Chapter: Five: The Enemy of My Enemy
Ch. Summary: Ancient enemies have several civil conversations and Obi-Wan clears up some misinformation.
The air in the command ten was tense with three Jedi, two Mandalorians, and Obi-Wan all inside. The low table that he'd eaten breakfast at not half an hour ago had been expanded and moved to the center of the tent. There was an awkward pause where Jaster waited for the Jedi to take a seat first and the Jedi stayed where they were waiting for the Mandalorians to move first.
Huffing at the ridiculousness of adults, Obi-Wan took a step forward and claimed a floor cushion to the left of Jaster's normal seat. Myles let out a muffled snort of humor through his helmet before he followed Obi-Wan's example and took the seat across from him. After that it was a matter of moments for the entire party to be seated.
Jaster and Master Dooku took the seats that the opposite heads of the table. The blond Knight took the seat to Dooku's right, next to Obi-Wan and the spiky haired Padawan sat at Dooku's left next to Myles.
There was another tense pause and Obi-Wan figured he might as well do his job so to speak.
"Master Dooku, part of the reason for these talks is to inform the Jedi that they've been lied to. The True Mandalorians were framed and are innocent of any accusations of murder." He received a raised eyebrow from the master.
"And do you have evidence? I assume you don't expect me to take that assertion on your word alone."
Biting his lip for a second, Obi-Wan took the moment to strategize on how he was going answer that without implicating himself. It seemed like Jaster was content to let him control the conversation for the moment so he figured it was up to him to make the big reveal.
"A couple nights ago the Governor's Mansion was robbed," he said and noticed the lightning quick look the knight and master traded. "In the course of the robbery a comm unit was discovered. On it was a recorded conversation between the Governor of Galidraan and a man by the name of Tor Vizsla."
When it seemed like he had the Jedi's complete attention he continued, "In that conversation it's revealed that Tor Vizsla paid the Governor to lie to the Senate with the express purpose of framing the True Mandalorians for murder. It's also explicitly stated that the Jedi sent to apprehend the supposed murderers were meant to engage in battle and kill all the Mandalorians in the process."
That caused the knight to tense, while Dooku just studied Obi-Wan with an inscrutable expression. "If that is true then the situation we're in is much more complicated than we previously believed." He looked to the still as yet silent Mandalorian leader. "May we listen to the recording?"
Without a word the Mandalorian reached into a pocket on his belt and took a comm unit from it. Placing it in the center of the table, the warrior pressed play and the holoprojected image of another Mandalorian appeared, this one with his helmet removed.
At first Dooku was thrown by the sight of another Mandalorian on the recording, but when he began speaking it immediately became apparent that this particular Mandalorian was of a very different sort than the ones in the tent with him.
"I hope you know what will happen to you if you did not complete your end of the deal, Governor."
Through the whole recording, Dooku's expression remained impassive, Feemor didn't have quite that much control of his face when he felt alarm or anger, and Komari scoffed or grumbled under her breath at several points.
When the conversation ended and the image of this Tor Vizsla disappeared, Dooku looked back up to the Mandalorian leader.
"It's apparent that I'm missing some context. Who is Vizsla and who is Mereel?"
There was a distant echo of amusement from the leader and a mischievous glint in Obi-Wan's gaze, but the boy stayed quiet.
The Mandalorian spoke for the first time since sitting. "I'm Mereel," he nodded his head in way of a greeting. "Mand'alor Jaster Mereel of the Haat Mando'ade to be more specific."
Dooku suppressed a flash of irritation and simply nodded back to the King sitting in front of him. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Mand'alor Mereel." It was clear from the confusion in his padawan's presence that she hadn't caught on to the seriousness of this development, but Feemor had. His back had straightened and shock visibly shot across his face.
"And who is Vizsla?" Dooku repeated moving smoothly past the realization that if everything had gone the way the conspirators wanted then the Jedi would have been responsible for killing a planetary monarch and slaughtering a whole society of people.
"Tor Vizsla is the leader of the terrorist organization called Kry'tsad, or Death Watch in Basic," Jaster answered. "Death Watch's goal is to return to the ancient Neo-crusader ways of conquest and the eventual creation of a Mandalorian empire."
"And that is in conflict with you and your True Mandalorians," Dooku concluded, using the Basic name for Mereel's people that Obi-Wan had been using rather than attempt the Mando'a version.
"Yes," Jaster confirmed with a hard edge to his voice. "The Haat Ade follow the Resol'nare, we wear our armor, we defend our family and clan, and we answer the call of the Mand'alor. But we do not seek to conquer. I want to create a strong united Mandalore and I don't believe we have to spread death and tyranny across the galaxy to do it."
"Vizsla's enmity for you seems personal," he observed with a pointed look.
Now Mereel gave a seemingly casual shrug. "The definition of Mand'alor is 'sole ruler'. Vizsla has declared himself Mand'alor and wants me dead because I have taken the title as well. He justifies his claim by right of inheritance considering the long line of Clan Vizsla Mand'alore we had before the Dral'Han- the Excision. I was given the title by my own people. They follow me not because they are obligated, but because they believe in my ideals."
That was certainly interesting and something Dooku will be suggesting the Council investigate and confirm when he makes his report on this KUBAR – kriffed up beyond all reason – mission. But there were more pressing things he needed the Mand'alor's insights and information on.
Obi-Wan for his part didn't outwardly react and kept a tight lid on his projections in the Force, but he was curious at Jaster's omission of the Darksaber from that explanation. Though he shouldn't have been surprised really. Obi-Wan had gotten the distinct impression that while Jaster doesn't view ownership of the Darksaber as a right to rule, he still considers it an important Mandalorian artifact and is therefor Mandalorian business.
Dooku nodded, then stated, "I assume you have done some investigating when this recording was discovered and found its way to you," here his eyes did a blink and you'll miss it flick in Obi-Wan's direction. "What more information have you found about this conspiracy?"
It seemed Obi-Wan's role as buffer was finished, because Jaster responded to Dooku's thinly veiled demand for information.
The next hour was spent with the Mand'alor walking the Jedi Master through the information his warriors had dug up. Dooku was actually a little shocked by how thorough and forthcoming Mereel was being. He'd always been under the assumption that Mandalorians were tight lipped and insular. When they weren't waging war and conquering planets that is.
As it was, the information the Mand'alor was laying out for them was disturbing on many levels. The involvement of the Trade Federation while frustrating wasn't exactly surprising. Everyone with even a modicum of sense knew that the Trade Federation was dirty. It was the evidence of a powerful manipulator and benefactor on Coruscant, possibly even in the Senate that raised the hairs on the back of Dooku's neck.
It also confirmed for him everything he'd ever argued with the Council about. They were too entangled in the Senate, too beholden to the Republic, too complacent in ensuring their own independence. Maybe this barely averted tragedy will be the wake up call the Council needs to begin making changes.
Beside him Knight Feemor had been growing steadily more grave and worried. Dooku was sure he hadn't fully grasped all the implications of their presence and involvement in the plot to destroy the True Mandalorians, but he was also not a politically minded Jedi. He was a straight forward type of being for all that he was very good at subterfuge and discreet information gathering.
His padawan on the other hand was beginning to get that jumpy feeling quivering through her presence. Komari was bored and didn't want to contemplate the greater intricacies of the situation in front of them. Sometimes Dooku despaired of her, she had too much unrestrained energy, too much ready aggression. She was so full of potential though, so he would persevere.
Eventually Mand'alor Mereel came to a stop. He'd pulled out a datapad and had been walking Dooku through the holonet and comm channel trails they'd followed, as well as what of the money trail they could find.
Leaning back from pointing out the last bits of relevant information on the screen in the Jedi Master's hand, Jaster finished, "You are of course welcome to take all that evidence with you. I'll have my slicer make you a copy of everything we have."
"Including a copy of the recording?" Dooku asked, his eyes still mostly pinned on the call log the Mandalorians had dug up for the Governor. There was something familiar about those Coruscant codes he just couldn't place what it was.
"Certainly," Mereel answered obligingly. "Now I don't know about you, Master Dooku, but uncovering conspiracies to commit genocide always makes me hungry."
Eyes finally lifting from the datapad at that morbid joke, Dooku just raised a silently questioning eyebrow at the Mand'alor.
A muffled sort of amusement floated out of the cage that was the man's beskar armor. "I've had a mid-day meal prepared for your arrival. There should be enough for all of your Jedi and my warriors."
"That's generous of you, Mand'alor," Dooku commented neutrally, though it was obvious that said generosity was puzzling to the master.
Mereel sent off another distant echo of humor, but with a faint string of seriousness outlining it. "We are narudar," he said, "I see no reason why we shouldn't share a meal."
"Narudar?" Dooku asked curiously the word unfamiliar and foreign on his tongue.
The Mand'alor hummed contemplating how he could explain. "It means something like 'enemy of my enemy'. Tentative, possibly temporary allies."
Nodding in understanding, Dooku figured that was as good a description of their current relationship as any.
"Very well," Dooku handed the datapad back to Mereel's second and gracefully rose to his feet. "I will inform my knights of these developments. Then we will share a meal with you."
"Good." There was a shadow of satisfaction in the acknowledgment, but then they were all going their separate ways and Dooku didn't have time to think on it.
As Dooku and the other two Jedi left the tent with Myles escorting them, Jaster released the seals on helmet and pulled it off turning to look at Obi-Wan.
"Why would the Jedi think you were kidnapped, Tracyn'ika?"
Blinking at the older man, Obi-Wan shrugged bewildered. "I'm not actually sure. There was a Jedi Master with me on Bandomeer. I talked with him just before I met Hondo. I told him the life of an AgriCorps farmer was not for me."
Jaster sighed and almost rubbed at his forehead. Teenagers, he thought in exasperated amusement. They rarely thought all the implications of their actions all the way through. Case in point.
"So you had a conversation with a Jedi, informed him that you didn't want to be member of this AgriCorps and then promptly vanished."
"Yeah?" Obi-Wan frowned still slightly confused.
"Obi-Wan, that does not count as informing someone of your departure," Jaster said with infinite patience.
The teen in front of him just huffed and pouted, a put out expression on his face. "Well, what did Master Jinn think that meant? He knew I wanted to be a Knight. I told him the Force wanted more for me."
"And?" Jaster prompted with a knowing look on his face.
Obi-Wan grimaced and muttered a little guiltily, "And I may have disappeared into a crowd because I knew he'd try and make me stay with the AgriCorps."
Sighing, Jaster shook his head with a wry kind of amusement on his expression. "Alright, Obi-Wan. It's over and done with now, but during the meal you will have to sit near Dooku and tell him the whole story. I don't want anymore misunderstandings between us and the Jedi. Our alliance is precarious as it is."
Shoulders slumping, Obi-Wan nodded reluctantly. "Yes, Jaster."
Snorting, Jaster ruffled the boy's shaggy red hair and got to his feet. "Come on, let's go help the verde set out the food."
Dooku must have explained the important parts to the other Jedi because when Jaster and Obi-Wan stepped out of the tent the atmosphere outside was a lot less tense than it had been. The Jedi were no longer standing ready with their hands on their lightsabers and the Mandalorians weren't eyeing them with their hands on their blasters. Whether this nominal peace would last through a meal was the question.
Since the True Mandalorians were after all a practical warrior people they had the food set up on one table, an extremely large pot of steaming hot bright red stew that smelled as spicy as it looked and a trough of fried tubers covered in a tangy pungent smelling sauce. It was obvious everyone was supposed to find their own place to sit and eat.
There was a moment where the Jedi and Mandalorians eyed each other waiting for the other to make the first move. Then, taking a page out of Obi-Wan's book, Myles scooped up a bowl and started helping himself. That broke the stand off and several other Mandalorians followed his example. Knight Feemor seeing as how the Jedi's inaction was starting to raise tensions again decided to take one for the team and stepped up behind a tall, stocky, mostly red painted Mandalorian grabbing a bowl himself and serving himself some tubers.
After that it was a fairly even stream of Mandos and Jedi filing through the food line and breaking off into groups to eat. Like mostly stuck to like, as ancient enemies forced in close non-hostile proximity were wont to do, but Myles again took his place as Jaster's temporary second seriously and took a seat next to the blond Jedi that had accompanied the Master Jedi into the command tent.
He released the seals on his helmet and set it aside pulling his multi-tool from his belt, the one with the fork and spoon attachments. Out of the corner of his eyes he caught the Jedi looking at him, but since it was more of a curious gaze than a scrutinizing one he let it pass. After the first bite of the stew and tubers, Myles flicked his own eyes over to see what the Jedi thought of his food.
It seems he was dubious of it.
Myles frown at the expression on the Jedi's face. "What, you don't like spicy food?"
Startling at the unfiltered sound of the Mandalorian's voice, Feemor looked up from his food. "It's not that, I've just never seen food this brightly colored red before."
"That's the spices," Myles said spooning himself another mouthful. "This is a modified tiingilar recipe we make when we're on a job. Not all our food is quite so colorful, but the spice used in tiingilar does have a tendency to tint the food."
"Ah," Feemor pulled his own eating utensils from a pocket on his belt and took his bite. Immediately his eyes watered and his started to sweat.
Myles saw the look on the Jedi's face and laughed. He clapped the knight on the back and grinned at his pained expression. "Not to your liking, eh, Jetii? Too spicy for your Core World taste buds."
Realizing that his pride was on the line, Feemor swallowed his bite with only minimal grimacing. "Not at all," he rasped at the younger man next to him. "It's actually quite tasty." He took a deliberately large second bite and chewed slowly before swallowing pointedly. "In fact the heat is growing on me." It wasn't even a lie. If he couldn't feel his tongue at least it wasn't burning anymore.
Smirking knowingly at the Jedi, Myles let him have the victory and patted him on the shoulder companionably. "Try the tubers next," he offered helpfully. "They're supposed to be mixed together. Cuts down on the heat."
Slumping in relief Feemor did as he suggested and discovered that it made the meal much more enjoyable.
After that a few of the Jedi and Mandalorians began breaking the ice. Conversation was mostly about the food or different planets they'd all been to and what sorts of shenanigans they'd gotten up to, but the meal was so far passing without incident.
One of the Jedi that had chosen to sit with a friendly seeming Mandalorian noticed that some of the Mandalorians had retreated to the remaining barracks with their food.
"Why are some of the warriors eating alone?" the Jedi asked the green skinned Mirialan Mandalorian sitting across from her. "Is eating arrangements part of your hierarchy?"
The Mando tilted her head curiously as if having to think the question through. "It is because of you," she answered with a thick accent and when the Jedi seemed to take that badly rushed to explain. "It is because you are aruetiise - um – outsiders. Some of us don't remove our buy'ce – our helmet around outsiders. Not because you are Jetiise." Well, not only, but she didn't think that was exactly helpful to the alliance the Mand'alor was trying to foster.
"Oh," the Jedi blinked wide eyed at the Mandalorian before giving her an understanding smile. "I didn't know. Thank you for explaining."
A little thrown by the Jedi's kind smile, the Mandalorian returned the smile tentatively and nodded before hurriedly returning to her food.
Seeing that neither of their peoples were going to start an incident, Jaster and Dooku were both last through the line to get food. Then in silent agreement moved toward where Obi-Wan had perched himself on a crate of supplies. Conveniently it seemed Dooku's padawan had already found the teen and was in the process of bugging him.
Sitting next to Obi-Wan Jaster nodded to the boy's half eaten food. "How do you like it? Not too spicy?"
Shaking his head, Obi-Wan hurriedly swallowed his mouthful. "It's really good. Weequay like their food pretty spicy too. I got used to it."
Having found and commandeered the only chair in the entire camp, Dooku asked from his place across from them, "How did you become acquainted with Weequay cuisine?"
A smirk curled at Obi-Wan's mouth as he took another bite of stew and tuber. "I wouldn't exactly call it cuisine, Master Dooku. There wasn't anything really fancy about the kind of cooking you can do on a starship."
"Nevertheless, I am interesting in knowing."
That was a very unsubtle prompt and Obi-Wan didn't bother hiding his grimace as he lowered his bowl to his lap and sighed. "It's part of the story of how I left the Order."
Dooku remained silent taking measured almost dainty bites of his mouth scorching Mandalorian stew like it was a part of a five course meal at a banquet. There wasn't even a hint of sweat on his brow to indicate the spice was effecting him. Jaster was impressed.
"I'm sure you know that I aged out of the Academy," Obi-Wan started garnering a snort from Komari. Dooku shot his padawan a scolding look then nodded for the boy to continue.
Shooting the other teen a glare, Obi-Wan went on. "None of the Masters or Knights at the temple wanted to take me on and I was pretty well resigned to being an AgriCorps farmer. I was assigned to the Bandomeer outpost and when I got on the ship I discovered that Master Qui-Gon Jinn was on the freighter as well. I thought I had one last chance to prove my worth and maybe be taken as a padawan."
From there he recounted the tale from the Hutts committing industrial sabotage, to the pirate attack, to the draigon infested planet. When he got to Bandomeer and told of Off World Mining and Xanatos, Obi-Wan registered an unreadable expression on Dooku's face, but the man didn't interrupt so he continued on.
It wasn't until he got to the bit about being kidnapped and enslaved on a deep sea mining rig that things started to devolve.
"What do you mean he left you on a deep sea mining rig?" Jaster demanded. "It's illegal in pretty much every corner of the galaxy for sentients to work deep sea mining."
"Yeah," Obi-Wan agree with a wry drawl. "That's probably why Xanatos had stuck bomb collars on all the miners. It wasn't like any of them were there voluntarily."
There was a flash of something from Dooku, but throughout the majority of Obi-Wan's story so far the Master had kept a tight lid on his Force presence. Unable to decipher what the emotion had been Obi-Wan continued on with his tale.
"Apparently I'm really bad at keeping my head down, because I pissed the guards off enough that by the time Master Jinn showed up they'd thrown me off the rig."
Jaster was pretty sure if Jango hadn't already started turning him gray, Obi-Wan would have started with this story.
And it just got worse when he and this Master Jinn, who Jaster was becoming less and less impressed with by the second were trapped in a mine while the whole planet was pretty much rigged to blow.
"Wait, back up." Jaster almost stuck his finger in his ear to make sure it wasn't blocked and he was hearing this right. "You offered to blow yourself up so that the or'dinii Jetii Jinn could escape and save the other miners?"
Obi-Wan frowned at the unfamiliar words, but didn't ask. He had a feeling they were uncomplimentary anyway. "It was my life against the life of hundreds, possibly thousands others. It's the kind of decision all Jedi would make."
Jaster just stared at the boy incredulously then jerked his head around to hit Dooku with an angry scowl. "Is this true, Jetii? Do you teach your ade in that temple of yours to sacrifice themselves for the possible good of others?"
Dooku had the grace to give a light grimace. "It is a decision all Jedi must contemplate, but-" he raised his voice when the Mand'alor bowed up indignantly, "but we do not encourage self-sacrifice as the first and best option. It is supposed to be a last resort when all other options have been tried and discarded. We try to impart that all life is precious, included our own."
That only mildly seemed to pacify the Mand'alor. But after a moment of dark grumbling under his breath, Jaster blew out a heavy breath and turned back to the teen watching him with wary cautious eyes. "Finish your story, Tracyn'ika. I would hear the end."
Without much more prompting, Obi-Wan did conclude the tale with Xanatos escaping, a few minor explosions, and the relevant authorities finally showing up.
"That's when I told Master Jinn that I wasn't supposed to a farmer," Obi-Wan said when he got to the last part where Qui-Gon spoke to and rejected him for the last time. "The Force wanted something else for me. I could- I can feel it in my bones. I'm meant for more than that."
They were quiet for a moment. Dooku visibly studying Obi-Wan with intensity. Then he commented, "And that's when you decided to leave the AgriCorps altogether." At the boy's nod, he asked, "Where did the Force point you then? I assume you couldn't just hop on a ship off the planet."
There was a sheepish grin on Obi-Wan's face and he shrugged. "That's kinda exactly what I did." At the dubious looks around him, he grinned and explained. "I turned around, walked through the crowd, and almost immediately bumped into Hondo."
"And Hondo would be?" Dooku raised an eyebrow.
"Captain Hondo Ohnaka of a Weequay pirate crew," Obi-Wan answered plainly. "Hondo's lizard-monkey tried to pickpocket my lightsaber. I caught him at it – twice. Hondo thought my calling him out on a lie was useful and the Force wasn't giving me any glaring warning signs so I offered to use my talents to help him turn a profit if he'd let me hitch a ride off Bandomeer."
There was a tense look on Dooku's face and he looked like he was dreading his next question. "And how long were you in the employ of this Hondo Ohnaka?"
"Uh- well, pretty much up until two days ago, really," Obi-Wan replied innocently, either not noticing the pained expression on the Jedi Master's face or ignoring it.
"And can I assume you were a party to the robbery at the Governor's Mansion and that's how the Mandalorians came in possession of that recording?"
Hesitating over possibly implicating himself in a crime, Obi-Wan finally shrugged to himself and figured it was too late now. "The Force really wanted me to check out the Governor's desk. When I touched the comm unit it was like I'd stuck my hand in an electrical socket. After I played the recording, the Force wouldn't let up until I was walking into the True Mandalorian camp."
Dooku just studied Obi-Wan with an unreadable expression on his face for a long moment then he nodded decisively.
"Do you still feel your path is away from the Order?" he asked causing Obi-Wan to stiffen and stare at him wide-eyed.
A confused frown pinched at Obi-Wan's brows. "Why? What- what does it matter?"
Dooku raised an eyebrow at that. "It matters because you have proven yourself a resourceful and compassionate young man. If it is your desire I am willing to sponsor your return to the temple."
Heart pounding suddenly in his chest, Obi-Wan sucked in a sharp breath. "But- but no one wanted me- I mean. None of the masters would take me for a padawan. I don't think spending a year with pirates would exactly make my prospects any better."
There was a flicker of amusement in Dooku's expression then. "You are a young Force-sensitive out in the galaxy for the first time and you've managed to not only keep yourself out of the hands of nefarious parties, but saved the lives of an entire society of people not to mention potentially helped uncover a major conspiracy in the Senate. I can think of at least five other masters off the top of my head that would be interested in meeting you."
It was too good to be true. Obi-Wan couldn't wrap his head around it. It was impossible. No one wanted him. He was too arrogant, too aggressive, had too little control of his emotions. There was no way a year away from the strict structure of the temple had done anything to temper any of those faults. In fact he'd purposefully stopped trying to temper himself in some aspects.
And of course sitting there under the scrutiny of Jaster, Master Dooku, and Master Dooku's annoying padawan was doing nothing to calm him enough to meditate and consult with the Force. When he tried for a moment to send out an inquiry into the Force, he was met with a calculating expectation from the Jedi Master, a petulant kind of jealously from the padawan, and Jaster- Jaster without his beskar helmet shielding his emotions was projecting sadness and bittersweet acceptance.
The Mand'alor wanted him to stay Obi-Wan realized underneath his other whirling thoughts. Jaster had been hoping Obi-Wan would agree to stay with the Haat Mando'ade. There was already an intense care and protectiveness growing inside the older man toward him.
He couldn't make a decision now. Dooku was handing him everything he'd ever wanted seemingly on a silver platter, but Obi-Wan had already begun pursuing a different option. The Force had already given him a new path to journey down.
"Thank you for your generous offer, Master Dooku," Obi-Wan said after taking a deep steadying breath. "May I take some time to think about it, to meditate and consult with the Force?"
Dooku gave a gracious nod and allowed an impression of approval into the Force. "Of course. We will be on planet for another couple of days I expect. You will have until then to make your decision."
Obi-Wan swallowed thickly and nodded in acknowledgment of the deadline.
He had a moment of breathing room where Jaster gave off a reluctantly hopeful burst before the man buried in behind a rather impressive shield for a supposedly Force-null being. Then the tense quiet was broken by Master Dooku's padawan.
She couldn't quite cover her sneer when she said, "I don't see what's there to think about. The smart thing would be to come back to the temple."
"Komari," Dooku scolded, but the teen ignored him.
"It's true," the padawan argued stubbornly. "If he stays with the Mandos he'll never be a Jedi. He won't even be able to develop his Force training anymore."
Obi-Wan shot the girl a scowl. "I don't need to be at the temple to continue training with the Force."
"Please," she scoffed at him. "Initiates are barely trained to begin with. After over a year away I bet you can barely do more than lift a few rocks with the Force, much less wield that saber on your hip."
There was flash of indignation, anger, and sharp determination in the Force as Obi-Wan's shoulders stiffened and his gaze narrowed in on Padawan Vosa with almost intimidating intent.
"Just because I've been away from the temple does not mean I've let any of my training go," he stated angrily. "Jedi aren't the only society in the galaxy that use the Force. That means I don't have to be a Jedi to still learn either."
The girl rolled her eyes at that and waved a dismissive hand at him. "Yeah, but Jedi are still the strongest. None of the other Force sects use lightsabers, not even the Guardians of the Whills."
She was very wrong, both about the Jedi being the only still living wielders of lightsabers as well as the Jedi being the strongest. The Jedi were strong, very strong, that wasn't a lie, but there were other peoples that utilized the Force that were just as strong and even stronger in some techniques and aspects. But Obi-Wan wasn't going to mention the Witches of Dathomir, or the extinct Sith, or the Felucian Shaman.
His unorthodox exploration into the many sides and sects of the Force was a secret he was not going to divulge in front of a Jedi Master that sometimes sat on the High Council.
"Komari, this display of arrogance is unbecoming of Jedi Padawan," Dooku's sharp voice cut across the hostile air between the two teens.
"I would say Obi-Wan is arrogant if he thinks he doesn't need the Jedi to continue his training," Komari shot back unrepentantly.
Something snapped in his patience and Obi-Wan was suddenly coldly calm. His spoke seemingly without much input from his better reasoning mind. "If you are so worried about my skills diminishing away from the temple, then why don't I give you a demonstration."
Komari gave him a condescending smirk. "Oh yeah? And how are you going to do that?"
There was a calculating, almost predator sharp glint in his gaze as he raised an eyebrow at her. "How about we spar?"
Now she looked amused. "You think you'll last longer than a few minutes against me in a lightsaber duel? I'm a Senior Padawan, kid. You're barely at Initiate level if that."
"Well, then," Obi-Wan replied with a bland smile, "you have nothing to worry about then."
Komari frowned at that, but with a quick look at her master to see his expectant expression her face hardened and she nodded. "Fine. But don't take it too hard when I kick your ass."
Obi-Wan just continued to smile, though there was a hard calculating gleam in his blue-green eyes. "We'll see."
TBC...