CALIGINOUS

Summary: AU Qui-Gon does not die on Naboo. Jealousy has taken hold of Obi-Wan who is later killed, evil has stirred in the heart of the Republic, and any who oppose Chancellor Palpatine are mysteriously murdered. A new Dark Lord of the Sith has come into being.

Rated PG-13 for dark themes.

Disclaimer: I own nothing. I am making no profit from this.

He felt no different being a Jedi Knight. He was still the same physical person he had been the day before. He did not feel he had been enlightened of mind or spirit upon reaching Knighthood. No plateau had been reached, no rewarding finish line crossed, no final evaluation awarded. So it was a strange sensation for Obi-Wan to be approached by Nubians and Gungans and fellow Jedi who congratulated him as if he were mounted on a pillar, high above everyone else.

However, he did know he was something that none of them were and most likely would never be. A Sith-killer. In that respect, he felt different. His very heart felt altered, as if its beat had changed to proclaim in a soft, almost timid voice that he had slaughtered a piece of evil. But the nature of his heart troubled him, often making him suspect he would become like the evil he had vanquished in that fateful duel.

No one seemed to notice his troubles, only his deeds. What Obi-Wan had done was full of honor, but he found he was being regarded with caution, even by those he knew well, and all because of what he had killed. Perhaps that was yet another one of the burdens that came with what he now was.

And one boy brought on new feelings that he did not want at all to deal with, but he found himself doing so anyhow.

He seldom felt like this. No true Jedi should be angry with his Master. Yet he was rapping his knuckles sharply at Qui-Gon's door, furious that the man had taken Anakin as an apprentice the moment Obi-Wan was Knighted.

Unload the burden just in time for the prodigy.

The door slid open revealing Qui-Gon's curious expression.

"Obi-Wan?" he said.

"I need to talk to you," Obi-Wan said, inviting himself in.

"All right," Qui-Gon said. "But we need to keep it down. Anakin's in bed."

A spark of anger escaped Obi-Wan at the mention of the boy's needs over his. Qui-Gon frowned, sensing the rogue emotion.

"What is it?" he asked warily.

"Why?" Obi-Wan said. "Why him? Why did you want him as an apprentice and not me?"

"You were on your way to being a Knight," Qui-Gon said. "I was keeping my mind ahead of you. I needed to plan what I was going to do after you."

"But you made it so plainly clear you wanted him more," Obi-Wan said, exasperated.

"I never meant for that to happen," Qui-Gon replied calmly.

"You wanted to get rid of me," Obi-Wan accused. "Everyone knows it and that's embarrassing for me. Being the Padawan whose Master grew tired of. And now I'm a Sith-killer. What am I going to do next? Turn to the Dark Side?"

"Obi-Wan," Qui-Gon said. "I never wanted-"

"It doesn't matter what you wanted," Obi-Wan snapped. "What matters is what has happened."

"Keep your voice down," Qui-Gon ordered sternly, glancing at a door which no doubt led to Anakin's room.

"No, let him hear," Obi-Wan yelled, advancing toward the door. "Let him hear what you've done to me. So he may prepare for what you'll most certainly do to him, also."

"I will not be badgered by you," Qui-Gon said evenly, placing himself between Obi-Wan and the door. "And I will not let you harm him."

"And I will not be belittled by you," Obi-Wan said.

"Then how do you propose we fix your little problem?" Qui-Gon hissed, stepping toward Obi-Wan, towering over him. "It's like what you said; What's happened has happened and we cannot change it. You will have to learn to live with it."

"I was not meant to live with this," Obi-Wan growled. "I- What does it mean to me, when you prefer a stupid, reckless, dangerous boy over me," he opened his hand towards Qui-Gon, showing him all he was, "your full-grown Jedi Knight?"

"You're just jealous," Qui-Gon said.

"I'm indignant!" Obi-Wan said. "I don't understand. This is I, the fruit of your labor. And if you refuse to be satisfied with my work..."

"I'm proud of you, Obi-Wan," Qui-Gon insisted.

"No, you're not," Obi-Wan said, his head lowering in sudden humiliation. "You're not."

Qui-Gon approached his former apprentice and touched the back of his neck with the caring assurance he so desperately needed. Obi-Wan wanted to reach out to his Master and receive the comfort of his arms, feel safe and carefree once more, but he knew all those childish fantasies would be refused of him. He twitched as if to reach for a hug, but instead he snatched the cloth around Qui-Gon's shoulders and wrung it in his hands, placing the top of his head against Qui-Gon's chest.

"I... would have... died... for you," he choked on his words.

"I would have lived for you," Qui-Gon answered, trying to connect to his troubled student. Suddenly, he was reeling backward and it took him a moment to realize it was because Obi-Wan had shoved him away.

"No, you would not!" he screamed. "On more than one occasion you accepted your death without a second thought. But now that precious Anakin is your student you refuse to die!"

He spun around, confused and angry, toward the door. Qui-Gon caught his arm and Obi-Wan jerked himself free.

"Pada-"

"I am not your Padawan!" he spat wildly. "Here, take this," he said, grabbing a wadded something from his belt and tossing it at Qui-Gon, who caught the light object. A moment passed and the blind rage left him a little, leaving him quietly infuriated. "And I think it's better this way."

Without another word from either Jedi, Obi-Wan left his Master. All he had left of his little boy Obi-Wan was his Padawan braid.

The planet Byss was a location of bustling city and beautiful plateaus and crystal-clean water. It was hidden under the nose of the Republic in the deep core. Chancellor Palpatine was encouraging travel to the planets there, but few were brave enough to venture into the high gravitational pull of the many suns that resided in the heart of the galaxy. It made a conveniant hideaway for the somewhat rich who wanted to be cut off from the rest of reality.

It was also a place for evil to spawn.

Obi-Wan had requested a solo mission and the Jedi Council sent him to Byss to search for the fugitive Vlog Incestor. The Rodian had committed several crimes against humanity on such planets as Coruscant, Chandrilla, Reecee, Alderaan, and Rhinnal; all of which were located in the center of the galaxy. Sightings of Incestor had been reported on Byss and it was Obi-Wan's duty to track him down and arrest him.

It felt good to forget about Qui-Gon and doggedly focus on his job again. He knew that while purposefully ignoring Qui-Gon he would put one hundred and ten percent effort into tracking down and arresting the homicidal rapist.

Incestor. Obi-Wan spent some of his travel time wondering how he'd gotten that name.

He landed his fighter in the city Palpatine had founded, Haven Town, and was met with the pudgy but muscled local security official Chief Harborson.

"I have his description and the list of sightings right here, Master Jedi," he huffed, handing him a clipboard-sized datapad. Obi-Wan surveyed the map in which small red squares marked where the sightings had occurred.

"They seem to be focused near Palpatine's personal retreat area," Obi-Wan pointed out.

"We've noticed that also," the chief said. "We've increased security in the immediate area and have alerted all the residents and workers in the nearby cities. That's why we've received so many sightings." he seemed quite proud about his final sentence.

"Palpatine isn't here, is he?" Obi-Wan asked.

"No, he's on Coruscant," Harborson said.

"Good," Obi-Wan said. "Incestor may want to kill him and he was clever in thinking here would be the best place to do it. Secluded. Few people. The perfect place to destroy a person..."

The Force was whispering to him and he could not resist the lure to follow its orders.

"I want to explore the premises of Palpatine's retreat," Obi-Wan announced. "I will contact him-"

"Oh, there's no need," Harborson said. "When he heard of the sightings here on Byss, Palpatine himself insisted that you should come and help us out. He said he was so pleased with the way you handled the Sith on Naboo that you should take care of Vlog Incestor yourself. And he's given you exclusive permission to basically go anywhere you want, his land, public places, private homes, anywhere, so long as it continues the investigation."

"Good," Obi-Wan said. "I'll start with his retreat."

"Shall I accompany you there, sir?" Harborson asked.

"No," Obi-Wan said. "I work better alone." he added when a puzzled expression crossed Harborson's face.

"Yes, sir," he said, showing him to a speeder. Obi-Wan realized he had hurt Harborson's dignity at naming a danger the Chief of Security was not capable of handling. "You sure I can't just drive you there?"

"I'm sure I can manage," Obi-Wan said politely, but the truth was he sensed danger lurking very near and he assumed it was Vlog Incestor. He did not want another individual to deal with, not matter his profession and skills. Incestor was no ordinary criminal.

"Well then, safe journey," Harborson said, watching Obi-Wan get into the speeder he'd brought him and take off.

The security guards at Palpatine's retreat let him in after checking his identification. They were surprisingly kind and trusting of Obi-Wan and he wondered if they were inexperienced guards or unnaturally trusting. Obi-Wan supposed that the fact they lived on a paradise hidden from the rest of galaxy was a very uplifting thought to the inhabitants whether troubled or not by a galactic criminal.

Obi-Wan wandered through the grand estate with only the Force as his guide and even took some time to marvel at the lavish accommodations the Chancellor's property sported. There was no one inside the palace of buildings and gardens, but Obi-Wan knew someone was there. Someone evil. He could sense the being's dark presence as clearly as he could sense the bright light of a Jedi Master back at the Temple on Coruscant. He would not be surprised if Incestor was a Force-adept. It would have taken more than manpower to be able to avoid the law enforcement of several planets and overpower and kill so many victims.

He tried the door to one of the buildings and it opened for him. Of course, on such a remote place, Palpatine would have no need for intense security, just a few guards at the gates. Or Vlog Incestor was being careless and had forgotten to close all the doors behind him.

Obi-Wan's footsteps echoed through the empty entrance hall. He didn't mind the noise.

"Vlog Incestor," he called into the dim halls. "I am the Jedi Knight Obi-Wan Kenobi. I know you are here. Surrender now and your punishment will be less severe."

Less severe? That meant the executioner would give him a sedative first.

From upstairs, he heard a crash like the fall of a vase. He bolted up the wide, sweeping stairs up the thick door and opened it, igniting his lightsaber.

It was void of light inside and smelled of water. The next moment his mind was dislodged from where it normally operated and his breath stopped on empty lungs. Something unseen yanked him forward and as he hurtled through the air his brain identified his incorporeal assailant as electricity. His body was met with yet another unexpected shock as the electricity abruptly stopped and he flopped into deep, cold water. Not thinking, he sucked in a breath underwater and his lungs protested angrily at him.

He flung his tingling body upward in blind search of air and electricity struck him again, shoving him deeper under water until he was pressed against a flat surface. He felt himself jerking and senselessly struggling, achieving nothing but getting his limbs tangled in his flowing outer cloak. Then he was being lifted upward and he broke the surface of the water and the lights came on their highest setting, temporarily blinding him. He felt himself being tossed like a rag doll several meters through the air and he smashed against a wall with a hard crunch. Luckily, instinct kicked in and he curled slightly just before impact, keeping his head tucked down toward his chest. As he slid down to the floor, he felt ambivalent that he had not been concussed; one the one hand he was conscious and able to survive what attack would fall next, on the other he was aware of the smarting pain of his injuries.

He coughed up water, gasping for air. He tasted chlorine in his mouth. Swimming pool water. It was everywhere inside him where it should not have been, his lungs, his noise, even his sinus ached with foreign water.

"Ah, Jedi," a raspy voice said. "How good of you to pay me a visit."

He tried to take a breath to answer the man and choked on the water that still lingered in his lungs. He opened his eyes, looking up. The room he was in was an extravagant indoor swimming pool complete with lamps that cast warm, imitation sunshine and elaborate lounge chairs that speckled the concrete surrounding the blue illuminated pool. A man in black robes was standing near him and though Obi-Wan could not see all of his face, he could see that he was an elderly Human. This was definitely not Vlog Incestor.

"Who are you?" he asked.

"I could make you a great man, Obi-Wan Kenobi," the man said in a dark, scratchy voice.

Confused, he asked, "How do you know me?"

"I know you very well, Kenobi," he said. "You killed my apprentice only a few weeks ago."

Obi-Wan snarled and jumped up to fight the Sith. The man raised his hand and blue lightning bolts burst from his fingertips and into Obi-Wan. He screamed and was pinned against the wall behind him. He tried to raise his hand and use the Force to block the attack, but his body was not responding to his mental commands. He was trapped and he did not like the feeling at all.

"Your lack of vision is your shortcoming," the Sith said and lightning stopped. Obi-Wan was sore and slid stiffly on the floor. "If you join me, you would become more powerful than even my former apprentice."

"And if I don't?" he grunted.

"But surely you will," the Sith said in an almost pleasant, persuasive voice.

"And if I don't?" Obi-Wan asked again, stronger this time.

"I will kill you."

Obi-Wan tried to gather his thoughts. They had been scattered the moment the lightning had hit him. What had happened before that? Why was he even there?

"Where's Incestor?" he asked.

"I killed him," the Sith said simply. "He was meant only as a reason to bring you here."

"Who are you?" Obi-Wan asked again. He was reaching stealthily for his lightsaber, planning to surprise attack the Sith. All he had to do was keep him talking...

"Are you looking for this?" the Sith asked, holding his weapon in his bony hand. Obi-Wan gaped. How had he done that?

"Why don't you join me so you can get your precious weapon back?" he suggested. "I will make you so great and powerful even your old Master could not turn a blind eye."

The tempting offer struck an emotional chord in Obi-Wan. He wanted so badly to prove to Qui-Gon his worth, prove he was better than Anakin, prove that he was the greatest that ever there was, but his heart told him that it was better to die than to go to the Dark Side.

There are conflicting sides in intelligent beings known to argue incessantly and never reach a definite conclusion. Such sides began a war in Obi-Wan.

Perhaps, if he joined this Sith, he might be able to defeat him later when he fully trusted Obi-Wan and therefore did not expect treachery.

Obi-Wan made himself appear as earnest and passive as possible.

"I will join you," he said steadily.

"You must mean it, Jedi," he answered, releasing sharp lightning into his flesh. Obi-Wan spasmed against the electricity.

"I will join you," he screamed.

"Will you?"

"Yes!" he insisted, his body warning him that he was fast approaching his limit.

"Are you telling the truth, Jedi?"

Obi-Wan could feel the onslaught of unconsciousness looming nearer and nearer and if he lost his mind now he'd die.

"I do not lie!" he begged. "I will join you!"

Just as darkness crept into his vision, the lightning stopped. He didn't move. He didn't want to give the Sith incentive to hurt him further.

"Good," the Sith said, pleasure evident in his voice even to Obi-Wan, who kept his head buried in the folds of his wet cloak. The scent of chlorine and his own singed skin overpowered him and he nearly vomited in retaliation. He suppressed the gag reflex and only shivered from shock and cold, listening to the Sith's footsteps as he exited the room.

The whirring of machines filled the silence. In a matter of seconds, the droids had him captive.

To Be Continued...