Dyslexia: Language disability, there will be mistakes, I misread autocorrect often and I leave out words or reverse negatives. There are other books you can read if that bothers you.
Summary: Sometimes Force visions are inconvenient. Padawan Obi-Wan Kenobi, by the Council's and Senate's opinion, reaches out for help from all the wrong people. Expelled from the Order, Obi-Wan is about to alter the timeline forever more, and the galaxy is far from prepared. Major AU. Thank you, Sectumus Prince!
KEYNOTE: I know canonically Obi-Wan is 25; however, in this he is going to be 19. He's been with Qui-Gon for six years, a significantly shorter apprenticeship.
Timeline: Feemor and Satine Kryze don't exist, nor does the Darksaber (meaning being the Mandalore has nothing to do with a lightsaber). Legends Dooku with Vosa and Jango Fett still happens. Obi-Wan has never been to the Mandalore system.
Watson: Books for this timeline are true up till Tahl's death, with some minor changes. Yoda only sent Obi-Wan to Bandomeer because Qui-Gon was going there. I maintain it was a test, and the Agricorps is respected by the Order as a whole, if perhaps not as appealing to kids who want to be shiny warriors.
Chapter 1 - Vote of No Confidence
"I will teach him," Master Qui-Gon said.
Padawan Obi-Wan Kenobi could have died from humiliation as he looked on in quiet horror. He viciously swallowed back his emotions, shoving them deep, closing himself off from the Force with a sharp thought so that the Masters in the room wouldn't perceive what Obi-Wan himself wasn't ready to confront.
He and Qui-Gon had been through more than a few rough patches. But he had thought that they had moved past that. Obi-Wan was one of the older Padawans, he should have earned at least Qui-Gon's consideration, not to be shunted to the side in front of the entire Jedi High Council.
The pause before Master Yoda responded to this was agonizing.
"An Apprentice, Qui-Gon, already, do you have."
Obi-Wan could hardly breathe, so afraid that he would give away all the doubts and old scars this brought up.
They had moved past this.
Surely, they had moved past this.
But Qui-Gon didn't even give him the courtesy of a backward glance as he said, "Obi-Wan is ready for his trials."
Those words brought Obi-Wan no comfort. There was no honour to this; his Knighting would just be an obstacle to Qui-Gon taking on a new prodigy.
Obi-Wan had dedicated his entire life to becoming a Jedi Knight. Everything he had worked toward; every challenge, every sorrow, and every hardship; tossed aside with lazy irreverence by his Maverick Master, who apparently respected his Apprentice as much as he did the Council; which was to say, not at all.
Obi-Wan did his best to disappear in plain sight. It wasn't hard to dismiss any resentment toward Anakin Skywalker. The boy who had saved them on Tatooine, a slave who circled into Qui-Gon's orbit and been swept away into a strange galaxy by a culture desperately different from any he had known before.
This wasn't Anakin's fault.
No, it was Obi-Wan who had failed in his own ambitions of earning his own Master's respect. Logically, he could see that this line of reasoning was probably taking things too far… But he couldn't stop the incessant feeling that this was indeed his doing.
Trying to steady his breath, he briefly closed his eyes.
Obi-Wan saw himself sitting in a Council seat: He wore armour, and though he was still young, the deep circles under his eyes and the beard made him look older. A Togruta and a tall human Jedi who wore black armour over his black robes stood before the Council.
The Togruta looked how Obi-Wan felt, distressed and lost, standing before the Council, waiting for judgement. But the man was angry. So terribly angry.
Obi-Wan flinched, his eyes flashing opening, and he held his shields tight. Now was not a good time for a vision. But the feeling of failure riding him was beyond this moment.
He felt bone-weary, beaten, too tired to be angry. He was responsible for the suffering around him, so he couldn't allow himself to be the one aggrieved.
Obi-Wan fought his breath, holding onto his shields as he tried to logic his way through the vision, ground himself in the moment.
He had seen himself in a Council seat, on the Jedi Council. That was an honour beyond Obi-Wan.
But the vision had the same taste of the moment Qui-Gon declared him ready for the trials.
A hollow victory. In reality, not a victory at all. Just a burden handed down.
He blinked and another vision flashed before his eyes. Qui-Gon's silhouette flickering in a pyre.
Obi-Wan felt the blood drain from his face, and he almost reached out to the man before him, but he was able to abort the gesture before he drew notice. Everyone's focus was still on Qui-Gon and Anakin.
Master Mace Windu finally put an end to the meeting, dismissing them.
Obi-Wan was grateful. He felt that the Force had more to show him, whether he was prepared for it or not.
Anakin asked Qui-Gon something, and Obi-Wan's Master stopped to kneel as the Council doors slid shut behind them. Allowing Obi-Wan the opportunity to slip away, both hoping for and dreading Qui-Gon following after him.
But Obi-Wan didn't truly believe, in his heart of hearts, that Qui-Gon had noticed his distress at all, nor that he would follow him.
He was right, however. He wasn't given much time to dwell on it, as the visions ripped through his shields, barreling into him like a stampede of banthas.
He saw Qui-Gon cut down by a red saber.
Obi-Wan gasped, his heart breaking as he clung to the wall for support. Staggering on, away from the Council, away from Qui-Gon as guilt threatened to stop his heart from beating.
But the worst was yet to come as he stumbled like a drunk to the Room of a Thousand Fountains.
He saw bodies, of youngling and Master alike, cut down in the halls, as if from an internal adversary.
This was his fault.
Obi-Wan saw himself, again older with armour, holding up a saber and leading a white-helmeted army of thousands into battle.
Into a bloodbath. His men dying like the distant but severe death of stars.
The Jedi were supposed to be this, these men shouldn't be dying.
Dying for what? Obi-Wan pleaded with the Force.
Nothing, his own voice echoed through his mind.
Obi-Wan hauled himself up from the floor of the turbo lift, pulling himself into the hall, toward the sound of the fountains.
A sound that was lost to the pounding marching feet: The line of troops he had seen himself lead into battle now descended upon the Temple like a wave of death.
Obi-Wan saw…
He saw the Order fall, and the sight of death was lost to a cry of mourning within the Force as light after shining light winked out into the darkness. If any survived, they hid from the Force.
Obi-Wan could not understand, could not comprehend, but the feeling that it was all his fault, his failure, his action, or lack thereof, that had led his people to ruin.
This dark future.
Obi-Wan didn't know how much time passed, lost in his visions, in the Force, in nightmares.
But he came to, clinging to the stone rim of a fountain in one of the alcoved places at the backend of the room. He was on his knees, his muscles arching as he pulled himself up. He had to pull one arm out of the water to look toward the person offering him quiet solace.
He had a moment to feel ashamed that anyone would see him like this: face tear-streaked and body still trembling, his mind awhirl with chaos and sorrow. He felt a brief moment of relief when he registered the beard and long hair of the man kneeling beside.
Qui-Gon had come in search of me after all.
"Padawan?" an unfamiliar voice asked.
Obi-Wan blinked and rubbed at his face, his sight clearing, and he saw that, no, it wasn't Qui-Gon.
Of course it wasn't Qui-Gon. Qui-Gon had compassion and empathy for everyone except Obi-Wan, it too often seemed.
"Padawan," the man said again, "are you alright?"
It took Obi-Wan another moment to recognize Master Sifo-Dyas. The recently demoted Council member, as it happened.
His voice was dry when he finally managed to answer, "I—" He couldn't bring himself to lie. This was bigger than him, bigger than the guilt drowning him that didn't wholly belong to him. "I had a vision. Visions. They—it wasn't good. Any of it."
Sifo-Dyas's worry softened, his brown eyes warm with understanding as he offered Obi-Wan a hand up. "I know all too well, my young friend."
Obi-Wan took the older man's hand, chagrined at how much help he needed to get to his feet.
Master Sifo-Dyas was patient with him, however, helping him sit back down on a bench.
"What's your name?" he asked as Obi-Wan caught his breath.
"Sorry," he said. "Padawan Obi-Wan Kenobi."
Recognition sparked in Sifo-Dyas's dark eyes. "Ah, Qui-Gon's apprentice. Your grandmaster thinks well of you."
It took Obi-Wan a moment to remember. "Do you mean Master Dooku?"
Sifo-Dyas nodded, "He and I have always been close friends. Or at least we were, before he left."
Dooku was one of the Lost; the Lost Twenty, now, with the Count of Serreno joining that number.
"I never met him, though," Obi-Wan said.
Sifo-Dyas shrugged. "Qui-Gon and Dooku have been estranged for many years. Still, your Master is fond of you, and on the occasions they have spoken over the years, Qui-Gon has spoken highly of you. Both are very proud of you, young Obi-Wan."
Obi-Wan looked away, trying to smother his frown.
Qui-Gon had spoken well of him to Master Dooku?
That was certainly news to him.
"Your visions," Sifo-Dyas said tranquilly into the awkward silence. "Would you like to speak of them? I have struggled with my own foresight for as long as I can remember. I have often found that sharing them with another defangs them some, so to speak."
"But isn't speaking up what got you kicked off the Council?" Obi-Wan blurted before he could think, horror swamping him a moment later.
But Sifo-Dyas threw his head back and laughed. "Ah, you have the mark of me. However, I promise you won't suffer my fate. It wasn't merely my visions that got me in trouble, but also my proposed solutions."
Obi-Wan swallowed, his cheeks still flushed, even as sorrow overcame him when he cast his thoughts over his visions.
"I saw the end of the Jedi," he said dully.
The mirth died on Sifo-Dyas' face. "How?"
"The Jedi went to war. We led an army, our Knights, and our Padawans into an open civil war, I think. I couldn't see the enemy, but I don't think the enemy mattered."
Sifo-Dyas's eyes narrowed. "The enemy didn't matter? How could they not matter? You didn't see a droid army?"
A chill overcame Obi-Wan at the coldness in the Master's tone and Force presence.
He shook his head. "No, I saw… I think I saw the Jedi turning on themselves. I mean, we are not exactly trained for war on a galactic scale."
Well, Obi-Wan personally had been, but that was more his bad luck and Qui-Gon chasing phantoms than intended training.
"But why wouldn't the enemy matter?" Sifo-Dyas pressed. "Wasn't it them who made us turn on ourselves?"
Again, Obi-Wan shook his head. "No—I mean, I saw us leading our troops to war. But they were… I didn't get the sense that they had a choice, or that we did. Not really. None of us wanted to be there."
"Few wish to be at war," Sifo-Dyas observed.
Obi-Wan couldn't describe the taste of what he had felt, but there had been something off about the helmeted troops. Perhaps because the plastoid armour was based off of Mandalorian armour, but… it seemed deeper than that.
"The troops we led," Obi-Wan said, seeing again the image of himself leading them, saber deflecting blaster fire as men died around him, as a Padawan with two green sabers flew through carnage in his peripheral view. "But then the same troops descended onto the Temple. I saw the Temple in ruin. I saw our people slaughtered, and not just from blasters, but saber wounds, and—" His voice caught in his throat. "It was everyone."
Sifo-Dyas grabbed Obi-Wan by the shoulders. "You saw the clones betray us?"
Obi-Wan was momentarily paralyzed by fear as madness crossed the Master's features. He stuttered, "Clones?" Which might explain why the army had been precisely the right height for all of them.
Sifo-Dyas shook him again, harder this time, his grip bruising. "Did they betray us!?"
Obi-Wan was scared of what might happen if he tried to free himself, so he tried to centre himself, trying to think back to the images he had seen.
The problem was that he had seen too much and too fast to easily decipher, so he said what felt right. "I think we betrayed them."
Something had been wrong, beyond the obvious. The guilt he had felt had been undoubtedly his, from either something had done or contributed to.
None of his visions had ever been so vivid, but of course it wasn't straightforward enough to understand how to avoid that possible future.
Or so he thought. Sifo-Dyas squeezed so hard that Obi-Wan involuntarily flinched back. "The clones attack the Temple, the Sith return, the Jedi fall?"
Obi-Wan just stared and could only offer, "I don't know."
Sifo-Dyas shook him again, and Obi-Wan was truly afraid the Master might hurt him. Something in his gaze wasn't present, didn't see Obi-Wan. "The clones attacked the Temple!?"
Obi-Wan lowered his voice, "The troops attacked the Temple."
Sifo-Dyas let go of him and left with frightening abruptness.
Obi-Wan stayed where he was, feeling more lost than he had after the vision. He rubbed his arms, trying to think of what he had to do, where to go from here. Should he alert someone that Master Sifo-Dyas was upset?
It was just a vision. It shouldn't matter. Everyone had always told him that visions led Jedi astray all the time.
But wasn't Qui-Gon acting on a prophecy? Wasn't that why he had such faith in Anakin?
Obi-Wan didn't know. He didn't even know what to think, especially with Sifo-Dyas's reaction. He felt he needed to talk this through. But he couldn't bring himself to go find Qui-Gon.
He pulled out his communicator, hesitating because he knew that if he called Qui-Gon would come find him.
Probably.
Maybe.
Obi-Wan let out a harsh breath, exasperated with himself. On any other day, if he was confronted with an issue like this, he would go to Yoda.
But Master Yoda had been there when Qui-Gon denounced him, and he couldn't bring himself to face that right now.
So who was left?
All his friends were away on missions, and this wasn't a job for a healer…
Obi-Wan tapped on the communicator, which was Qui-Gon's old one. He hesitated, but figured that it would be hard for this day to be worse.
The frequency connected, and Obi-Wan held his breath as a deep voice answered, -Qui-Gon? Well, this is a welcome surprise.
Obi-Wan swallowed before saying, "I'm sorry, Master Dooku, I'm calling from Master Jinn's old com."
There was a pause. -Then who am I speaking with?
Heat rushed up his face, and he berated himself for stumbling so soon. "Padawan Obi-Wan Kenobi, Qui-Gon's apprentice." Momentarily, he added mentally.
-A pleasure, Obi-Wan. I do regret that I have not met your acquaintance before now.
"Same, Grandmaster," Obi-Wan said, then winced. He truly was hopeless today. Dooku had left the Order. He wasn't a Master, but a Count.
There was another pause in which Obi-Wan debated just bowing out of the conversation.
But Master Dooku interceded, -Was there a specific reason you're calling me, Padawan? I'm sure you've heard that I have left the Order.
"Uh, yes, I just—" Obi-Wan didn't want to explain to Dooku that Qui-Gon had dismissed him, so he settled on, "I just spoke with Master Sifo-Dyas and I think I upset him."
-Sifo-Dyas? You had a disagreement with him?
"No, I—" Obi-Wan broke off then said, "I had a vision, and he was helping me sort through it. But it was a bad vision. It was upsetting, but I think he saw something similar and I—I couldn't really follow what he was saying. He rushed off."
-Did he hurt you?
Obi-Wan paused, then asked, "Should I have informed the Council?"
-Did he hurt you? Dooku demanded more sharply.
"Not exactly," Obi-Wan said, even if he was certain he would be bruised later. "He grabbed my arm, and it was like he didn't really see me. He went from trying to help me to demanding to know about the clones."
-Clones? Dooku repeated.
Obi-Wan let out a silent breath, and figured if he had come this far, no further harm could come of it. "I saw the Jedi leading an army into war. I saw… I saw so much needless death. A galactic civil war, I think. But the troops we were leading, and the Jedi… Not everyone was okay, and the army turned on us. I saw younglings slaughtered in the Temple. And there was this sense…"
-Yes? Dooku prompted.
"That it was mine, I mean, the Jedi's fault. That we had somehow brought this upon ourselves."
-And do you believe that is possible, Obi-Wan? He asked it with a strange note to his voice.
"It felt real, Master. I don't like to disagree with the Council, but the Senate has its issues. I mean, they are allowing the Trade Federation to let Naboo starve. They only sent me and Master Qui-Gon. And then we met a Sith on Tatooine who we think followed us from Naboo."
-You met a Sith?
"We think. He had a red saber and he didn't feel at all like Xanatos. He was dark, truly dark. He was a Zabrak trained to an incredible degree."
-Interesting.
"Not the adjective I would have used," Obi-Wan said drily before snapping his mouth shut.
Master Dooku, thankfully, didn't take offense. He chuckled, -Indeed. Obi-Wan, I would not worry overly much about Sifo-Dyas's behaviour. He has long been plagued by such visions. I, like you, have long worried about the corruption in the Senate. But that is not something you are in any position to fix. Are you currently on a mission?
"Sort of? Queen Amidala is being guarded at her apartment on Coruscant."
-Where is Qui-Gon?
He knew that question was coming, but he still hadn't come up with a good answer, "He had a disagreement with the Council."
-Typical, Dooku said dryly, but with an odd note of pride. -Your visions, Obi-Wan, do not forget them. But do not let them lead you to disaster. Do what you believe is right, be mindful of the Force, and you will find your way.
"Thank you, Grandmaster."
-Do not hesitate to reach out again, Obi-Wan. You and Qui-Gon are always welcome on Sereno. May the Force be with you, my grandpadawan.
"And with you."
The frequency disconnected and Obi-Wan let out a long breath. He didn't know why people thought poorly of Master Dooku. Sure, he had left the Order, but Obi-Wan did feel better, and maybe a part of that was knowing that while it was 'typical' for Master Qui-Gon to bicker with the Council, Qui-Gon had spoken well of him to his old Master.
Instead of returning to his own rooms, Obi-Wan decided he would check in with the Queen. In the case that Anakin was keeping Qui-Gon up, he would double-check that they were doing the duty that had been assigned to them.
Darth Sidious was pleased with how things had turned out. Now, all he had left to do was kill Plagueis.
Sure, Maul had disappointed him, but there would be future opportunities. Sidious had every expectation of Padme Amidala running off to try to save her people, leaving endless opportunities for 'accidents.'
He was preparing the wine; a higher than normal alcohol content, but not poisoned. Darth Plagueis would certainly be able to detect such a ruse.
But alcohol was alcohol.
Sidious's com rang.
-Sir, you have a visitor.
"Hego Damask? Let him in," Sidious said.
-Sorry, Sir, Magistrate Damask has not arrived yet. The visitor is Jedi Master Sifo-Dyas.
The Ex-Council member? Sidious cursed silently, glancing at the time piece on the wall. There was time.
"Let him in."
A moment later, a crazed Jedi Master came into the room. "Chancellor, I'm sorry to bother you, I just—" He cut himself off, looking down at his shaking hands. Probably realizing his disastrous appearance.
"Come, Master Jedi, have a seat," Sidious said with his best soothing tone. "How can I help you?"
The Jedi didn't sit down, but Sidious did as hopeful encouragement that he would calm down. Though he wanted this to be over quickly, now that he was paying attention, he felt a stirring in the Force.
Somehow, Sifo-Dyas had just become a pivotal point in this whole affair.
Darth Sidious had made it this far, he could not falter at this next mile-stone.
"I don't know how to explain this. How much do you know about the Force?"
It was such a laughable question. More than you, was the truth. But with admirable effort, Darth Sidious managed, "I've always been curious about the Order's philosophies."
"I and a student at the Temple saw a correlating series of visions. That is a rarity."
Sidious raised his brows, true worry tickling up his spine. "Of the future?"
"Yes!" the man almost yelled before running a hand over his long hair. It was pulled back from his face, but a few strands had come loose. "Yes," he repeated in a comparatively calmer voice. "We saw war. A galactic civil war with the Senate and the Jedi at the heart of it. I thought we needed an army to prevent it. But it is our attempts at preventing the rifts that will be the Republic's undoing."
Kriff.
Sidious folded his arms, a hand over his wrist to call his guards. "I have seen no indications of war. My own homeworld's endangerment is the product of the Trade Federation being given too much leniency—"
"No! You don't understand!" Sifo-Dyas said, voice rising with panic.
On any other night, Sidious would have been gleeful at a Jedi Master going stark-raving mad, but he already had plans for tonight.
"If the Republic takes military action, if the Jedi Order is forced to play its old part in the Republic as the head and face of that military, it will be the destruction of democracy. My people are not trained for galactic warfare, and any armour we could commision would strangle the freedom and representation of our vast galaxy."
Sidious tapped his finger, urging the guards to come in. Sifo-Dyas would have to go, he was too close to being right about their plans. "My friend, I don't believe—"
"Do you know who the Sith are!?" Sifo-Dyas demanded.
Yes, I do, in fact, know who the Sith are, Sidious thought with a placating smile on his lips. "An ancient enemy of the Jedi Order, long since defeated, or so I have heard."
"The Sith have been spotted!"
"By who?" Sidious asked, even though the Council had already spoken to him on the subject. But Sifo-Dyas didn't need to know that. "And who was this student who had similar delusions of galactic chaos?"
Sidious would have to put an end to them too.
The guards came into the room, blasters in hand.
Sifo-Dyas didn't notice them as he continued to rave, "Master Qui-Gon Jinn fought a Sith, and his Padawan, Obi-Wan Kenobi, confirmed the worst of my visions. I know you are only newly elected Chancellor Palpatine, but you and I have spoken before. Your faith in the Republic is commendable. However, this goes beyond corruption. We must do everything we can to de-escalate the situation. The Sith will poke and prod at wounds from the shadows, igniting conflict without revealing themselves as the true origin of the infection dividing the Republic."
Sidious thought fast. Yes, this man had been kicked off the Council, but that had happened because he had been advocating for advancing military defense, ten years too early, but still in the direction Sidious had hoped for. This, however, was a different tone. If he continued speaking with such insights, someone might hear him, someone might identify the truth of his words.
That was not something he could allow.
Sidious didn't look at the guards standing at the door behind Sifo-Dyas as he sat back in his seat. Meeting Sifo-Dyas's eyes with a pleasant smile, he said, "Master Jedi, I can assure you, the Republic is in good hands."
Then Darth Sidious lowered his shields briefly and only so those in this room could have sensed him.
Sifo-Dyas's eyes widened as he stared down at Sidious in horror as he sensed the pure darkness coming from him. The Jedi reached for his saber, as he muttered to himself, "No—it can't be…"
He ignited his saber, and Sidious closed his presence in the Force, causing Sifo-Dyas to hesitate.
Darth Sidious cried out, "Please, Master Jedi! We can discuss this!"
Sifo-Dyas began to raise his blade, and Sidious used the Force to keep him from raising it further, again causing the Jedi to hesitate.
Sidious' guard fired into the body of the Master, who turned in time to be shot through the chest, his saber following the motion too slowly to guard him.
Sidious rose to his feet as one of the guards hit a wider alarm button, causing the building to go into lockdown. He went to his console to call the Queen, ordering her to stay put and to not trust the Jedi. Then he called his lawyer. After which he called the Jedi Council to inform them of Master Sifo-Dyas' assassination attempt and resulting demise.
The stage was set.
Who could have believed that the Jedi would present such an ample opportunity to paint themselves as traitors?
This would play out splendidly in the press: Crazed Master Jedi Attempts Assassination of Newly-Elected Chancellor. Images of a Jedi igniting his lightsaber without provocation against an unarmed old man.
While Sidious would not be sharing a drink with Plagueis tonight, this turn of events had certainly played out in his favour.
Obi-Wan knocked on the door, and the handmaiden who answered was the woman who had originally claimed to be the Queen.
But Obi-Wan had figured out the flip when the 'handmaiden' introduced herself as Padme, Padme Naberrie Amidala being Queen Amidala's full name. They also had a full list of Padme's handmadian's names.
Senator Palpatine, now Chancellor Palpatine, hadn't been pleased when Obi-Wan had pressed him for information over JM, Jedi Messenger. The information he had requested under Qui-Gon's ID had been slim, but all the names ended with the same letter and clearly weren't their birth names. Their true identities had been safeguarded to the point where even the Senator of Naboo didn't know, or wasn't permitted to share, their backgrounds. But Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon had both known there was only one Padme.
Of course, once they knew which girl was Padme, her Force signature had been easy to follow. Obi-Wan had been amused when she pulled her hand to go explore with Qui-Gon. Obi-Wan hadn't feared for her, knowing that, with Qui-Gon there, she would be perfectly safe.
"Can I help you?" Padme asked. Her monotone voice held more personality than Sabe's did.
"I actually wanted to know if I can help you in any way?"
Sabe motioned him in, and the other handmaidens exchanged glances.
"This is a terrible idea," one said.
"Where is Captain Panaka?" Obi-Wan asked as the door closed behind him.
"Can you get Sabe and I back to Naboo?" Padme asked him as she sat and the other girls helped undo her wig.
He tilted his head a bit, "You want a Jedi escort?"
"No, I want help getting off Coruscant undetected," she said, her monotone voice faltering as her anger became more apparent. "Panaka is talking with Senate security."
"Why?" Obi-Wan asked. "No one can actually stop you from leaving."
"The Chancellor has commanded that I stay," Padme said while her make up was wiped away and her natural hair was pulled into a tight braid. "But I have to get back to my people."
"So he's worried about you?" he asked.
"No, he's out partying. He's just another politician," she snapped. Then glared at him. "Why are you smiling?"
He held up his hands. "Because that's something my Master would say."
"Are you going to help us?"
He nodded, though glanced away as she shrugged out of her dress. "I'll help."
"Really?" she asked, sounding younger.
He looked back at her as she was tying the belt around her brown civilian outfit to match the one Sabe wore. "Yes, but you two need to make yourselves look different."
"Can't tell us apart?" Sabe teased, a bite to her tone.
Obi-Wan raised a brow. "You don't really believe you fooled Qui-Gon and I when Padme Naberrie Amidala accompanied him to the desert city, do you?"
Padme blinked. "He knew?"
Obi-Wan nodded. "But I meant, if I'm taking you and Sabe into a lower level of Coruscant, around authorities, you can't look like twins. If you have face coverings and hoods, that might be good too so they can't tap us with face trackers."
"What about you?" one of the other handmaidens asked, as she stepped forward to use natural-toned makeup to contour Sabe's face to make her look like a completely different person in startling quickness. Like watching a flower bloom sped up in video.
Obi-Wan thumbed his brown robe. "I won't stand out among the regular folk, promise."
They even did something to Padme's eyes to make them look more hazel and Sabe's a darker shade of brown.
These women were crazy talented.
"Let's go before Panaka comes back," Sabe said.
"Do you have credits?" he asked.
They nodded their heads.
He held out his hands. "I'll hold onto it for you."
"No," Sabe said even as Padme tossed him a small pouch.
"How much experience do you have being pickpocketed?" Obi-Wan challenged, turning to the door. He had plenty of experience, including one or two eventful lightsaber retrieval adventures.
"I'm a trained guard," Sabe said as they stepped out into the hall. Obi-Wan waved goodbye to the other handmaidens, whom he had spent a few days playing non-betting sabacc with while trapped on a flightless craft in a scorching desert.
Obi-Wan nodded, walking past her and leading the way. When they were out of the largest bit of security the Senate apartments had, he had them pull up their hoods.
He did bring them down a level, but he took a legal transport.
Qui-Gon wouldn't have too hard of a job finding them, but hopefully the Sith they encountered wouldn't think a Jedi Padawan and two female royals would take a transport with a garish blinking advertisement for Twi'lek deodorant.
Sabe whispered to Padme, "My credits, they are gone!"
Obi-Wan pretended not to hear, but on the flight to Naboo a few hours later, when Sabe had fallen asleep between him and Padme, he pulled Sabe's purse from his pocket, which he had personally pickpocketed from the 'trained guard', and held it up for the Queen to see.
Padme put a hand to her lips to muffle a laugh, and he grinned in turn.
Being Master Qui-Gon Jinn's Padawan came with its ups and down. But no one could say his Master hadn't taught him practical life skills.
He was pretty sure Qui-Gon would be upset with him for this, but after speaking with Master Dooku, Obi-Wan couldn't help feeling that he had never been more his Master's apprentice than he was on this day.
Obi-Wan felt that the Force was with them, and that saving a planet was worth another dark mark on his record. Because being a perfect Jedi and listening to the Force didn't always seem to be the same thing.
Qui-Gon was beyond exasperated. Really, he could only blame himself for this.
Obi-Wan was a rule-follower, right up until he wasn't.
As inflexible as Obi-Wan seemed, he was quite adept at figuring things out on the spot. It was what made him such a great wordsmith. He could present himself as having a set perspective, throwing his enemies off guard when he was willing to compromise, and that made him invaluable during trade negotiations. Obi-Wan gave Qui-Gon lip for his 'tricks', but Obi-Wan had a talent for manipulating people in a way that made himself appear simple and humble, leaving his opponent bragging about their victory.
After all, Obi-Wan didn't have to steal your wallet if you willingly gave him the keys to your transport.
So, again, this latest kark-up was entirely Qui-Gon's fault.
"When did they leave?" Qui-Gon asked again.
Captain Panka gritted his teeth. "We don't know. It had to have been in the last eight hours, after the Chancellor ordered us to remain."
"Come, Anakin, we must find a transport."
Anakin had to run to keep up with him, making Qui-Gon feel guilty, but there was no time to spare.
He really wished Obi-Wan would have given him a moment to explain his remarks in the Council room. He feared his apprentice might have viewed it poorly.
But Obi-Wan had to know that Qui-Gon would never give up on him. Didn't he? The young man had every potential of being one of the Order's brightest lights.
By the time Qui-Gon and Anakin made it back to the Temple, however, Qui-Gon knew that things had gotten worse.
"What now?" he asked Mace and Yoda, the latter sitting on a floating seat.
"Master Sifo-Dyas attempted to assassinate the new Chancellor," Mace said without preamble.
Qui-Gon gaped at him. Sifo-Dyas, as Dooku's best friend, was someone Qui-Gon knew quite well. "He wouldn't do that. Did he have an explanation?" he asked.
"Dead, he is," Yoda said gravely. "Fire upon him, the Chancellor's guard did, when ignited his lightsaber, he did."
Qui-Gon shook his head. "That doesn't make any sense."
"It gets worse," Mace said. "The last person Sifo-Dyas spoke with was Obi-Wan Kenobi."
Qui-Gon paled.
"No! Why? Obi-Wan has only ever been in contact with him when the Council has assigned missions. They have no relationship."
Mace sighed, "They spoke in the Room of a Thousand Fountains. We have lip readers reviewing the footage. I do not think Obi-Wan is guilty. He seemed to be having some type of vision. It is only natural that Sifo-Dyas would offer aid to any member of the Order dealing with such. However, something Obi-Wan said set him off. As the time stamps indicate, he went directly from his conversation with Obi-Wan to the Chancellor's office."
Qui-Gon frowned, mind spinning. "That… That is unfortunate. But no one could believe it was intentional on Obi-Wan's part."
Mace nodded. "However, the problem is further escalated by the frequency records."
Qui-Gon narrowed his gaze. "What frequency?"
He put a calming hand on Anakin's shoulder as the boy shifted uneasily on his feet.
"Obi-Wan, after speaking to Sifo-Dyas, called Master Dooku."
Qui-Gon pulled his own com out.
Mace asked, "Where is Obi-Wan now, Qui-Gon?"
"On his way back to Naboo with the Queen and one of her handmaidens," Qui-Gon said, dialing his thumb over to the right frequency.
Mace's voice was severe, "After Palaptine ordered her to stay?"
Qui-Gon nodded, but didn't respond as Dooku picked up. Qui-Gon turned on the halo feature so Dooku would be able to hear Mace and Yoda as well.
-Ah, I see that I am quite popular today.
"What did you tell Obi-Wan?" Qui-Gon demanded as the severity of the circumstance began to further set in.
Dooku tilted his head a bit. -Nothing of much importance. He had a run in with Sifo-Dyas that unnerved him. The real question is why your Padawan would reach out to me and not his Master?
It was a critical check, and one Qui-Gon deserved. There was no doubt now that Obi-Wan had interpreted his attempts to maneuver the Council into accepting Anakin into the Order in the worst possible ways.
"Sifo-Dyas is dead," Mace said.
-What? Dooku asked sharply.
"He tried to assassinate Chancellor Palpatine," Mace said, looking at Dooku with a rare glimpse of visible compassion. "Obi-Wan was the last one to speak with him."
Dooku paused for a long moment, processing that. -Obi-Wan had a vision about a galactic civil war and the Temple falling to ruin. He saw younglings dead in the halls and the Jedi leading armies to slaughter. Those images are something that have plagued Sifo-Dyas since his initiate years. It is understandable why that talk set off Sifo-Dyas. But I know of nothing that would set him on a path of execution.
"What advice, give to young Obi-Wan, did you?" Yoda asked.
-Nothing you wouldn't approve of. I told him not to forget his visions, but to not let them consume him. I told him to do what he thought was best and listen to the Force. It was rather benign, truly, but he seemed in need of reassurance.
Qui-Gon pinched the bridge of his nose.
Mace huffed, "Well, old friend, I'm afraid to inform you that Padawan Kenobi took your advice to heart. He ran off with the Queen of Naboo to handle the siege with no back up."
Dooku almost smiled. -He is Qui-Gon's legacy.
"Do you not understand the seriousness of this?" Mace demanded, "Obi-Wan will be labeled a co-conspirator."
-Then prove you have a spine and tell the Senate that Obi-Wan is innocent, Dooku retorted.
"We could have, but now he's a member of the Jedi Order who has ignored a direct command from the Chancellor, a Chancellor who was nearly murdered in cold blood by a Jedi Master! Sifo-Dyas only stepped down from the Council a few months ago!" Mace was nearly shouting now.
Anakin pressed himself into Qui-Gon's leg, and Qui-Gon pressed him closer as the little boy asked, "Is Obi-Wan going to be all right?"
"He's flying into a war zone," Mace said. "One of the Order's finest youths and we are going to lose him because you—" he pointed at Qui-Gon, "didn't value him enough, and because you—" he motioned to Dooku, "are a never-ending problem."
Dooku crossed his arms. -The Senate is the problem, 'Master' Windu. If Obi-Wan Kenobi is lost, it is because you all chose not to fight for him.
The call disconnected and Qui-Gon let out a harsh breath, trying not to let his temper overcome him.
"We have Knights and Masters who can reach Naboo before Obi-Wan and the Queen land," Mace said.
"I have to go—"
"No," Yoda said. "Stay, you must."
Qui-Gon bowed.
But he had no intention of listening. Because Dooku was right: If Obi-Wan was expelled from the Order due to the pressure of the Senate, that would be the Council and the Order's failing.
And at this point, there weren't many ways to make this situation worse.
AN: So I have writer's/artist's block and I feel that it is better to write something than nothing so here is a new story. Please, please review with thoughts, reactions, and orcas :D