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oooOoooOooo

"The Sith. Always two there are – a Master and an Apprentice," Yoda had said.

Mace Windu sat in his seat in the Jedi Council chamber deep in thought. Word had come that Qui-Gon and his padawan had succeeded in destroying the Sith whom they had first met on Tatooine. Which one it was: the Master of the Apprentice? Mace sighed. Meditation had revealed nothing on the matter. He only saw that this was a pivotal point incredibly important to the future of the whole galaxy. Yet what role exactly it would play remained undiscovered.

Well, patience is a virtue of a true Jedi, Mace told himself.

His thoughts unintentionally turned to the yesterday's talk with Mast— no, Count Dooku.

It's been almost a year, and I still can't get used to not call him Master. I suppose, it's always hard to lose your friend, especially if he no longer accepts that to which you had devoted your whole life. At least, I hope he feels better where he is now.

A soft swoosh of doors snapped Mace out of his reverie, and he raised his head in time to see Adi Gallia slip into the room. She inclined her head in a slightly apologetical bow and took her seat.

Now that everyone was present Jinn and his apprentice were called in. They came in, and Mace frowned ever so lightly. Why did Qui-Gon bring the boy – Skywalker – here? Weren't they clear that Skywalker is not to be trained?

This is Qui-Gon Jinn for you – ever the rouge, ever doing 'what Force tells him to'.

The boy was gripping the edge of Qui-Gon's cloak, casting cautious, guarded looks around the Chamber. Mace couldn't blame him.

Kenobi was walking on the Master's other side. Mace sized him up. Something was out of place, something was very wrong here. On the outside he looked… 'Odd' was the only word Mace had managed to find. Yes, odd indeed.

Then Mace looked at the three of them in the Force – and barely kept from flinching.

The two youngsters flanking Qui-Gon were shatterpoints as strong as Mace had ever seen. No, he amended, stronger than he had ever seen. And the three of them were tied to each other with fault lines. Powerful and tangled were those lines. Many possibilities.

Mace glanced at Yoda and met the half-lidded gaze of green eyes. The ancient Master nodded, then his ears drooped sadly.

What do you see, Yoda? Mace silently inquired, knowing that Yoda would get the question, though not in words.

Big green eyes lifted to look him straight in the eye, and next moment a picture came up before Mace's mind's eye. The picture was different from what Mace himself had seen. The trio now coming to the center of the Chamber's floor design glowed softly in the Force. The strong green glow of Qui-Gon.

Much like his lightsaber, Mace found himself thinking.

Down next to him hovered an incredibly bright presence of Skywalker. Once again Mace wondered at how strong the Force was with him. Then his inner gaze turned to Kenobi – and Mace had to suppress a shiver: there was bleak grayness in place of the young man. Yoda had showed him such grayness before, this was how he viewed presences of non-Force-sensitives.

But…

Mace chased away the picture and turned incredulous eyes to Yoda. The Master responded with a curt nod. Windu's gaze returned to Qui-Gon's deceptively serene face. That serenity had to be deceptive, if he knew that something was wrong with his padawan. And there was no was he didn't know.

The three took their places in the center of the room. Qui-Gon put his hand on Anakin's shoulder with a protective gesture. The touch seemed to immediately calm the boy. Kenobi stopped a pace away from those two. He looked guarded and ready for… battle.

Mace quirked an eyebrow and touched his mind in the Force to try and learn something from the young man's unguarded thoughts that were always lurking on the surface. Well, were supposed to. Instead Windu's probe came up against a wall of heavy shielding.

This is getting more interesting with every moment, Mace thought.

Then Qui-Gon started to speak.

oooOoooOooo

Qui-Gon started to talk. Obi-Wan paid his words only marginal attention, instead he watched the councilors. He had long ago learned to read them, to notice those tiny, almost imperceptible indications at their true reactions. And now he didn't need the Force to know what their overall opinion was. They were worried about the emergence of the Sith. They wondered why had Naboo been chosen for attack. Few disapproving glances were cast in Anakin's direction when Qui-Gon mentioned him flying out of the hanger and into the battle in space.

He didn't mention that Anakin had virtually violated his order, Obi-Wan noted. Good.

Then the hard part came. Some of the councilors leaned forward eagerly, like children listening to a fairy tale, when Qui-Gon started to describe Darth Maul. Obi-Wan quietly sighed: it all seemed so faraway, so small compared to the years that followed. Piercing gaze of yellowish-green eyes, wizened with age, landed on him, almost burning through his skin. Obi-Wan pretended he was simply uncomfortable in the presence of the Council. If Yoda bought that there was no way to know.

When Qui-Gon told them about Obi-Wan walking through the force-field every single pair of eyes turned to the younger man in the center of the room. They were all amazed. Some were calculating something, others frowned in disbelief.

Qui-Gon finished his part and cast a glance at his padawan, making sure the other handled it well. Obi-Wan nodded at him.

"And how exactly did young Obi-Wan do such a thing?" Mace asked, his voice cool, but betraying his curiosity.

"I believe Obi-Wan has a bigger story to tell," Qui-Gon answered for his apprentice.

"Then, Master Qui-Gon, you and your ward wait somewhere else can," Yoda half suggested, half ordered. He accompanied his words with a small tap of his stick on the floor.

"What about Anakin?" Qui-Gon wasn't quite finished yet. "Will he be taught?"

Obi-Wan barely managed to hide a small roguish smile tugging at his lips: that's Qui-Gon Jinn for you.

"This Council will discuss his fate later."

So in love with formalities, are you, Mace?

Qui-Gon made a brisk bow and left, tugging Anakin along. For a moment he laid his hand on Obi-Wan's shoulder, landing support. Then Kenobi was left alone before the Council.

He retold his story and fell silent, waiting for the reaction. Blue-gray eyes darted from one familiar face to another. The Jedi Council members were exchanging silent opinions about to pronounce their collective sentence. The young man before them stood perfectly still, only his eyes lived searching, waiting, reading them.

And thus he knew their decision before it was voiced. They didn't believe him. Not a single word of his story. And on some level he knew why: they were afraid to believe, they were afraid to let such knowledge intrude into their settled lives.

He hung his head.

They will find this to be true. They will understand. Eventually. Only then it would be too late.

Master Windu was saying something, Obi-Wan did not listen. He raised his head slightly and met Yoda's gaze. Searched the green eyes. There was compassion there. And his look resembled that of a kind parent watching an ailing child.

Yoda did not believe him either.

So this was the lost cause. They would not accept this truth unless they get some proof – any proof. But where could he get one? Go to Palpatine, bring him before the Council and make him confess? Obi-Wan almost laughed. Easier to make heat-loving Alderaanian sun-birds live on Hoth.

Probably everything would've been different were they able to probe him, but it was not an option now. If they broke the heavy shielding Qui-Gon had instilled into his mind, it would simply crash Obi-Wan to death. It wouldn't have stopped them, he knew, if there were a single chance of getting verification he spoke the truth. They would not stop before sacrificing more than one Jedi's life to save millions of beings – no matter if said Jedi is a comrade, a friend. They would sacrifice their own lives as well as those of their closest friends. This was the way of the Jedi of the Old Republic.

This time, though, probing was out of question. If they tried they would kill him, gaining nothing…

"Padawan Kenobi!"

Whoops, as Anakin would say.

"Yes, Master." Now, what have I missed?

Mace Windu looked at him oddly before continuing.

"On account of your… problem you are relieved of active duty. You are to visit mind-healers for assessment. Perhaps they will be able to help--"

"I don't think so. I am leaving."

The room fell silent.

Fool! Obi-Wan berated himself. Spent too much time in the desert, have you? "I'm sorry, Master. It was not appropriate for me to speak. I didn't mean to interrupt you."

Suddenly he realized just why Qui-Gon so disliked the Council Chamber – the stuffiness, the air of overwhelming authority, carefully nurtured to make those standing in the center feel small and insignificant under the scrutiny of these powerful beings. Surrounded by them, dominated by them. They sat high in their ivory tower feeling almighty. What a delusion! Obi-Wan felt a bitter taste rise in his mouth. He had once been one of them…

"Leave the Temple you wish?" quietly inquired Yaddle.

"Yes, Master." He turned slightly to look at her. She regarded him with something akin to gentle curiosity.

"Is this your final decision?" Mace demanded.

"Yes, it is. I renounce my place in the Jedi Order."

"Very well then. Hand over your lightsaber."

Windu clearly expected Obi-Wan to hand the lightsaber over to him. He looked somewhat disappointed when Kenobi kneeled before Yoda instead. Held out his weapon. A little green clawed hand reached out and took it away from him.

"Save it for you I will." It was spoken so softly that Obi-Wan barely registered the words.

"Thank you."

Did he believe, after all?

"May the Force be with you." It was Mace again. Sounding rather coldly. No matter now.

Obi-Wan bowed deeply. Turned. Walked to the door.

He heard someone whisper behind him: "The twenty-first lost."

Huge doors – so familiar – swung open. Several more unfaltering steps. The doors swung shut behind him, cutting him off from the Council – of which he had once been a member – and from the only chance to remain a Jedi. Curiously, he had no desire to return there.

The Obi-Wan they saw would have deemed it unthinkable to be anything other than a Jedi. The Obi-Wan now walking this place no longer thought he needed to be a part of this Order.