Chapter: Nine: The Suspicious Master
Ch. Summary: A Jedi comes to Melida/Daan and Obi-Wan has to start some damage control
Not twenty-four hours after Obi-Wan had attempted an ancient Sith ritual to summon a Jedi, he felt a strong, bright presence exit hyperspace above the planet. A quick check showed that Jango was busy with Cerasi trying to strategize for the talks and Master Tahl was still in the med-bay. He'd left her there an hour ago when the medic came in and insisted on finally giving her a full explanation of her injuries.
Unfolding himself from his meditation pose on his bed in his quarters, Obi-Wan snatched up his saber and started tugging his boots back on.
As he moved through the ship and toward the exit, he followed the newly arrived light-sider in the Force as they entered atmosphere and descended to land in the field very close to where Obi-Wan had performed the summons the night before.
Stepping out into the late afternoon sunlight, Obi-Wan nodded to the verd on watch.
"An unknown ship just landed in the field almost a click off," the warrior informed him, serious and wary. "Should I inform Jango and call for backup?"
"That won't be necessary," Obi-Wan gave the verd a smile. "They're expected. I'll go out and meet them."
He got a dubious head tilt from the helmeted Mandalorian. "Respectfully, Ad'Alor Obi-Wan, I don't think that's a good idea."
Huffing, Obi-Wan suppressed the reflex to protest the title for the hundredth time. No matter how many times he protested he couldn't get the other Mandalorians to stop calling him the Mando'a equivalent of Prince Obi-Wan. It didn't help that Jaster was tellingly silent when it was said in front of him, or that Jango just snorted and told him to get used to it. That was easy for Jango to say, he didn't get called Prince Jango, no he got Ven'Alor- Future Ruler.
Obi-Wan figured he should be lucky the Mando'ade don't call him Ad'ika be Mand'alor- Ruler's Little Child, or something else equally childish.
"It's only a click off and it's only one being," Obi-Wan said in exasperation. "I can take care of myself."
The verd didn't back down in the face of fourteen year-old Obi-Wan's indignant protest. "Shall I comm Jango, then?"
Sighing in defeat, Obi-Wan was not pouting. "Fine, you can come along. Just," he glared pointedly, "let me do the talking."
"Elek, Ad'Alor," was the dry as desert response.
Tossing the warrior a last displeased look, Obi-Wan started stomping off from the ship. He paused about ten yards away to wait for the warrior's relief to show up. Then he set off again with the Mandalorian warrior on his heels.
He stopped stomping indignantly halfway to their visitor. Just as insecurity and paranoia set in. Truthfully, Obi-Wan had never done a Sith ritual that complicated before. That it worked at all, he was honestly surprised. Of course, not knowing who had actually answered the summons was a little concerning.
Though judging by their bright, firmly Light Force presence, Obi-Wan felt comfortable assuming they were a Jedi.
As they neared the ship, Obi-Wan spotted the insignia painted on the side of the hull and felt the anxiety in his belly release. It was the Jedi crest. This was definitely a Jedi.
Obi-Wan sent a polite knock-knock in the Force, so to speak, and waited patiently for the Jedi to either respond in kind or step out of the ship to meet them.
Master Plo Koon had been on Melida/Daan not five minutes when he realized that there was another Jedi on the planet. He sent his presence toward them and frowned. The Jedi, he wasn't familiar enough with them to recognize them by their presence alone, was not in a good place. They were badly trying to smother feelings of despair and hopelessness not to mention that they were in pain, injured.
This did not bode well, he though grimly. Just as he was about to comm the temple and request an ETA on his backup he felt another presence. This one was young, and bright, and determined and a little annoyed. Whoever they were was almost certainly projecting their emotions purposefully. And they were coming toward him, Plo realized. Whoever this young Force-sensitive was – perhaps the injured Jedi's padawan, but for some reason Plo didn't think so - they were projecting into the Force in an effort not to startle him.
There was a distinct flavor of, "I come in peace," in the young being's intent. Plo concentrated on them trying to discern more. Though there wasn't much more he could pick out. They were young, healthy, determined, their mind was disciplined- trained to a certain extent, and they were accompanied by another being.
And this being put Plo on edge. The second being steadily making their way toward him was muffled, concealed in static and indistinct like a picture behind opaque glass. Plo knew of only one substance in the galaxy that could cause that kind of effect in the Force.
The two beings came to a stop at a respectful distance from his ship and Plo was a little startled and amused to feel a very loud though polite knock-knock in the Force. Well, he thought standing up and making sure his saber was securely clipped to his belt, it was time to meet his welcoming party.
Sliding the door open to his ship, he stepped out into the sun and got his first look at the newcomers.
That was definitely a Mandalorian, he thought as he looked the warrior up and down. They were humanoid, in full beskar armor, the paint chipped and worn except for the various insignias stenciled on their armor, including one on their right pauldron, a stylized Mythosaur skull.
And a couple yards in front of the Mandalorian stood the source of that bright young presence. It was a Human male, young, early teens if Plo had to guess. He had fair skin with freckles across his cheeks and wavy, longish red hair. He as dressed in a black jumpsuit that looked like something one would wear beneath the armor Mandalorians were known for. On his right shoulder embroidered in white thread was the same insignia, a Mythosaur skull.
What really caught Plo's attention was hanging at the boy's waist. There was a blaster holstered on his left hip, of course, but hanging at his right was a lightsaber. With a quick prod in the Force Plo was thankful to find that the kyber crystal inside it was firmly oriented to the Light.
The teen was calm when Plo stepped out of the ship, but when he got a good look at the Jedi, he released a bright flash of surprise, relief, and excitement. His reaction startled the Master, because that lent him to think that the teen recognized him. Studying the boy closer from behind his goggles, Plo admitted that he did indeed look familiar.
"Master Koon," the teen greeted with a wide smile. "Force, I'm glad it's you!"
It was the sound of his voice that finally gave the Jedi Master the last clue. The Mandalorian, the red hair, and that bright, happy voice all came together. After over a year of grief and worry, then bittersweet confirmation of his well being half a year ago, it was jarring to find this boy in front of him especially after Master Dooku returned with news of the boy's definite resignation from the Order.
"Obi-Wan?" The boy nodded with a grin and Plo smiled behind his anti-ox mask. "Little Obi, what are you doing here? What's going on?"
There was a bashful flush to the boy's cheeks and he flicked a glance back at the stoic Mandalorian standing silently behind him. "Well, that's a bit of a story," Obi-Wan said, then most of his joy dimmed and his face smoothed out into a serious, mature expression.
Plo felt a pang go through him as he observed what was sure to only be the first sign of the boy's having grown since he'd last seen him as part of a temple initiate clan.
"There was a civil war on this planet," Obi-Wan informed him. "Children were in danger. I had a vision in the Force about a Jedi Master here that was being imprisoned and tortured. My guardian on Mandalore allowed me to travel with his son and a squad of warriors to investigate and help where we could."
Nodding, Plo watched the boy. "I can sense the other Master. What is their status?" If the other master was the source of the Dark summons he'd followed here then the situation may be much more serious than he could assume right then.
"Master Tahl was injured badly," the boy answered solemnly. "I'm not sure exactly what the extent of her injuries are, but her eyes were badly damaged. We rescued her about four days ago and she's still really weak. Our medic has her on bed rest and heavy painkillers."
The Dark summons wasn't her then. If she was truly that weak she wouldn't have had the strength to channel the Force in such a way. From what he'd felt from her earlier, it was obvious she was even having trouble shielding herself.
A distant whisper of a thought came to him and Plo immediately shied away from it.
"What's the situation with this civil war you mentioned? Are there still children in danger?"
There was a flash of grim satisfaction and Plo eyed the boy before him.
"The children belonging to the two warring factions banded together to try and bring peace. Their parents were hunting them down for it. When we got here and discovered that, we started attacking the Elders almost immediately." There was a hard glint in the teen's eyes that unsettled Plo when he compared it to the young boy he'd last seen in the temple.
"As of two days ago, we've captured all of the leadership from both the factions. We're just waiting on a neutral third party to help facilitate negotiations." Obi-Wan continued talking not aware of the master's shifting thoughts, "The Young don't trust the Elders to hold to the peace agreement without outside oversight and the Elders won't take the Young seriously without reputable support."
Humming, Plo put aside his concerns for the matter at hand. "And Master Tahl is too injured and emotionally compromised to serve the purpose. What about your guardian's son?" he asked. "I get the impression he has some amount of authority."
Obi-Wan's mouth curled into a crooked grin and his grim seriousness was softened by a park of humor. "Jango doesn't have the tact or patience for mediation. He's much more of an aggressive negotiator than a diplomatic one."
"Ah," Plo's filtered voice reflected his slight humor at this new information. "I see. Well, then it's perhaps wise of you to wait before beginning talks."
"That's what we figured after the first time Jango almost kneecapped a Daan leader for scowling at him."
The as of yet silent Mandalorian snorted at that and Plo flicked his gaze toward him with some amusement as the warrior gave a sheepish cough to cover up his own humor.
Obi-Wan shot his guard a knowing smirk, then turned back to Plo. "We're parked about a click that way," he gestured back in the way he'd come. "If you want you can move your ship and land near us so you won't have to walk so far."
Nodding, Plo replied, "That's a good idea. Why don't you both ride with me so you don't have to walk either?"
Obi-Wan readily agreed much to the obviously consternation of his Mandalorian shadow. Plo didn't let on to his amusement at the audible sigh and grumble of exasperation from the warrior. When they'd boarded his shuttle, Plo lead the way to the cockpit.
"Please, strap ourselves in." He gestured to the co-pilot seat and the passenger seat behind it. "While we travel, I must contact the Council and give them an update."
"Oh!" Obi-Wan turned wide curious eyes on the master. "Did you call for backup? Because I gotta say it would probably be best if Master Tahl was taken back to the temple as soon as possible. Our med-bay is really only equipped for triage and stabilizing someone enough to get them to better care."
"Yes," he answered as he started the lift off sequence. "I felt a summoning through the Force directing me here. I didn't know what kind of situation I would be flying into so I contacted the temple before I set course."
Obi-Wan hummed at that not sure if he should admit to being the one to cast the summoning or not. While Master Plo hadn't mentioned the summoning being Dark, Obi-Wan was sure the master would have recognized a Dark side technique when one so blatantly touched his mind. It was a Sith ritual after all, and if Obi-Wan knew anything it was that the Jedi didn't suffer the Sith.
"Do you have any idea who they'd be sending?" he inquired as causally as he could instead. It was better if he didn't admit to purposefully using a Dark side technique. If he was lucky, perhaps the Jedi Masters would get distracted with the situation on the planet and let the mystery of the summons fall by the wayside.
Unfortunately for Obi-Wan, Master Plo Koon was very smart and very observant. He'd have to be to survive this long as an active field knight. He noticed that Obi-Wan didn't display any surprise to the revelation of a summons in the Force. Not only that, but when they first met not twenty minutes earlier, Plo got the impression he'd been expected. Maybe not him specifically, but a Jedi at least.
The boy knew something about the Dark technique that was used to lure him here. Considering their history with the Sith, perhaps one of the Mandalorians was trained in the Dark side. Plo resolved to pay close attention when meeting the warriors. It wasn't impossible to read presences through beskar, just difficult. If he remained vigilant, Plo felt confident he would be able to recognize the presence of a dark-sider even disguised by their armor.
It was a very short flight to where the Mandalorians had parked their transport. After Plo signed off with the temple it was spent with a silently observing Mandalorian while the Jedi Master and secretive teenager chatted.
When they landed and disembarked from the Jedi ship, another Mandalorian was waiting for them with their arms crossed, disapproval and frustration radiating from them so heavily it was apparent even through their armor. Plo studied the warrior curiously. They, like Obi-Wan and the other Mandalorian, had a stenciled Mythosaur skull on their pauldron. It was apparent now that it was some kind of identifier, but the Jedi didn't know enough about Mandalorian tradition to make a guess on what kind.
Upon spotting this new welcome party, Obi-Wan turned and scowled at his shadow. "You commed Jango?"
Plo was a little amused at this display of teenage indignation. The warrior's response to his question was dry and unrepentant.
"A Jetii landed on the planet without warning. Of course, I commed Jango."
Carefully shielding his humor so as not to exacerbate Obi-Wan, Plo looked back to the obviously displeased Mandalorian waiting for them.
"Tattletale," the teen accused in a dark mutter.
The warrior snorted. "You may be touched by the Ka'ra, Ad'Alor, but Jango is my Ven'Alor and your ori'vod. He outranks both of us." With that he stepped away, traded a nod with Jango and walked off to return to his duties.
Obi-Wan grumbled then sighed seemingly resigned and made his way toward the Mandalorian that was apparently Jango, his guardian's son. Plo almost drew his saber when in a quick move Jango reached out and swatted Obi-Wan across the back of his head.
"Ow!" Obi-Wan flinched, rubbed his head and scowled at the taller fully armed and armored Mandalorian. Plo stood there tense and waiting. "What was that for?"
"That was for being an idiot," Jango replied unsympathetic. "What made you think it was a good idea to go investigating strange ships all by yourself? You didn't know who they were. It could have been anyone!"
Huffing out a breath, Obi-Wan argued, "I knew it was a Jedi, Jango. I wasn't in any danger."
"How could you possibly know it was a Jedi?" Jango demanded, unconvinced.
"I felt him in the Force, Jango," was the boy's reply and Plo could hear the eye roll in his tone.
"That means nothing," the Mandalorian asserted. "Could have been a dar'jetii(1) for all you knew. In fact how do you know he's not a dar'jetii?"
Plo was then treated to an echo of violent suspicion and a surprisingly intimidating stare down by a t-visor. He felt it was safe to assume that dar'jetii was the Mandalorian word for dark-sider or perhaps even Sith.
"Besides the fact that I knew Master Koon when I lived at the temple," Obi-Wan gritted out through his teeth, "I'd know the difference between a Jedi and a dark-sider, Jango. The Dark side of the Force is pretty unmistakable."
Filing away this implication of Obi-Wan having encountered the Dark side or at least a Dark side user, Plo stayed silently observing the two younger men's interactions with interest.
Instead of being swayed by Obi-Wan's assurance Jango seemed about to continue the argument, the younger boy cut him off with a string of surprisingly smooth Mando'a.
"Ni kar'tayl Jetii r'olaror.(2)"
Plo raised an eyebrow at that. If he remembered correctly from Master Dooku's report, by this time Obi-Wan would have only been with the Mandalorians for four or so months. That he seemed to already speak their language with any level of fluency was impressive.
"Ibic Jetii? Tion?" Jango responded in a question and a demand after a muted spark of wary surprise.
"Solus Jetii," Obi-Wan responded, "solus Ka'ra'ad(3). Ni mirshe hodarir Ka'ra'ad olaror."
That seemed to alarm Jango because he stiffened and his arms dropped from across his chest. "Me'ven?!"
Plo raised an eyebrow at this outburst, but before Jango could continue, Obi-Wan cut him off again with an imploring look.
"Ni rejorhaa'ir du'caryc, Jango."
There was a long pause where Obi-Wan and Jango seemed to be staring each other down, then the Mandalorian's shoulders slumped and he waved a hand at the younger boy dismissively. "Lek."
Then he turned his attention onto Plo who he had not missed intently watching their confrontation.
"Well, Master Jedi. I am Jango Fett, House Mereel." The young man placed a fist to his chest in a solute.
"Jedi Master Plo Koon," Plo introduced himself and bowed in return. "I hope my unannounced arrival hasn't caused any conflict."
Jango just snorted at that. "Nah, you're fine, Jetii. Obi-Wan is just an idiot."
"Hey!" protested said boy, but was ignored.
"Come on, Obi-Wan will take you to the med-bay and our other Jedi guest. Then he and I are going to have a talk." He shot the shorter boy an impressively pointed look for wearing an expressionless helmet.
Watching the interaction and all its many possible implications and meanings, Plo nodded agreeably. "Lead on then."
Jango disappeared presumably on other business while Obi-Wan lead Plo through the Mandalorians' transport ship.
"Sorry about Jango," the teen offered with a sheepish grimace. He rubbed at the back of his head though the ache had long since faded. "He seems like a hard ass, but he's actually kind of a fluff ball on the inside."
Obi-Wan paused with a thought then snorted, amusement leaking through his relaxed shields into the Force. "I'm pretty sure he's only being so strict because Jaster threatened to make him do paperwork for a month if he let me get overly injured."
"Overly injured?" Plo repeated curiously as he silently mulled the name Jaster over trying to remember why it was familiar. Presumably Jaster was Jango's father and Obi-Wan's guardian.
"Well, this was an active war zone up until two days ago," Obi-Wan commented with a disconcertingly casual shrug. "It would have been unrealistic to assume I would be coming home without at least a couple of minor flesh wounds."
It said something about the warrior culture of Mandalore, Plo assumed, that a parent would be so secure in their child's ability to physically take care of themselves that sending them into an active war zone wasn't particular cause for concern.
They'd reached the med-bay before Plo could comment on that.
The door was open so Obi-Wan knocked on the jamb and waited until Master Tahl had turned in their direction before stepping into the room. The gesture spoke to Plo of the sweet young boy he'd had the privilege of tutoring several times over the years.
"Good afternoon, Master Tahl," Obi-Wan said and project a calm pleasant feeling into the Force.
"Hello, Obi-Wan," the injured master returned with a strained smile, but her head was turned toward Plo as he stepped into the room and stood next to the boy. "Who have you brought?"
"I am Jedi Master Plo Koon," Plo answered before the teen could. "I have come to investigate the situation on the planet and it seems to find a way to get you back to the temple."
"Master Tahl of Noori," Tahl replied, dipping her head in the direction of the strong, bright, but tightly controlled Force presence. "I am glad you could come, Master. The situation is still pretty precarious from what I understand, and I am not up to resuming my duties as a Jedi."
"Understandable," Plo assured the younger woman when a feeling of shame and frustration soaked through her concerningly porous shields. Before he could continue however there was a shout from down the hallway.
"Obi-Wan! K'olar!"
Said teenager just sighed long-suffering and gave the masters a smile. "I'll leave you two to update each other. It appears Jango ran out of patience."
With that he darted out of the door and his presence got further away deeper into the ship.
Plo waited until he was sure the boy was out of earshot before he asked, "Should we be concerned about that?"
"No," Master Tahl replied with a small though amused smile. "Jango won't hurt him. He's actually pretty protective of Obi-Wan. For all that he acts grudging, I would say Jango views Obi-Wan somewhat as a younger sibling."
Humming in acknowledgment, Plo had to remind himself that nonverbal cues wouldn't be picked up on by the injured master. "How have you been treated, so far? What's your physical status?"
Sighing heavily, Tahl began the grave recital of all that the Mandalorian medic had explained to her about her injuries. It all boiled down to the highly unlikely chance that she would recover use of her sight. The acid the Melida had poured on her eyes was bad enough, but the length of time they went untreated and the severe infection that set in had completed the damage.
Other than her blindness, she'd suffered several badly broken ribs that had begun to heal crooked while she was in captivity. The Mandalorian medic didn't attempted to treat them other than to wrap them in a pressure bandage to give her some support and relief on her lungs. Apparently the medic was equipped to set an arm, leg, or other appendage, but they were unwilling to risk a more invasive and risky operation that her ribs would require.
Once Tahl had finished the discouraging update on her physical state, she spoke in more detail than Obi-Wan had about the political situation on the planet. She and Plo reached the conclusion that though they would have preferred a diplomatic solution, that the Mandalorians had stopped the war, taken charge of the Young's care, and were now willingly assisting and working with Jedi was a very favorable outcome.
Though, discussing the monumental task they would have been facing had the Mandalorians not shown up, brought another concerning thing to the fore.
"How did you know to come here, Master Koon?" Tahl ask, her brow twitching into a frown before she smoothed the expression out when it pulled at her aching skin. "The interplanetary communication towers were sabotaged and I wasn't able to get a call for help out before they imprisoned me."
"Now that has a concerning explanation," Plo said stroking down his tusks in thought. "I was leaving a Searching mission when I was bombarded with a Dark side summoning technique. It acted much like a mind trick and it almost ensnared me, I was inputting different coordinates into my ship's computer before I snapped myself out of it."
Tahl frowned then despite the pain in her face. "You were attacked with the Dark side?"
"I don't think that was the intention," Plo negated truthfully. "Once I was adequately shielded I was able to examine the ripples the summoning was making in the Force. It was fairly obvious that it wasn't meant as an attack, per say. The strength of the mind control aspect was greatly reduced to augment the distance limitations. After I shook off the compulsion I could have ignored the summons completely."
"But you followed it," the injured master commented with a question in her tone.
"The Force didn't indicate there was danger in the summons. It reflected only anticipation," Plo explained. "However, I did comm the Council to inform them of the situation and request backup. Despite the threat of the summons seemingly being minimal it was still a very powerful Dark technique used blatantly with no attempts at concealment."
Tahl looked troubled and her presence in the Force reflected that. Observing her closely, Plo confessed, "When I first landed on the planet and felt your presence, I considered that you had Fallen as a result of whatever torture you had endured."
"No," Tahl murmured shaking her head. "I'm not strong enough to shield much less perform a powerful Dark side ritual that could compel a Jedi Master."
There was something in her voice, in her pursed lips and the reluctant inner turmoil she was slipping into the Force that had Plo suspicious.
"If you have any idea of who or why this Dark summoning drew me to this planet it is imperative that you tell me. Even if your information proves to be false, the presence of an unknown entity, a dark-sider on the planet is very dangerous."
The injured master was quiet for a long moment, then she blew out a breath. "When Obi-Wan rescued me, he fought his way through the compound where I was being held. He cut the Melida down without any hesitation or mercy. His presence was chilly as he killed anyone that got in his path," she finally said and Plo felt his stomach drop in alarm.
Tahl continued on before he could find his voice. Her words were thoughtful now and a hint bewildered, but she didn't display any of the horror Plo felt growing inside him. "But when he finally found me, his presence was bright and warm. Obi-Wan has been nothing but a shining beacon of Light since I've woken up."
That drew Plo up short. If Obi-Wan had Fallen he would not have been able to conceal that type of dark taint. Not at his age with his level of training. That the boy still shone like a star in the Force was a fairly good indication that he had not completely succumbed to the pull of the Dark side. Of course if he was just starting to dabble in the temptation of the Dark, that would account for the lack of immediately apparent staining.
But if he was dabbling in the Dark side, was he strong enough to perform the Dark summoning? And where did he even learn it in the first place? The Sith were a thousand years extinct.
"Do you believe he is capable of performing such a strong Dark side ritual like the summoning?" Plo asked, seriously.
Tahl hummed in thought, considering all she'd learned and observed from Obi-Wan since meeting him in her cell.
"The Mandalorians have a long history of allying with the Sith so it's not impossible to consider that he's stumbled upon some ancient texts while living with them."
Plo thought about that. It was hard to believe that Obi-Wan being an exceedingly intelligent and conscientious young boy wouldn't recognize a Sith text or the risks in touching the Dark side.
"Do you think he is in danger of Falling?" Plo asked almost reluctantly. The implication if Tahl answered in the affirmative were not pleasant. Not only would Obi-Wan potentially be considered dangerous then, but that he was so well regarded by the Mandalorians would complicate things exponentially if he proved to be a threat.
Tahl gave that question the thought and consideration it was due. When she spoke she was positive of her answer. "I think that more than anything Obi-Wan has good intentions. He's been advocating for diplomacy now that the fighting has stopped, he's been very concerned with my recovery, and if what we are assuming is true and he did perform that summons, he succeeded in not only bringing a Jedi to the planet that could take control of the precarious situation and look out for the Young's interests, but he'd also gotten me a way off planet and to proper medical care."
She tilted her head and pinned the other master with her attention regardless of her eyes still being bandaged. "That being said, I also think that if we attempted to move against him we would find a whole squad of Mandalorians taking exception." There was a slight curl of wry humor on her lips then as she asked, "Tell me, Master Koon, do you happen to know who Jango is other than Obi-Wan's foster brother?"
Curious as to where she was going with this, Plo answered negatively.
"Jango Fett, House Mereel is the adopted son of Jaster Mereel," she said, "the Mand'alor."
"Ah," Plo responded, with a wry humor of his own as the reality of the situation became apparent to him. "I see. Perhaps, we should just remain watchful and cautious. We wouldn't want to inadvertently kick start a war with Mandalore over simple speculation."
"Wise council, Master Koon," Tahl replied dryly with a small, but real smile curving at her mouth.
Returning the smile though the younger master couldn't see it, Plo resolved to keep an observant eye for the rest of the time the Mandalorians were on planet. Since there was no immediate threat from a confirmed dark-sider, it was a mystery that could be shuffled off to a later date. The more pressing issues were the political tensions between the peoples of Melida/Daan and Master Tahl's health.
"Shall we return to discussing the peace and a strategy to get you back to the temple once my backup shows up?"
The two masters moved the conversation on, but a part of their minds were still preoccupied mulling over the mystery of Obi-Wan Kenobi.
Obi-Wan closed the door to Jango's office behind himself and eyed his foster brother. Jango eyed him back. His helmet was sitting on his desk so Obi-Wan had a clear view of his expectant expression.
Blowing out a breath, Obi-Wan held up his hands in a placating gesture. "Firstly, I'd like to say that what I did worked and now we have a Jedi to take over the politics for us."
Jango raised an unimpressed eyebrow at him. "Explain what you mean by mind tricking the Jedi. That doesn't exactly sound like something good."
Grimacing, Obi-Wan ran a hand through his hair. "So you know how I've been taking lessons about the Mando'ad Force traditions with the Goran?"
"Yeah?"
"Well, I've also been researching and collecting things from other Force traditions," he said. "One of those things was a Sith text from the palace archives about a Dark side technique they used to use to compel Jedi into traps from across great distances."
"So, you lured the Jedi here with a Sith spell?" Jango clarified with a doubtful frown.
"It's not a-" Obi-Wan huffed and gave up. "Yes, I used a Sith spell. I modified it so that the power that would usually be used in the mind controlling aspect was instead used to get the ritual to reach off planet. That turned the spell into more of a demand for attention than a compulsion lure."
Jango eyed him in confusion. "I thought the Jedi and Sith used different kinds of magic. How were you able to use it?"
"They both use the Force," Obi-Wan said, "Just different sides of it. I'm not trained enough to touch the Dark side outright without probably getting consumed by it, so I used my corrupted kyber crystal as a focus and conduit." He pulled the blood red shard out of his pocket and held it up.
Jango leaned closer to eye the stone in his little br- Obi-Wan's hand and felt distinctly uncomfortable. He wasn't touched by the Ka'ra like Obi-Wan and Jaster, but even he could tell there was something not right about that crystal.
"If you can tell the difference between Jedi and Sith magic, I'm guessing the Jedi, Koon can too," he concluded with a serious expression. "Is that going to be a problem?"
Obi-Wan hesitated and finally sighed in defeat. "I'm not sure. He mentioned the summons, but didn't say anything about it being Dark. He for sure knows it's Dark, but if he's suspicious of me or one of the other Mandalorians, I don't know."
Nodding, Jango started making contingency plans in his mind for if the Jedi tried anything against Obi-Wan. "I assume we can expect more Jedi either way."
"Yeah, Master Koon informed the Council of the summons and requested backup," Obi-Wan informed him. "There should be at least one more Jedi coming within the next couple of days, if that."
Huffing, Jango tossed the younger boy an exasperated look. "You just had to go and make things more complicated didn't you?"
Scowling at the young man, Obi-Wan argued, "We needed a Jedi to mediate the peace talks and Master Tahl needs to get actual medical help. Did you want to step into the politics between the Young and the Elders or make the long detour to Coruscant on our way home?"
Grimacing, Jango conceded that the younger boy had a point. "Alright, fine. You've solved both of our main problems and maybe only created one more. Still, you're the one that's going to explain to Jaster that the Jedi might come knocking to try and arrest you."
Obi-Wan rolled his eyes at Jango shaking his finger at him. "They're not going to come arrest me, but sure, I'll explain it all to Jaster."
Huffing at his little br- Jango cursed internally and finally gave in, Jaster was going to be so smug.
Huffing at his little brother, Jango beckoned Obi-Wan toward his desk. "Come on, let's strategize on how we're going to deal with the Jedi and get off planet without accidentally starting another Mando'ad–Jetii war."
Flashing the older teen a bright smile, Obi-Wan stowed his Bleeding crystal back in his pocket and hurried forward. He threw himself down in one of the chairs in front of Jango's desk and just grinned in the face of his foster brother's rolling eyes.
They spent the rest of the time before late-meal discussing important things like Jedi, politics, and who really won their last sparring match.
TBC...
1: dar'jetii - (not-Jedi) dark-sider, Dark side user
2: O: Ni kar'tayl Jetii r'olaror.- I knew a Jedi was coming.
J: Ibic Jetii? Tion?- This Jedi? How?
O: Solus Jetii,… solus Ka'ra'ad. Ni mirshe hodarir Ka'ra'ad olaror.- Any Jedi,… any Force-sensitive. I mind tricked(brain deceived) a Force-sensitive to come here.
J: Me'ven?! - What?!
O: Ni rejorhaa'ir du'caryc, Jango. - I'll explain later, Jango.
3: Ka'ra'ad - (star child) Force-sensitive