Okay, my beta has not gotten back to me yet, but I think I toned the drama down somewhat. There will be one more chapter and then info about the sequel.

Chapter 20

Zane woke up to find himself lying covered up on a large soft bed. The light of the setting sun slipped through the blinds on the window, somewhat brightening the room. The covers were snug as Zane shifted in the bed and smiled at the thought of Obi-Wan tucking him in.

Getting out of bed, Zane slipped on his boots and went to the fresher. After he was done in the fresher, he left the bedroom and found Obi-Wan in a small living area, sitting on the couch and sipping at some tea.

"Did you sleep well?" Obi-Wan asked after he set the cup down on a small blue plate.

"Yes, sir." Zane responded. He sat down on a couch across from Obi-Wan and stared at his feet for a few moments before looking up at his father. "Is Qui-Gon going to be alright?" he asked, somewhat afraid to check on Qui-Gon through the Force, afraid of what he might find.

"His wound is healing. Once he's out of danger, we'll head back to Coruscant," Obi-Wan said.

Zane nodded and again stared at his feet. "I'm sorry," he mumbled, banging his heels against the couch. Might as well tell him while he's still upset at me. Taking a deep breath and slowly letting it out, Zane said, "I started the rumors in the Temple. I thought that if I could get the Council to throw me out, then you and Mom would leave the Order. Then you could spend more time with me and we could be a real family.

"I told my friends about my plan, mentioning that I knew my parents were Jedi, but I didn't say who. They tried to get me to change my mind, but I convinced a few of them to go along with it, while the rest stopped speaking with me and avoided me. But the ones who helped me became just as bad as the bullies, and they wouldn't defend me from them anymore. A couple of them must have told their other friends – even some padawans learned of this. That's the reason why I have no friends. Padawan Eerin knew I had done something to make my friends desert me, but whenever she would investigate no one would say a word to her, so none of the Senior padawans, Knights, or Masters know."

Obi-Wan stared in shock at Zane's confession. Never in a thousand years would he have dreamed that his son would do something like this. The seconds ticked slowly by as the silence dragged, and then Obi-Wan stood up and sat down next to Zane. He noted how Zane shifted uncomfortably when he sat down.

"Zane, the Order is our home, our family. It is what your mother and I know. Your mother and I do our best to spend time with you when we are able." Obi-Wan paused as he allowed that information to sink in. "There are non-Jedi families who are not always together as much as they would like. Some parents do cargo runs from system to system, others do undercover work for the government, and the list can go on. Some jobs keep parents close, others do not. While as Jedi we don't get paid for the work we do, it is still a job, a duty. Do you understand what I'm saying?"

Zane shrugged and continued to stare at the light brown carpet. "I guess, but…" His voice trailed off.

"Do you want to be a Jedi?" Obi-Wan asked.

Zane briefly looked at Obi-Wan and then his focus shifted to a far away wall. "I do want to be a Jedi, but…" Again his voice trailed off. "It's not fair that they can't see or know their mom and dad. Their parents can't even see them grow up. It would be selfish to stay in the Temple knowing who my parents are, and if we lived together like a regular family, I could still get trained as a Jedi."

That's Xanatos talking. What other stuff did he fill Zane's head with? thought Obi-Wan. "It is not selfish, Zane. Even though the attachment rule has been enforced and children are taken away from their parents at a young age, it doesn't mean that every Jedi doesn't know their parents. There have been cases where younglings enter the Temple at the age of three or four years old. As a result, not all memories of their family and home planet are forgotten.

"A few get to meet their families when they're padawans, others simply bump into them while on missions. And then there are the children of Jedi who either do or do not know who there parents are. Also, let's not forget the younglings who come to the temple who really are orphans, and those born to single parents, and those born to broken homes. It is not forbidden for a Knight to look up their family history and home planet, but most Jedi do not think about this by the time they become a Knight."

Zane felt his head ache from the amount of information. He looked at Obi-Wan. "It's still not fair."

"Leaving the problem does not solve the problem. The Jedi Order changed the way things worked because of the words, writings, and actions of two Jedi. In time there will be a Jedi who can successfully make the change, but the way things are now, I don't see that happening any time soon."

"Why can't you and Qui-Gon make the Order change?" Zane asked.

Obi-Wan smiled sadly at Zane, "It's not that simple. And it's a topic that you shouldn't worry about. You're still a child and you should enjoy it while it lasts."

Zane crossed his arms over his chest and lay against the back of the soft couch. "I guess."

Obi-Wan lightly chuckled, "Trust me, enjoy it." He paused and then continued. "Do you still want us to leave the Order?"

Zane chewed his bottom lip and banged his heels against the couch as he thought it over. "You and Mom know what's best."

"We do make mistakes, but staying in the Order is not one of them."

"You're not going to make me forget about you or Mom?" Zane asked, gazing up into Obi-Wan's eyes.

Obi-Wan gave a gentle smile. "I wasn't thinking clearly when I said that, Zane. I shouldn't have even thought of such an idea in the first place. Not to mention that your mother wouldn't have been pleased with it."

Zane smiled back, moved over to Obi-Wan, and snuggled against his side. "Will you spend more time with me?"

Obi-Wan wrapped his right arm around Zane and gently held him close. "If the Council allows me to train Anakin, and if they knight me this year, then I'll probably be spending most of my time in the Temple, since Anakin will have a lot of things to catch up on, especially the academic classes. Depending on how long it'll take Anakin to catch up to a reasonable point, in the Council's opinion, I'll probably be spending three years at least in the Temple."

"Cool," Zane said, excitement rushing through him.

Obi-Wan felt Zane's delight through the Force and hoped that the Council would let him train Anakin. It would be nice to spend more quality time with Zane – and his newborn daughter. "For your punishment…"

Zane groaned in protest and his excitement faded away. "Do I hafta be punished?"

Obi-Wan gave Zane the look that Qui-Gon would give him when he was about to object to a punishment. "Actions have consequences. Now, as I was saying. Once Anakin wakes up, you are to apologize to him and tell him what you did at the Temple and why you did it."

"But I didn't make him spread rumors about me or anything," Zane protested, backing away from Obi-Wan. "He doesn't need to know. What if he doesn't want to be my friend anymore after I tell him?"

"No, but I can sense by your emotions that you do feel guilty about something, which leads me to suspect that you were manipulating Anakin to achieve your goal." he said, his facial expression stern.

Zane's face crumbled and he turned his head away from Obi-Wan. Tears slipped from the corners of his eyes. "I didn't mean to. It just happened."

"The more you manipulate, the easier it gets until it becomes a destructive habit. Apologizing to Anakin is your first step in ending your manipulation habit. Once we are back at the Temple, you will also have to apologize to all your friends and any others who were affected by your manipulations."

Zane flopped down on the couch on his stomach and wrapped his arms around his head. "No, then they'll really dislike me more. Don't make me apologize to them. I can't do it."

"You can and you will." Obi-Wan stood up and went to retrieve his cloak from the other couch. "I have to meet with the Queen and then I'll pick up some lastmeal on the way back. I expect you to have talked to Anakin by then."

Zane angrily kicked at the couch and heard the door close as Obi-Wan left. Getting off of the couch, he wiped his face with the sleeve of his tunic. He gave the couch another solid kick and then headed for door of the quarters. Checking to make sure Obi-Wan was far enough away, Zane slipped out of the apartment and made his way out of the palace.

He hadn't gone far when a familiar presence came up beside him.

"Where are you going in such a hurry?" Xanatos spoke after he had caught up with Zane.

Startled, Zane stopped walking and looked at Xanatos. "What are you doing here?"

"The people I was supposed to meet with changed the time and location of the meeting on me," Xanatos snorted. "I suspect they are trying to double-cross me. Ah, but it's none of your concern." He gestured toward a bench sitting at the edge of a small patch of greenery. "Sit. What has gotten you so upset?" He went to sit down on the bench.

Zane sat on the hard bench but didn't say a word as he continued to sulk.

"Feeling sorry for yourself is not going to solve anything," Xanatos advised.

"My father told me that I have to apologize to Anakin and all the other people I have manipulated."

Xanatos raised an eyebrow, "Manipulated? Why would you have the need to manipulate people?"

Zane picked at the threads hanging at the edge of his tunic for a few moments before explaining what he had done and what his punishment was.

"Your father is correct, you need to apologize," Xantos responded after Zane finished. "Manipulation, while it has its benefits, also has negative consequences. You're at risk of losing a new friendship, you may have already lost your other friends, and so on. Apologizing hurts and is hard, but it's better to do it now than later, because later is even harder, and by the time later comes, one may not see the need to apologize. I know from experience how manipulation can hurt people, especially those who weren't the ones being manipulated. My own father manipulated me into siding with him during the civil war on Telos, and as a result my own master abandoned me. My master would not forgive me, even though I tried apologizing, and he wouldn't apologize for what he did.

"But don't let my story discourage you from apologizing. Everyone is different in how they will react."

Zane shrugged and stared down at the ground.

Xanatos stood up. "I should be going. I thought that since I was passing through the system, I should see how the Naboo are fairing."

Zane watched Xanatos leave and then with a big sigh, headed back to the palace.

He managed to find his way back the room they had been given and found Anakin reading a book about Naboo history.

Anakin looked up from the book after Zane entered the room. "Do you know how Qui-Gon is doing?"

Zane plopped down on the couch Anakin was sitting on and shook his head. "All I know is that he's still alive. Obi-Wan went to a meeting and said that he'll pick up some lastmeal for us on the way back."

"Oh." Anakin put the book down on the coffee table. "So, did you find the Sith?"

Zane slipped off his boots and sat against the armrest with his legs under him. "Yeah, but it was a very bad idea." Zane went on to describe what happened and watched as Anakin's eyes widened. "At least you didn't do anything dumb like that," he finished.

Anakin snorted. "Just because I'm older doesn't mean I don't do stupid things. I accidently went into the space battle."

"You what?" Zane said with wide eyes as his jaw dropped. "How did you manage that?"

Anakin started his story at the point they had reached the hangar, and with a lot more effects, and a little exaggeration, he told his Zane about the battle. "Of course I should have turned back to go back to Naboo as soon I had control back, but it all worked out."

"At least it wasn't on purpose. Obi-Wan already told me what part of my punishment will be. He's not going to let me off easy this time. It didn't help when I told him what was really going on."

Anakin cocked his head, his blue eyes looking into Zane's own. "What do you mean?"

"About two years ago I had a conversation with Xanatos about parents and children and I got this idea in my head that it was selfish for me to know my parents, for them to see me grow up, and for being able to spend time with them while other Jedi don't get that opportunity."

Zane started his story beginning with the conversation he had with Xanatos two years ago. Three fourths through the story, Zane saw a flicker of emotion in Anakin's eyes but it was gone before he could identify it. "By that time I was starting to feel like my plan wasn't going to work. Unfortunately my tendency to manipulate people came so naturally that I don't recognize that I'm doing it until after I've done it. I made the Temple sound like an unwelcoming place when really I was the one that made it that way for myself. Not everything I said was false, but I acted as if I didn't create most of my problems.

When we were at the Temple, I overheard Obi-Wan say to Qui-Gon that it would be best if I were to forget who my parents are. So I decided I would go take on the Sith myself and show him that I didn't need to forget. By then, I knew my plan was backfiring. Thinking about it now after facing the Sith, I realize that was a stupid and unwise move and it made no sense. So I told Obi-Wan what I had done, and he explained to me why it wasn't selfish and that leaving the problem doesn't solve it. Now I have to apologize to everyone I manipulated, even you. But it wasn't intentional with you. I'm sorry."

Anakin blinked a couple of times, unable to come up with a good response. Hopping off of the couch, he walked over to Zane and gave him a hug. "I forgive you."

~*~*~

Obi-Wan opened the door to the guest quarters and walked inside with a tray that held three covered plates filled with something that smelled delicious, three glasses and a pitcher of water, as well as a bowl of fruit, bread, and utensils. "Who's hungry?"

Zane and Anakin looked up from the book they were sharing and they both grinned.

"We're growing boys, of course we're hungry," Anakin stated matter-of-factly.

Obi-Wan chuckled. "Yes, of course. Sorry that I took so long. The cooks insisted on making something homemade and nutritious." He brought the food to the stoveless kitchen and set the tray on the counter.

Anakin and Zane helped set the table and soon they were all sitting down to their meal.

"Whoa!" Anakin exclaimed, his eyes wide as he saw the amount of food on the large plate. "Bantha steak, antarian peas, sweet root, jerked dewback, sweet sour sauce…"

"Eat it before it gets cold," Obi-Wan advised, smiling as he scooped up some peas.

Zane was already digging into his meal. Home cooked meals were his favorite. Whenever his mom had the time after a mission, she would make him home cooked meals.

After Obi-Wan was finished eating and Anakin and Zane were finishing off the fruit, Obi-Wan spoke. "I have arranged transport to take us back to the Temple. We will leave as soon as the healers believe Qui-Gon will be ready for travel."

"Can we go see him after we're done eating?" Zane asked.

"You can come with me, but I'm not sure if the healers will allow it. Qui-Gon needs his rest," Obi-Wan said.

"We won't be noisy," Anakin stated before finishing off the last of the plum fruit.

Obi-Wan began to clear away the dishes and place them on the platter. He would wash the dishes later. Once Anakin and Zane had washed their hands and faces, they headed for the hospital.

Once they arrived, Obi-Wan told them to wait in the waiting room while he went to see if Qui-Gon was up for visitors. He entered the room and saw that Qui-Gon was awake. "How are you feeling, Master?"

"Exhausted. They finally gave me a stronger pain killer."

Obi-Wan attempted a smile and pulled up a chair next to Qui-Gon's side. "As soon as the healers here permit it, we'll get you into the care of the Temple healers."

"How are Zane and Anakin?" Qui-Gon asked.

"They're doing fine, they just finished a hot home cooked meal," Obi-Wan said. "The Queen successfully captured the Viceroy, and Anakin destroyed the Trade Federation ship."

"I told him to stay in the cockpit."

"But not to fly it. It was entirely accidental. He was trying to blast some destroyer droids and managed to get a few so that the Queen and the other Naboo could get to the exit, but in the process of trying to find the shields, he engaged the autopilot, and, well, I'll let Anakin tell you the rest," Obi-Wan explained.

Qui-Gon closed his eyes for a minute before opening them again. "Are you sure you want to train him?"

"I think I can keep up with him. Are you up to seeing Anakin and Zane?" Obi-Wan asked.

Qui-Gon chuckled, wincing as he did so. "I don't think they'll take no for an answer."

Obi-Wan laughed too as he sensed the two boys standing a few inches from the door. Using the Force, he opened the door, causing the two boys to nearly tumble inside.

As soon as they regained their balance, they ran the rest of the way into the room until they stood at Qui-Gon's left side.

"Are you feeling better?" they asked nearly simultaneously.

"Much better." Qui-Gon struggled to keep his eyes open, but he was already exhausted from speaking.

"Come on boys, he needs his rest," Obi-Wan said in a low voice as he led them out of the room.

Without protest they quietly followed Obi-Wan, reassured that Qui-Gon would be all right.

Please review :)