Chapter 7
"A year ago, I was viciously attacked, Arl Aa saved my life and in doing so damaged herself. We had no idea what would happen and sat by her bedside often, wishing she would wake up. We followed her dream, began building an order she would be proud to wake up to. She was our hope and our drive for the longest time, but in her absence, we learnt to do it ourselves, to be all we could and needed to be. Without her we would not be here, without her we have an all too good idea of what would happen. Today we say goodbye, not just to our friend and family member, but also to a hero. Her sacrifice saved my life, but it also saved all of you, and so many others in the galaxy, she will not be forgotten. Her memory will live on in the very foundation of this order as long as it exists. Goodbye, Arleia Skywalker, beloved sister, friend, daughter, Padawan, and mentor to all. Your sacrifice will not be in vain, may the force be with you as you now become one with it."
Six months earlier…
"How's the new council planning going?" Karrya asks curiously over group dinner at Mace and Mic's place.
It was two months after information week, two months after half the group walked out (sorry Xan) and left it to the council to control their order. This was the first dinner since then, Mace and Mic having been far too busy.
"We only have one person to get confirmation from, then we have our new council as full as it can be until Sith and Custos numbers rise." Mace answers.
"Unfortunately, that last one is a cranky old bastard that I think wants to see us beg and weep in desperation. What more proof do you want man?!" Mic tells them dramatically dropping the top half of his body on the table towards Dooku.
"I only wanted to be sure this would work, I had the proof I wanted after Xan's speech that day in Arlie's room." He replies, every council member looks at him in barely disguised anger.
"Are you fucking kidding me?!" Mace asks loudly.
"Moo Moo!" Anakin admonishes him, he winces.
"Sorry Ani."
"So, you're in?" Adi asks, Dooku nods.
"Yes, I'll be on your blasted council." He relents, Adi honest to god giggles and claps as Depa pulls out her comm and notifies the others before returning to her food.
"Sorry I'm late!" Owen calls running in, "Temporal Mechanics ran over time on account of me breaking the teaching Master."
"Again?" Anakin asks, Owen smiles.
"It is hardly my fault he's wrong all the time. He said something about paradoxes not being able to form because time won't allow it. I told him that was rubbish, we are living in one now and time doesn't exist."
"How'd that go down?" Qui-Gon asks curiously and amused.
"Well he wants to speak to Master Penn about me being too immature to be in his class."
"Didn't he already try that?"
"Yes, Master Penn told me not to worry about it when I comm'd her on the way here."
"Make sure you tell your parents when you speak to them next." Mace tells the boy who smiles and nods, he enjoyed his classes and being around people of his intelligence level. He was only eleven but taking the advance classes offered to senior Padawans. Some Masters and Knights have asked him to be their Padawan but he's turned them all down, when asked why all he would say was that it was not yet time. He was waiting for something, he did not know what but when it was time, he'd know, and that is when he will say yes.
"It's amazing what you can accomplish when you think for yourself." Xanatos mutters, at first people were about to scold him for being an ass but they realised upon looking at him that he was not speaking of Owen.
"What are you talking about Xanny?" Reeft asks, he, Aayla and Clee had joined the group dinners, now affectionately called family dinners, soon after information week, the secrets putting a strain on their relationships with people finally out of the way. Unfortunately for Xanatos, that meant he'd picked up a nickname, kriffing Clee.
"Arl goes into a coma and within six months we make more progress than we have in five years. Everything that has happened has been necessary, it's not as though we wasted time, but maybe things would have happened quicker if we had thought for ourselves, helped push things along instead of relying on Arlie to pull us after her. She'd be so proud of us."
"So would Shaak." Depa tells them with a watery smile, "Look at us, five years ago this never would have happened, Moo Moo and I weren't close because attachments, these gatherings would have just been weird and half the people in this room probably would either not get along or not have met. We owe her so much that we relied on her too much, now we stand on our own, but we stand together. Not without her, she's always with us. She is not the only one proud of us, I am too."
"To Arlie, and to us." Bellan tells them, everyone clinks glasses and smiles.
A month later the new council is in the council chambers debating, so far, this council was composed of Yoda, Mace, Plo, Dooku, Micah, Obi-Wan, Qui-Gon, Tahl, Quinlan, and Junahl. There were currently no Custos around to be on the council, but it was hoped that between Micah, Quinlan, and Tahl, their knowledge of Arl and of history would allow them to bring the viewpoint as well as their own to the table. Obi-Wan had agreed to be on for the Sith, since he would be training those that follow that path, as long as he sat on the council, not Sohn. Everyone readily agreed to that. Representing the Jedi, they had Yoda, Mace, and Plo. Representing the Sith was Dooku, Qui-Gon, and Obi-Wan. Standing in for the Custos was Tahl, Quinlan, and Micah. Of course for the Shadows there was Junahl, though she had recruited Quinlan as a Shadow and was planning on doing the same with Tachi when she was Knighted next week. Garen and Xanatos had been paired together after Garen was elevated to Lord and given the name 'Lord Schlau'.
'It means wise, cunning, sly, and intelligent.' Qui-Gon had told him, Garen had smiled so wide his cheeks hurt for days afterwards.
"You cannot take more than one Padawan." Mace tells Obi-Wan who looks at him, dead in the eyes and smirks.
"Why not?" He asks still smirking, Mace flounders…little shit.
"Ugh, fine. That's unanimous, you can take them both assuming they agree. He doesn't seem that interested at the moment."
"Brilliant, last on the agenda is the training salles. Concerns have been raised that when the new Sith are at the point of practicing the more volatile abilities with the force that others may be hit. We think perhaps naming the same training salle already shielded as a Sith salle. It's a segregation we didn't want but it's a safety thing not a hate thing." Tahl tells them, everyone looks unsure.
"It sets a bad precedent but the concern is a legitimate one." Plo says voicing his concerns.
"Could we maybe say when practicing things such as force lightning, they use that but in normal…" Aayla begins to say, translating for Quinlan. That was one brilliant thing about Council Padawans sitting in on meetings, he didn't have to rely on the bond with Dooku.
"That could work but keep in mind it is relatively easy for most to use these more aggressive techniques, the trouble is controlling them. Anarch for instance, when he was learning to throw force lightning I made sure we were on an extended mission because like most do, he couldn't not throw it when angry or upset after the door to it had been opened." Dooku tells them interrupting Aayla and glancing apologetically at both her and her Master even as he signs his words to Quin since he knew how to.
"How do we lower the risk to the temple's general population?" Mic asks, a few ideas are thrown around, all shut down before eventually silence falls.
"We've been here for two hours now, it's late, we're all tired. Let's reconvene next week and present new ideas then and decide with fresh eyes?" Qui-Gon suggests, Quinlan sighs.
"This is exactly what we were hoping to avoid in this new council but I suppose I understand the rut the old council fell into. No offense surviving members." Aayla translates.
"What would you suggest instead?" Qui-Gon asks sounding frustrated, he didn't like it either.
"In three days we have the ceremony for Obi-Wan and his two Padawans, after that we revisit this issue and have a full plan in place by the end of the week."
"Agreed." Junahl says, everyone nods and so the meeting is adjourned. Mace heads down to the healers wing closely followed by Micah.
"She wouldn't mind you know."
"I know Mic I just, she should be here for this, making jokes about being replaced."
"We were talking about this long before she went into a coma." Mic reminds his lover who reaches out and strokes Arlie's hair as he nods and grabs her hand. Mic comes up and puts his hand on top of both, wrapping his other arm around Mace's waist.
"So, let's go help our official new Padawan move into our quarters." Mace says with a smile, "Goodnight Arlie." He tells the unconscious girl before kissing her on the forehead, squeezing her hand and leaving the room with Mic who smiles at the girl on his way out.
Two hours later, Mace, Micah and their new Padawan stand in the Padawan room in their quarters, everything now put away.
"Welcome home Asajj." Mace says with a hand on the girl's shoulder, the Dathomirian smiles widely up at the two of them.
"Thank you, Masters."
"Giiett." Micah says grouchily answering the comm that was beeping incessantly on the nightstand.
"Good morning Master Giiett, that is so strange, I could have sworn I dialled Mace's comm." Terza's voice comes through far too amused, Mic glares at the comm.
"Is there a particular reason you are calling anyone at third hour?"
"Yes, actually, the both of you need to come down here." She says all traces of amusement gone from her voice, Mic frowns.
"Is Arlie okay?" He asks even as he shoves his mate beside him to wake him up.
"Hmmph." The man groans as he looks over accusingly before sitting up alert when he notices the expression on his lover's face.
"I, she's alive. But you should bring Shmi in as well." Terza tells him solemnly.
"We'll be there soon." He promises before shutting off the comm and taking a deep breathe.
"Love?" Mace asks, he sighs sounding very distressed.
"Terza wants to speak to us about Arlie, has requested we bring Shmi in as well. She says that Arlie is alive but didn't elaborate."
"I'll call Shmi and wait for her at the entrance, you get Little Obi?" Mace says after some hesitation, Mic nods. "Oh, I believe he's in Xan's room." Mic raises an eyebrow, Mace just shrugs.
"Right, I'll let Asajj know on my way out." He tells him as they both throw clothes on and leave their room. Asajj had been their Padawan for a little under a month now and was immediately concerned for the girl she had met during creche visits and knew so much about from her Master's and their friends, however agreed to remain in their quarters for now.
Fifteen minutes later, Obi-Wan, Shmi, Mace, and Micah are sitting in Terza's office waiting to hear news about one of the most important people to them.
"Do you remember when her seizures stopped?" Terza asks diving straight into it, they nod unsurely.
"You said that it could be good news or it could be a sign that her brain is shutting down." Micah says, his voice full of trepidation as he grabs his lover's hand.
"I was looking over her latest brain scan today, I am sorry. We have done all we can but her brain is shutting down, her body going with it. She's been put on life support, there is still a chance she could bounce back from this but, there is nothing I can do. I still do not know what the problem is so, if she's going to come back from this, she's going to have to do it on her own." Shmi gasps, pressing a hand to her mouth and shutting her eyes as tears start falling down her face.
"Mum." Obi-Wan whispers, moving to wrap his arms around the woman who sobs into his shoulder. Mace gets up and walks out without a word, Mic watches him go but doesn't stop him.
"He's only gone to Arl's room." Mic reassures Terza who looks at him with worry, she nods and smiles slightly.
"I, I really wish there was more I could do. I'm sorry." She tells him again, Mic smiles reassuringly.
"Did you ever find out the name she gave you?" Mic asks, Terza looks confused at the abrupt question but shakes her head, "Terri. Or if she's annoyed it becomes Terzi."
"That's terrible." She says as tears fill her eyes.
"She cares for you as you do for her. You have done all you can Terza, you have nothing to apologise for." He tells her even as he struggles to maintain his own composure. "Now, if you'll excuse me, my Padawan is no doubt waiting up at home for us to return." He bows before leaving.
Mace leaves the room, throwing a thought over his shoulder to his life-mate, letting him know he is not going far, he gets a brief acknowledgement and his mate's intention of returning home before he focuses on the room he's just walked into. There in the bed is his Padawan, looking so young yet he long ago learnt to look past it. Most look weak or vulnerable when unconscious, but not his Padawan. No, she was just as strong now as she had always been, she would wake up, she had to.
"We are so close Arlie, we've nearly done it. You can't miss it, you can't leave. Please come back. We all need you to be proud of us, to reassure us we've done everything right. I need you to be here to see it happen. I need you to be here to-to, I just need you to be here Arl. Please wake up." He begs her as he starts sobbing, running a hand through her hair. He doesn't head back to his quarters that night.
"Now that we have the program relatively set up, you two have a choice to make. I am in the unique position of being able to train you as either Sith or Jedi. It's up to you, each of you." Obi tells his Padawans one day over breakfast. Owen and Anakin look to each other with questioning looks, the two had accidentally created a pairbond through their explorations of the force and silently spoke to each other frequently enough that he learnt to just sit back and wait for them to finish.
"Well yes, that makes sense but then which is which?" Owen says aloud, they had a habit of this too. Randomly switching between mindspeech and verbal speech.
"Well, I tend to be more emotional and take that into account when making decisions. Whereas you are more cool logic and emotional detachment." Anakin replies, Owen nods thinking it over in exactly the way the other boy had just described. Obi-Wan smiles, amused at the exchange.
"Which would suggest you would be better suited to the Sith code and I to the Jedi."
"Exactly."
"If you are both happy with that." He says looking between the two both of whom nod enthusiastically. "You know if things continue how it is, you may need to pick up a third member of a team eventually. A Custos, who we will not be adopting Anakin, I know that look." Obi tells him sternly.
"But Obi! Err, Master." Ani hastily corrects without needing to be reminded.
"We should keep an eye out for a good match then. We won't need to worry about it for years but it would be nice if we had years to build a good rapport instead of jumping straight in like Quin, Tyranus, and Arl did." Owen tells his brother who acquiesces with a nod.
"Master, what's going on with you and Xanny?" Mastery of the Jedi ways be damned, Obi blushes at that question to the roots of his fucking hair.
"I, uh, nothing. Why?" Both boys raise an eyebrow in identical ways simultaneously. "Sometimes I seriously question how there is no blood relation between you two."
"Master, I am nearly twelve years old, Anakin is nine soon. So yes, we are still children, but we are not blind." Obi rolls his eyes, "Come on Little Obi, if not as your Padawans then as your brothers?"
"Fine!" he says with a huff, "I don't know. I really do not know. I said about six months ago that we'd talk about it and we still haven't."
"Yet you're spending nights there?" Owen asks non-judgementally. Obi-Wan was often surprised by his little brother, he was an absolute genius, no doubt about that. But it was the maturity that he often forgot came with that that took him by surprise.
"Yes."
"What about Qui…err…Anarch." Anakin asks, Obi sighs deeply.
"I do not know. I have not spoken with him about any of this either."
"I gotta say Obi, I kind of worry that the only people you seem to talk to about these things are your kid brothers."
"I didn't even want to talk to you guys!" He says to Ani who glares.
"Well that's just mean."
"Are you cheating on Qui-Gon?" Owen asks flatly, Obi flinches but otherwise doesn't respond.
"Mum is not going to be impressed with that." Ani tells him before looking like something just occurred to him, "Actually upon reflection, Dad may have a worse reaction."
"Neither will be happy." Owen amends, Ani nods.
"Which is why neither of you two are going to tell either of them, or anyone, got it?"
"Obi-Wan, everyone knows. This is the first time you've admitted it, but everyone knows. Only reason no one does anything about the abhorrent behaviour is because of how obvious it is that Qui knows too!"
"Well then Owen, what is your problem?"
"Just because he knows does not mean he's happy with it." Obi glares at his brother.
"He isn't a saint either! God knows what he and Clee get up to."
"Obi-Wan, she thinks of him as a brother." Anakin tells him, he sighs.
"I am aware of that Anakin, my worry is not how she thinks of him, it's how he thinks of her. He knows he's a brother to her and knows nothing will happen. But he told me years ago he once had feelings for her and to me, it doesn't seem like that's changed much."
"And this is where we back off. Can we go see Arl before class?" Owen requests, Obi absently nods before remembering.
"Actually, come sit on the couch. I need to talk to you both about Arlie." He says having gotten permission from their parents to tell the boys.
"What?" Owen asks grabbing Anakin's hand as they sit.
"Arl has been put on life support. She, um. Her brain is failing, Terza says there is still a chance she could bounce back from this though."
"We know." Anakin tells him, Obi raises an eyebrow. "I've known what was going to happen for a few months now."
"Jerk tried to hide it too." Owen mutters making Ani elbow him.
"Anakin, you should have told us all." Obi says angrily, Anakin glares up at him defiantly.
"You people wanted hope. No one wanted to be told that she isn't going to wake up!" Obi rears back like he'd been struck. "I didn't want to cause that pain." He adds in a whisper.
"Ani, she will, of course she will."
"No Little Obi, she won't."
Later that day Obi-Wan calls the old group to the meeting room, something that had not happened in a few months.
"Thought we agreed this wouldn't happen anymore?" Aayla translates for Quin though most in the room could speak sign now.
"This is only partially about the order." Obi tells him, their numbers had grown again thanks to several people bringing on Padawans. Some were standing now since there was not enough room at the table. There was now Depa, Adi, Siri, Tholme, Quinlan, Aayla, Dooku, Qui-Gon, Obi, Anakin, Owen, Mace, Micah, Asajj, Ki-Adi, Eeth, Saesee, Yoda, Plo, Garen, Terza, Tahl, Bellan, Bant, Xanatos, Clee, Junahl, Jey-Sahl, Reeft, and Valorum.
"Go on." The Chancellor tells him, he looks at him oddly for a moment.
"Crap, oh no, no no. Dammit Arlie no, no I can't." He says suddenly earning himself worried looks as he tries not to hyperventilate. "Ani, you're still 8 right?"
"Yes."
"Thank fuck. That gives me, damn, a year. A literal year, nearly to the date. Oh, fuck me and everything and just. I'm gonna kill that fucking bastard, I needed Arl for this."
"I don't know what's going on but Obi, a year is a long time, she could wake up." Mic tells his friend, who looks heartbroken for all of a second.
"Actually, that's why we are here." Everyone looks confused, Anakin silently requests for Obi-Wan to let him say it, he nods.
"Arlie isn't going to wake up. I've known this for months. Her brain failing has only proven me right."
"Ani said it would happen soon last week." Owen adds quietly though everyone heard him. Immediately everyone tried to dispute it, Anakin, Owen, and Obi-Wan waited patiently knowing they would stop soon. It was hard to protest when the force rang with the truth of the statement.
"We need to make the Custos on our own how we believe it is needed. We need to appoint people in this room to be in charge of it and we need to get this moving."
"Sometimes I forget you went through a war, other times it's all too clear." Bant tells him teary.
"Was I being flippant again?" Obi asks Bellan seriously who nods, he cringes. "Sorry."
"He isn't wrong though." Junahl tells them, "She is important to all of us, this group more than most, but we cannot put the needs of this order on hold for something that I think, on some level, we all saw coming." Everyone is quiet for a few minutes, processing before knowing she is right and getting to work.
"So, first thing I suppose is, does anyone want the job?" Mace asks looking around the room.
"I would like to. I've been working in that perspective for the council and I guess it's become rather hard for me to fit my views in with the Jedi lately." Micah says surprising everyone.
"Honestly, I think it would suit you anyway." Dooku adds, "Your way of looking at things is very similar to how the people we stayed with did, namely Master Halvi 13'000 years ago."
"I will too." Tahl says, "I've been thinking of making the transition since Arlie and Ty first put forth their idea for the order."
"My Master says he will too, he much preferred how they did things and having experienced it firsthand it gives them a good foundation to build their own sect of the order on." Aayla tells them.
"We already have a code too." Tahl says with a smile.
"You do?" Reeft asks, no one from the old group look surprised but the newbies do.
"Have hope for the future." Micah says.
"Have faith in yourself." Tahl adds.
"Have trust in the force." Quin says aloud, speaking for the first time in a while so his voice was a bit rough. His and Dooku's eyes are moisture filled but with happiness and pride.
"Thank you." Dooku tells them, Mic and Tahl smile and nod.
"From there and from what we know, I already have a few ideas." Mic tells them.
"As do I."
"And I." Aayla says, "Or, Master does." She adds noticing many had not seen Quin signing.
"All right then, you three take some time, draw up a plan. Outline everything you can think of now but no one is going to expect a full order set up like the Jedi and the Sith seeing as we are about 13'000 years ahead of you." Mace tells them after the rest council nods to each other.
"In that case, Vos, how would you like to be on the council both for the Custos as a whole and one of the Shadow representatives?" Bordo asks, he smiles and nods, she honestly looks relieved. "Now if only I had a Sith shadow to appoint." She complains.
"You do." Adi tells her in confusion, Junahl raises an eyebrow just as confused. Dooku snickers.
[What did you do?] Quin signs to Dooku.
[I may have been training Siri in the ways of the Sith for a month.] Quin laughs. He had taken to spelling out the short names Arl or others had given to everyone so that he did not have to say or translate through others. Those who spoke Sign now did the same.
[Junie is not going to be happy with Siri for not telling her. I thought Siri was going Custos?]
[She meditated on it and, after both Qui and Schlau came to me about her needling them about Sith, I approached her. She, Adi, and I sat down and had a long conversation before I began teaching her. It's a more informal training than Garen received but that's what we plan to do when we have more numbers so we thought this was a good place to start.] Neither had noticed that Aayla was translating the conversation for everyone else when she noticed Dooku explaining everything.
"Well, when you're trained we'll talk." Junahl tells Siri startling the other two out of their conversation.
"That was mean Master." Siri says pouting at Adi who grins.
"I told you years ago Siri, your time on the council would come and I will sit back and laugh."
"All this time we thought you were the only one among us who managed to train their Padawan the way a Jedi should." Depa tells her looking highly amused.
"I thought you all knew me better than that." She says feigning offense.
"Well, Chancellor, at least you know you are not having a stroke." Anakin tells the man who laughs. It takes a moment for the others to catch on, then the room was filled with laughter. Or confusion from Owen, Clee, Aayla and Reeft who had not been present for the comment and unlike Anakin, had not been told of it. "He once said that the day they behave professionally and don't digress from topic he'll know he's having a stroke." The four chuckle now getting the joke.
"Xanny?" Clee asks seeing the look on his face.
"Sorry, yes?" He asks paying attention again and stopping the absent-minded chair rocking he'd been doing.
"Are you alright Padawan?" Qui-Gon asks, he had not referred to Xan as such in years.
"Yes Master I just, it's been five years, nearly six since I found Arlie in that force damned room. It seems like such a long time in some regards and such a short one in others. Either way, far too soon for us to lose her. Are you sure she won't wake up?" He asks Anakin who nods sadly as tears fill his eyes again, and Xan's, and a lot of other people's.
"She is fifty-four years old tomorrow, let's at least take solace in the fact that she is not really twelve nearly thirteen and has lived." Adi tells them, Obi fights to compose himself as he feels the Sith in him rising. He works to incorporate the feelings into himself and knows his eyes will be yellow when he opens them, but it is not Sohn in control.
(Or perhaps it is, we are one after all.) Obi thinks to himself with a sad smile.
"Not a life anyone would want to live though." Garen says, Obi smiles.
"Not a life anyone would want? She learnt force-magic, was adopted by a fantastic family on a world we can only imagine. Lived for ten years on a planet she knew nothing of and gained so much. She had a little brother over there, and an older one. Then she came back here and met all of us, she healed. She trained to be a Jedi and became a Knight at twenty-three, only six years after she began training, she really may as well have been thirteen for that particular marker. Has a rather amazing partnership with her best friend, picks up an amazing girlfriend. Is on the council at twenty, or really thirty, successfully runs a war effort, gains a Padawan, a sister-in-law even if they did not get along. An adorable niece and nephew. That's just an overview, there is so much good in between that, the good times she had back then, with everyone. Every life has its dark points, they are the things that affect her the most from that yes, but it is not all that happened. She went through hell, but she also had a great life, and she would be the first to tell you so." He tells them, most everyone was teary by the end, but all found a level of peace in the speech.
