Chapter III:
It's been a week since Obi Wan left the temple, and Qui Gon was still sulking. This angered master Yoda greatly, 'so stubborn he is' he thought to himself when he found Qui Gon sitting at the bar in the master's dinning hall. The tiny green master pulled himself with great effort onto the stool next to Qui Gon; he shook his head because he knew the Jedi had been drinking quite a bit lately.
"Still sulking are you?" He asked his colleague.
"What makes you say that?" Qui Gon asked while he took another drink.
Yoda noticed a box in front of Qui Gon. "From Obi Wan is it?" He asked motioning to the box.
Qui Gon opened the box and showed it to Yoda, inside laid Obi Wan's padawan braid. Yoda nodded, he understood Qui Gon's need for a stiff drink.
"Be back he will be." Yoda said putting his green, clawed hand on Qui Gon's shoulder.
"But to lose two years of training. To go out into the world and not be fully trained, it's a dangerous time for him master." Qui Gon replied looking at his master.
"Know this we do, tied are hands were. Nothing could be done."
"Was I wrong master yoda? Was I wrong to take him? To save his life?" Qui Gon asked more to himself than anyone else.
"Nothing happens by accident with the force, know this you do."
"I feel like I've lost my son master. Do you think I care for this boy too much?"
"Special bond the two of you have, no question of this there is." Yoda said taking a sip of his own drink. "Son to you he is, son to me you are...so grandson to me, I have lost."
Qui Gon looked at his former master, it was clear Obi Wan's missing presence seemed to affect more people than just Qui Gon.
"Miss him we do, but go on we must." Yoda continued. Qui Gon looked away from Yoda; his mind was still not at ease. "Something still troubles you hmmm?"
"What if he's in danger master?"
"Worried over nothing you are I'm sure." Yoda replied, sipping his tea.
"But, I felt him very briefly through our bond the first night, since then...nothing."
"Going through many emotions he is, give it time you must."
Qui Gon nodded to his master, but he knew that Yoda was just as worried. It was like Obi Wan to shield against Qui Gon, and both masters knew it.
********
It had been three of the longest weeks in Qui Gon's life. He missed the company his apprentice gave him. 'Gods, how am I to survive two years of this?' He knew he had to get on with his duties, and not worry so much about the boy, so for the last week Qui Gon found himself going on different diplomatic missions for the senate. He found himself on a mission to a planet in the Outer Rim Territory. He was to try to convince Jabba the Hutt to bring Tatooine to the republic, but with no prevail. As he walked back to his ship, he walked through Mos Eisley spaceport. He noticed all the various beings that littered the streets. Then out of the corner of his eye, he saw a familiar woman. 'Obi Wan's mother!' Maybe he could convince the woman to let him see his padawan. As he drew closer to the woman he noticed a boy with her, but it wasn't Obi Wan.
"Mrs. Kenobi?" He called, and the woman turned around. She looked at Qui Gon confused.
"I haven't heard that name in 12 years. My name is Mrs. Nyal Lars now."
Qui Gon looked at her, he didn't understand. "I apologize, my name is Qui."
The woman cut him off. "I know who you are. Why are you bothering me? Here to take my other son too?"
Qui Gon looked at the boy, who was now positioning himself between the stranger and his mother. He stared at Qui Gon angrily "leave us alone Jedi!" Qui Gon was impressed with the boys courage, must be a family trait.
"I mean you no harm...um..." He fished for a name, to put with the face.
"Owen, Owen Lars." The boy said, picking up on the cue.
'Obi Wan has a brother!'
"What is it you want then Jedi?" Nyal asked annoyed by Qui Gon's presence.
"I was wondering if I could see Obi Wan." He asked as politely as he could.
"Is this some kind of joke?" She grew red with anger. "You stole Ben from us, remember?"
'Ben? I forgot his parents use to call him Ben.' He thought to himself.
The woman looked at Qui Gon, she grew concerned. "Is Ben ok?"
"You mean you don't know?" Now Qui Gon was concerned.
"Know what? Where is my son?"
Qui Gon grew very worried. This was not the same woman who was at the temple three weeks ago. "I'm...I'm not sure." He quickly turned on his heel, and left the puzzled woman and her son to ponder the event that just occurred.
Qui Gon found himself before the council, relating the story to them about the meeting with Obi Wan's real mother. He was almost trembling with fear. The council sent search parties to try to locate the missing padawan, they instructed Qui Gon to stay at the temple, and when he protested they told him that it would be better to try their bond in the temple where the force was the strongest. Qui Gon knew better, he wanted to be there when they found Obi Wan 'if they found Obi Wan...No, I will find him'.
"Using your emotions too much you are." Yoda chided him while walking into his quarters "Help your cause it will not."
Qui Gon was looking out the window, holding Obi Wan's braid. "How could this happen? Why did it happen?" He asked the tiny Jedi master.
For once, Yoda was at a loss. "Know the reason I do not."
"It's been three weeks, three weeks! Anything could happen in that amount of time." Qui Gon looked at his former master. Yoda hung his head and nodded. Qui Gon turned his attention back to the view of his window; he looked at the braid wrapped around his fingers.
"I'm so afraid master."
"Me as well padawan, me as well."
It's been a week since Obi Wan left the temple, and Qui Gon was still sulking. This angered master Yoda greatly, 'so stubborn he is' he thought to himself when he found Qui Gon sitting at the bar in the master's dinning hall. The tiny green master pulled himself with great effort onto the stool next to Qui Gon; he shook his head because he knew the Jedi had been drinking quite a bit lately.
"Still sulking are you?" He asked his colleague.
"What makes you say that?" Qui Gon asked while he took another drink.
Yoda noticed a box in front of Qui Gon. "From Obi Wan is it?" He asked motioning to the box.
Qui Gon opened the box and showed it to Yoda, inside laid Obi Wan's padawan braid. Yoda nodded, he understood Qui Gon's need for a stiff drink.
"Be back he will be." Yoda said putting his green, clawed hand on Qui Gon's shoulder.
"But to lose two years of training. To go out into the world and not be fully trained, it's a dangerous time for him master." Qui Gon replied looking at his master.
"Know this we do, tied are hands were. Nothing could be done."
"Was I wrong master yoda? Was I wrong to take him? To save his life?" Qui Gon asked more to himself than anyone else.
"Nothing happens by accident with the force, know this you do."
"I feel like I've lost my son master. Do you think I care for this boy too much?"
"Special bond the two of you have, no question of this there is." Yoda said taking a sip of his own drink. "Son to you he is, son to me you are...so grandson to me, I have lost."
Qui Gon looked at his former master, it was clear Obi Wan's missing presence seemed to affect more people than just Qui Gon.
"Miss him we do, but go on we must." Yoda continued. Qui Gon looked away from Yoda; his mind was still not at ease. "Something still troubles you hmmm?"
"What if he's in danger master?"
"Worried over nothing you are I'm sure." Yoda replied, sipping his tea.
"But, I felt him very briefly through our bond the first night, since then...nothing."
"Going through many emotions he is, give it time you must."
Qui Gon nodded to his master, but he knew that Yoda was just as worried. It was like Obi Wan to shield against Qui Gon, and both masters knew it.
********
It had been three of the longest weeks in Qui Gon's life. He missed the company his apprentice gave him. 'Gods, how am I to survive two years of this?' He knew he had to get on with his duties, and not worry so much about the boy, so for the last week Qui Gon found himself going on different diplomatic missions for the senate. He found himself on a mission to a planet in the Outer Rim Territory. He was to try to convince Jabba the Hutt to bring Tatooine to the republic, but with no prevail. As he walked back to his ship, he walked through Mos Eisley spaceport. He noticed all the various beings that littered the streets. Then out of the corner of his eye, he saw a familiar woman. 'Obi Wan's mother!' Maybe he could convince the woman to let him see his padawan. As he drew closer to the woman he noticed a boy with her, but it wasn't Obi Wan.
"Mrs. Kenobi?" He called, and the woman turned around. She looked at Qui Gon confused.
"I haven't heard that name in 12 years. My name is Mrs. Nyal Lars now."
Qui Gon looked at her, he didn't understand. "I apologize, my name is Qui."
The woman cut him off. "I know who you are. Why are you bothering me? Here to take my other son too?"
Qui Gon looked at the boy, who was now positioning himself between the stranger and his mother. He stared at Qui Gon angrily "leave us alone Jedi!" Qui Gon was impressed with the boys courage, must be a family trait.
"I mean you no harm...um..." He fished for a name, to put with the face.
"Owen, Owen Lars." The boy said, picking up on the cue.
'Obi Wan has a brother!'
"What is it you want then Jedi?" Nyal asked annoyed by Qui Gon's presence.
"I was wondering if I could see Obi Wan." He asked as politely as he could.
"Is this some kind of joke?" She grew red with anger. "You stole Ben from us, remember?"
'Ben? I forgot his parents use to call him Ben.' He thought to himself.
The woman looked at Qui Gon, she grew concerned. "Is Ben ok?"
"You mean you don't know?" Now Qui Gon was concerned.
"Know what? Where is my son?"
Qui Gon grew very worried. This was not the same woman who was at the temple three weeks ago. "I'm...I'm not sure." He quickly turned on his heel, and left the puzzled woman and her son to ponder the event that just occurred.
Qui Gon found himself before the council, relating the story to them about the meeting with Obi Wan's real mother. He was almost trembling with fear. The council sent search parties to try to locate the missing padawan, they instructed Qui Gon to stay at the temple, and when he protested they told him that it would be better to try their bond in the temple where the force was the strongest. Qui Gon knew better, he wanted to be there when they found Obi Wan 'if they found Obi Wan...No, I will find him'.
"Using your emotions too much you are." Yoda chided him while walking into his quarters "Help your cause it will not."
Qui Gon was looking out the window, holding Obi Wan's braid. "How could this happen? Why did it happen?" He asked the tiny Jedi master.
For once, Yoda was at a loss. "Know the reason I do not."
"It's been three weeks, three weeks! Anything could happen in that amount of time." Qui Gon looked at his former master. Yoda hung his head and nodded. Qui Gon turned his attention back to the view of his window; he looked at the braid wrapped around his fingers.
"I'm so afraid master."
"Me as well padawan, me as well."