Disclaimer: Disney owns Star Wars, not me. All the characters and places (except for my OC Analise Joy) belong to them.
"aaaa"-talking out loud."aaaa"-talking through a holo or com. 'aaaaa'-inner thoughts. aaaaa-talking through a Bond
AN: Thank you for the review Rebel Nobody:) Getting a chapter posted a day isn't easy, but writing has always been a way for me to relax and stay grounded in stressful situations. I also have a nice job where they don't mind if I work on rough chapter drafts as long I have nothing else to do.
Please enjoy the latest chapter:)
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Chapter Twenty-Four
It is my fault Master. The door had barely slid shut behind Qui-Gon when the words burst from Obi-Wan across their Bond and into his head. It was clear that the younger man did not feel like talking aloud.
Analise's saber had yet to be released from Obi-Wan's death grip. Usually the lightsaber of a missing Jedi was given into the Master who had trained or was training the missing one until they were found...Dead or alive.
Qui-Gon though had no plans to take the lightsaber that Analise had constructed so carefully from Obi-Wan. If holding onto his daughter's lightsaber was giving the man he had always though of as a son some sort of comfort, then he would gladly let Obi-Wan hold onto it until Analise returned to them...Alive.
He was worried through. Obi-Wan was leaning aganist the balcony railing. Leaning over too far in the Master's mind.
Every moment that Analise was gone, every burst of her pain that broke through her blocks and raced to the them loosened both Obi-Wan and Anakin's grip on the galaxy. On reality. On life.
Qui-Gon's eyes darted back inside for just a moment. Claiming his right as his great-grandfather, Yoda had order Anakin to his side. The Padawan and Grand Master were talking quietly with Plo and Mace. Thankfully Anakin had not yet reached Sun Level yet as the twins and Ahsoka jokingly called the highest level of anger that Anakin could reach.
For now Anakin was sad and a little angry. He was floundering a little without his beloved sister at his side. The sister that he was only willing to share with a carefully chosen few. Among those few were the Knight standing, leaning too far over a balcony railing. The man that Anakin felt was the only one who truly deserved his sister's love.
Qui-Gon made up his mind that after the gathering in his chambers ended, he would go down to the Creche and ask Ahsoka's Creche Master permission for Ahsoka to come and stay with him. Anakin would be less likely to go off the deep end if his baby sister was with him.
His eyes returned to Obi-Wan who hadn't moved from his spot.
Come away from the railing my Obi-Wan. He coaxed the Knight away from the railing as gently as he could. Away from the edge.
How is Analise's kidnapping your fault?
Slowly Obi-Wan came away from the railing. She is my Moonbeam Master. I...I love her with all that I am even though I have no claim to her. Qui-Gon's eyebrows raised at that, but he said nothing. I should have gone with her. Hang what the Council and Palpatine wanted!
Why didn't you?
Because of my training! The outburst rang throughout Qui-Gon's head. He could feel the rage, the guilt that went with the words. Duty comes before purpose. Before feeling. It's been drilled into my head since I was a child. From the moment I entered the Temple.
Obi-Wan stopped in front of Qui-Gon, staring at the saber in his hands. The Master gently lifted the Knight's chin so he could see his face, his eyes as he had so often did when the Knight before him had been a Padawan with no self-confidence. Turmoil cut deeply across the face before him.
His poor Obi-Wan. So long the Knight before him had followed as best he could the traditions and rules laid out by generations of Jedi Masters before them. Qui-Gon and Anakin had shown him a wider galaxy, a life where the chains were loosened if not gone competely. Analise had only succeed in breaking those chains from not just Obi-Wan, but from the whole of the Jedi Order.
Obi-Wan still struggled though. The lessons from his early years would not be so quick to fade away, to make way for the newer and bolder ideas.
Sometimes purpose and feeling can come before duty my Obi-Wan. You just have to listen...
That's the problem Master! My head tells me to follow the old ways and wait for orders...But my heart and soul are screaming for me to go after my Moonbeam. That she needs me.
Listen to the Force my Obi-Wan. It will tell you if you should listen to your head or heart and soul.
"Master? Da?" They hadn't even heard the door slide open, but they didn't notice Anakin's subdued Force Signature. "Please come back in. I think we should talk about the Chancellor."