Chapter 38

A calloused hand rested on the child's back, feeling the gentle rise and fall of her chest as she took each breath. The calm rhythm soothed his nerves, causing him to relax enough to fall asleep. Qui-Gon leaned against the doorframe watching his former padawan and his surrogate granddaughter, the little girl held protectively in her father's embrace. He knew he had to broach the subject of what had happened at the Tusken camp, but the peaceful scene before him begged him to let it be.

Once inside the house, they had made Shmi as comfortable as possible in her and Cliegg's sleeping quarters. Now, they were just waiting for the doctor's arrival. Anakin had been placed in Owen's room, Qui-Gon's prior sleep suggestion still weighing heavily upon his mind. It was within the hour that the physician arrived. After a thorough examination, he insisted that they get her to a reputable med unit as soon as possible. Although he believed she would live, he was concerned about her injuries healing properly. He had stopped the internal bleeding, set broken bones, bandaged the worst of the wounds and administered a broad spectrum antibiotic. Having done all he could do with his limited supplies and capabilities, he told them that the rest was up to her. Qui-Gon entered Shmi's room shortly after the healer's departure. Allowing the force to use him as its conduit, he poured a generous amount of force healing into Shmi's battered and broken body, aiding her chance of recovery.

Approaching the Jedi Master, Padmé briefly touched his arm to gain his attention. "Master Qui-Gon?"

Turning his attention away from his former padawan, he focused on the Nubian Senator. A raised eyebrow prompted her to continue.

"We should take the doctor's advice and take Shmi to Naboo. As you know, we have excellent medical facilities…but we must leave soon."

Taking it upon himself to make the decision for everyone, he nodded his acceptance of her proposal. Together, the two of them made arrangements and packed what was needed. When Cliegg made to shut the homestead down for a lengthy absence, Qui-Gon offered his help. Once things were ready for departure, Qui-Gon quietly entered Obi-Wan's room and lifted his granddaughter into his arms. She wiggled in his embrace, her eyes closed, trying to find a comfortable position. Once satisfied, she quickly fell back to sleep. The Jedi Master was about to leave when he saw his padawan suddenly sit up, looking around the room in panic. The elder man placed an arm on Obi-Wan's shoulder and squeezed it gently, trying to calm his overwrought mind. The Jedi gestured for him to follow; the Knight eyed his former mentor with confusion, the fatigue he had abruptly awoken from not yet having loosened it's hold. Instead of asking questions, he followed behind the man he trusted beyond all others.

Having been informed of their plans, Owen went into his room to rouse his brother from sleep and to explain the situation. Anakin groaned, shrugging off the offending object trying to wake him. Noting how the other was having trouble waking, Owen left to find their elder brother. Obi-Wan entered the room to find Anakin sitting up but leaning forward, his head resting against his hands, his mind trying to fight off the sleep suggestion his grandmaster had given him. Sitting down next to his padawan, the elder of the three slowly revived his apprentice, bringing him back to full awareness. When Anakin was awake enough to start questioning the situation, the three went to the ship and boarded.

X

A voice, low in volume, echoed through the open doorway. Qui-Gon slowly approached the room, stopping to lean against the frame of the opening. Jamiyan lay quietly on the ship bunk while her father soothed her with a song. His hand absently rubbing circles on her back, his gaze distant. When he felt her slip back into sleep his voice quieted; his hand stopped its motion but continued to rest between her shoulder blades, feeling her chest rise with each breath she took. He had been unusually quiet since their return from the Tusken camp, his mind lost in all they had experienced.

A soft clearing of the throat reverberated through the small space bringing notice to the figure standing half in and half out of the room. Obi-Wan lowered his eyes to focus on his daughter, wanting to be sure she was asleep before allowing Qui-Gon to bring up the subject he knew he would not be allowed to ignore.

Jamiyan shifted in her sleep, a soft sigh escaping her lips signaling her contentment. Gesturing for his master to enter, Obi-Wan watched the older man until he was comfortably seated before turning away.

His voice low as to not wake the child, Qui-Gon asked, "What happened, Padawan?"

The younger man shook his head as if to say he wasn't really sure. "When we found Shmi, a voice full of hatred and darkness found us." When Qui-Gon merely looked at him with confusion etched in his features, Obi-Wan shrugged. "I can't explain it better than that."

"You mentioned his name. Do you feel it was the Chancellor?"

"I know it was."

It wasn't that Qui-Gon didn't believe him, but the distance between Tatooine and Coruscant was such that it would be difficult for even the strongest bond between a Jedi Master and Padawan to function. Knowing that he was being read like an open book, Qui-Gon held out his hand in supplication.

"I know his voice," Obi-Wan said, his voice emotionless.

The look the Jedi Master received from his protégé spoke of action not yet planned. "What are you preparing to do?"

"It has to end."

"Meaning?" Qui-Gon questioned, alarmed at the gleam in the younger man's eye. A chill went down the Jedi's spine at Obi-Wan's answer.

"The apprentice becomes the master."

"You're going to confront him."

The younger man shook his head. "I'm going to make sure he never does this to anyone else."

A shift on the bunk beside him brought Obi-Wan's attention back to his daughter, his eyes softening, flecks of gold disappearing. "Shhh." He gently ran a hand over the back of her head, allowing his fingers to trail through the blond tresses that reminded him so much of her mother. He would protect her; he would make sure the sith never touched his daughter in spirit or mind even if he had to lose himself in the process.

Worried, Qui-Gon reached over and placed a hand on Obi-Wan's arm and squeezed it gently. "If you do this, you're not doing it alone."

"I appreciate the offer, but Anakin and I can handle this."

"So your nineteen year old apprentice is considered skilled enough to help, but an experienced master is not allowed assist?"

"As much as I disagree with the contact he's had with Palpatine over the years, he at least knows what the man is capable of."

"As do I, or do you not remember that I fought to retrieve my own apprentice from his grasp?"

"You're not going."

Obi-Wan stood from the sleep couch and made his way out of the room. Stopping just inside the doorway, he turned back toward Qui-Gon, his gaze flickering over to Jamiyan before saying, "Promise me you'll take care of her."

"Only if you promise me that anger and vengeance will have no part in this plan of yours." The elder Jedi looked over at his granddaughter and then back to her father. "I lost your padawan brother that way; don't allow it take you too."

"Xan chose his path, Master."

"Are you not doing the same?"

Not having an answer that would satisfy his former mentor, he said, "I'm going to speak with Anakin."

X

Obi-Wan walked toward the cockpit, a long hidden fire coursing through his veins, his hands clenched at his sides at the reminder of what he had given up in order to stay the course. The internal battle between his Jedi teachings and those of his former dark mentor raged as he tried to come to some sort of compromise: could the two be blended? Could he fight what might be his final battle and still save himself from turning completely? Not having an answer, he knew one thing was certain, he was going to end Palpatine's influence or die trying.

The voices down the corridor caused him to pause in the niche just outside the cockpit.

"Are you sure you're all right?" Owen's voice held a note of worry. "Maybe you should go rest."

The young man in question cast a cold calculating gaze toward his step-brother. "I told you, I'm fine."

Not one to be deterred and firmly believing his friend would do him no harm, the teen pressed forward. "I saw you; I saw you take their lives without so much as blinking. How can you sit there and act like it doesn't bother you?!"

Anakin's eyes were glued to the control panel, his hands busily checking and rechecking the instruments. Anything to not see the accusing look he was sure Owen was throwing his way. When he remained silent, Owen asked, his voice betraying how shook up he was. "You and Obi-Wan fought each other, Anakin! Don't you feel anything?"

The padawan stilled in his motions to once again check the flight panel. "Too much," was the whispered reply.

"Owen."

The younger man turned to find Obi-Wan standing behind him. "Would you mind if I speak with Anakin a moment?"

The brown headed youth looked at his friend and then back to his elder brother. "Of course not." Once they were alone, Obi-Wan shut and locked the cockpit door before sitting down in the co-pilot's chair. Anakin's hands had withdrawn and were now resting on opposite armrests. Neither spoke for several moments, the elder Jedi trying to gauge his pupil's state of mind.

"Anakin." The request was firm, yet gentle. "Look at me."

When the young man raised his eyes to meet those of his mentor, there was such despair in them that Obi-Wan almost looked away…almost. Reaching across the short distance between them, he clasped his brother's forearm in reassurance that all was well between them.

"I'm so sorry." The anguished words came out hitched and broken. "I didn't know what I was doing." Anakin's eyes widened at the sudden realization of what he had done. "I killed them!" he lurched forward in his seat, his arms going protectively around a suddenly ill stomach. "I killed them!" his voice was on the verge of panic, hysteria.

Obi-Wan quickly turned his brother's seat around to face the cockpit door and knelt in front of him, grasping the boy's shoulders with both hands as he did so, an attempt to ground them both. "You were not yourself, young one." The elder brother swallowed before adding. "Neither was I."

Blue eyes rose to meet the stormy grey of his mentor. "I almost killed you."

"You won't be rid of me that easily, Anakin. Or do you think me an easy mark?" The smirk he gave his companion helped to lessen the sternness of his words. "And let's not forget, I was in a position to take your life as well. A task I am not sure I could follow through with. The important thing is that Shmi is safe, and we did not annihilate an entire village as we had intended."

"Thanks to grandmaster."

Obi-Wan nodded and answered somewhat sullenly. "Thanks to Qui-Gon."

"What is it?"

The elder Jedi stood from his knelt position and reclaimed the chair next to him. "I wonder if there will ever come a day when I won't need him to keep me from doing something reckless. Will I ever become strong enough to turn my back when the darkness calls?"

"You will. The same could be said of me; you saved me."

"No more than you saved me when I thought Qui-Gon was one with the force."

Anakin took a deep breath to calm his nerves, his brother's presence helping greatly to disperse the discontent he felt only moments before. "What do you have on your mind?"

When his mentor sighed because he wasn't sure how to begin, Anakin groaned while rolling his eyes. "I'm not going to like it am I?"

"Depends on how you view it."

"Well?"

"I heard whispers when we were at the Tusken camp, enticing whispers." Obi-Wan looked at Anakin to see his reaction. To his not quite surprise, Anakin nodded.

"I did to. At first I thought maybe you were broadcasting but then I realized that the words were coming through the force in an almost intimate manner, as if the source behind them knew us somehow." Anakin studied his brother, knowing the latter part of what he had said had affected him and then it clicked.

"You think it was Palpatine." When Obi-Wan gave a curt nod, Anakin replied, "But that doesn't make sense. Coruscant is light years away, too far to make contact that way."

"I agree; nevertheless, it was him."

The two men were silent. Anakin wasn't one hundred percent sure who the voice belonged to. The whispers he heard were but echoes through the bond he shared with Obi-Wan. Eyes widening, he began searching his own mind for any sign of an intrusion. Finding nothing but the two threads that tied him to his mentor and grandmaster, Anakin breathed a sigh of relief. Then he glanced at his brother, a question on his mind. "Did you share a bond with him?"

Obi-Wan's eyes flickered toward the view pane to the stars beyond. "At one time, yes. The one I shared with Qui-Gon was stronger and overshadowed the other. The day he took me off planet, we broke the ties that connected me to Palpatine; I still remember the excruciating pain it caused when the dark threads tried to tighten their grip when Qui-Gon severed it. Next thing I knew we had arrived at Alderaan and for the first time in years I felt truly free, like it had all been a bad dream. But now…."

"Obi-Wan, it's not that I don't enjoy your company, but you still haven't exactly told me why you came up here."

"After we get everyone settled on Naboo, I'm going to Coruscant to confront Palpatine. It's past time that this ends once and for all."

The padawan waited, gauging his master and the words that had been spoken. He waited for him to continue but no other explanation was forthcoming. "You're serious."

The Jedi nodded.

"I'm coming with you."

Obi-Wan smiled. "I was hoping you'd say that."

Anakin held up his hand to forestall any further comments. "But first you're seeing a healer about that shoulder. You won't be any good if you can't even handle your lightsaber."

Obi-Wan shook his head. "It will take too long."

"If we show up on his doorstep now he might be expecting it. Besides, we'll probably have to escape to Coruscant in a rather quiet fashion if we're to ditch Qui-Gon."

"I already told him he's not coming."

"And you think that will stop him?" Anakin raised an eyebrow daring him to disagree. When the elder Jedi backed down on the topic, the padawan decided to explain his actions regarding Palpatine these past years. "I know you were upset about my spending time with the Chancellor, but I only did it to help you break free. I know he was after you to become his apprentice." When Obi-Wan looked surprised by the information, the young man continued, "I thought I could handle the lessons without compromising my beliefs, but after the bout with the Tuskens I can see what a fool I was to ever think I could go up against the darkside without support. I'm sorry."

"What were you hoping to gain, Anakin?"

"I wanted to get the proof the Council needed to take action. But Palps never went as far as to slip at the most favorable moments. The day you and Qui-Gon confronted him about me, I had just managed to slip out after planting a camera in his office. I thought maybe if he acted out when he thought he was alone we'd get what we needed."

Obi-Wan's brow furrowed in thought. "Is that camera still in place?"

"Yeah, as far as I know, why?"

"We just may have use of it."

Anakin smiled when he caught on to what he was saying, but then frowned. "You'd better not do anything careless. Even if you think the rest of us could get along without you, Jamiyan doesn't deserve to lose both her parents. Besides, you promised Siri you'd be there to raise her."

At the mention of his deceased wife, Obi-Wan's features clouded. "I know what I promised, Anakin."

"Then keep it. Besides, you also promised that you'd see me through to Knighthood. Was that just talk?"

"And what of you? You're as irresponsible as they come."

The padawan grinned. "I learned from the best."