty much the same; out look will be what you make of it." Said Grey "I would say that if you wanted, you'd be able to give him a new identity easily enough, and he'd never know if the story was built on distorted facts."

Sidious smiled "Will he be able to recover his memory at all?"

"It is possible, although unlikely." Said the Medic slowly "He may have the odd relapse where he remembers a thing from the past, those are extremely dangerous—It can completely unlock his memories if he has the good luck to remember a powerful one."

"So if he has a relapse, his usefulness has probably run its course." Said Sidious with a small smile, "Disposable assassins, I like that. Now I need to do a cover story for our young friend here…"

Qui-Gon sat silently staring at the dying flames of Obi-Wan's pyre; thinking over what Yoda had said to him. Once he had taken the time to sort through Yoda's typically contradicting statements he had found that he was probably right. 'Confounded troll,' he thought 'He is always right.'

As if to reinforce Qui-Gon's newly formed realization the raspy voice of Bant spoke up beside him; "Yoda was right you know." Qui-Gon turned to face the Mon Calamari who had come across to stand beside him. "As long as we always remember Obi-Wan and the things he stood for, we can never dishonour his memory by moving on."

Qui-Gon smiled grimly, "It's just a little harder to actually do it, than to say it." He said. Bant nodded sagely. Qui-Gon allowed a freer smile, "You should take over Yoda's job of consoling the inconsolable; you certainly have a way with words that he doesn't."

Bant smiled "Obi-Wan used to say practically the same thing."

Qui-Gon gave another small smile, "Great minds think alike." He said

"And fools seldom differ." Countered Bant good naturedly, Qui-Gon gave a small chuckle. "Despite what Siri evidently thinks, I think that taking another Padawan would be a good thing for you at the moment." Said Bant changing the subject; "It would take your mind off Obi-Wan's death."

"It just seems like betrayal so soon after Obi-Wan."

"That didn't seem to bother you when he was alive!" Said Bant, her eyes flashing dangerously; Qui-Gon flinched like he'd been hit. "I know." He said "It wasn't until his death that I realised… But it's too late now."

Bant nodded, "I'm sorry." She said. "In fact Obi-Wan seemed like the only one who wasn't upset by the business with Anakin." She smiled weakly "He was more upset that you where going against the council, again."

Qui-Gon chuckled, "I suppose I did… do make a habit of it." He sighed "Thankyou Bant, it's been good to talk to you."

"Garen and me where about to meditate to help release our grief into the Force." Said Bant; "Why don't you join us?"

"No thankyou, Bant." Replied Qui-Gon, he sighed. He reached out into the Force, drawing on the warmth that it offered, and then slowly, reverently. He released his guilt and grief into it. "I believe I have a 9 year old boy too offer an apprenticeship to."

AN: Now that was a hard chapter to write. In my first draft, this entire chapter was about two paragraphs tacked on the end of the previous chapter, not to mention it was just fiendishly difficult to try and keep the characters human enough while having them also seem Jedi enough. I'm not entirely happy with the result and this is about my third go at it, but I guess it does the job. As i luv ewansmile pointed out I hadn't included any of Obi-Wan's injuries from his fall, and I made a half hearted attempt to remedy the situation in this chapter. Also included are the eventual seeds of redemption for… but that would be telling… I don't know how long it will be before I update again, but by hook or by crook I will finish this story.

Edit 21/11/08 - spelling corrections etc.