The Heart of Destiny
Author: Laura Kenobi
Disclaimer: Unfortunately for me, I don't own Star Wars. I do, however, own any original characters, planets, etcetera that I created for this story.
Archive: Please contact me first!
Comments/Reviews: You can email me through my profile, and you can always leave a review!
Author's Notes: ((italics)) represents thoughts and / italics / represents communication through the Force.
This story was first published in its original version beginning on June 21, 2001. In July 2005, I decided that since four years had passed and my skills as a writer had undoubtedly improved since this story was first written and posted, it might be refreshing to return to this story and give it a fresh look and an update. For the most part the overall story remains the same - my goal has been to improve on and expand on the original, so I hope the result will prove enjoyable to all of you who are wonderful enough to read and review. The version of this story below is the updated version. Call it the "Special Edition" version of this story.
I wrote this chapter during a spell of writer's block, so it's basically a bunch of fluff, but I hope it's still enjoyable!
Summary: Obi-Wan Kenobi and Qui-Gon Jinn start out on a mission, and a lifetime of memories follow.
Chapter Four
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Obi-Wan woke early the next morning. It was 5:00. He and Gwen had arranged to meet in the gardens around 6:00 in the morning.
He climbed out of bed, and after a quick shower he dressed and headed for the gardens. He didn't see her as he entered the gardens, so he called out to her.
/ Gwen? /
/ Yes? /
/ Are you here... /
"BOO!"
Obi-Wan actually leapt into the air. He spun around and saw Gwen laughing so hard she could barely stand. Her laughter was contagious, and soon they were both laughing so hard they could barely breathe. As they both caught their breath, Gwen smiled at him.
"Did I scare you?"
"Jedi don't get scared."
"Ha! I knew it!"
"Yeah, we'll see about that." Obi-Wan smirked. In a flash, he grabbed Gwen around the waist and began tickling her without mercy.
"Stop!" she squealed, "Oh, Obi – Obi-Wan... stop! Obi-Wan..."
"Do you surrender?"
"I...this isn't fair! Obi-Wan... someone's going to hear us..."
"Surrender?"
"No...Yes! Obi-Wan! YES!" As he let go of her, she fell to the ground laughing, pulling him with her. They ended up sitting on the ground laughing hysterically. As their amusement died away, Obi-Wan looked deep into her eyes. She was so captivating...
He reached out and cupped her face in his hand. She smiled warmly at him, placing her hand over his. As if he were in some sort of trance, Obi-Wan leaned forward until their faces were centimeters apart.
"I love you." Gwen's whispered words were so soft he wondered if he had imagined them. One look into her eyes told him otherwise.
"I love you."
He pulled her in closer, and their lips met. For a moment they hesitated, but then the infatuation of the moment washed over them, and they shared a passionate kiss. After what seemed like an hour they pulled apart, smiling broadly.
/ That was amazing. / Obi-Wan felt like he was floating.
/ Yeah. Dork... "That was amazing." / she teased him gently.
Obi-Wan's comlink beeped, and he growled in irritation. Thumbing it on, he looked like he'd rather throw it into the nearby fountain.
"Padawan, we are to report to the council chambers immediately. Please hurry." Qui-Gon sounded worried, which was unusual. Obi-Wan frowned.
"I'm on my way, Master." He switched off the comlink, and looked up at Gwen. "I'm so sorry. He sounded –"
"Worried," she finished his sentence, "Yes, you should go. I'll see you later. I love you."
"I love you too." He kissed her again, then stood and smiled at her before turning and hurrying to meet Qui-Gon.
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"Worried, the Council is. A child she is."
Master Yoda's ears drooped. The situation was one which the Jedi faced rarely. A few Younglings had been out in the front of the Temple when a man on a speeder had flown up and grabbed Alena Hagi, a small Twi'lek. Before anyone could react, he was gone, taking Alena with him.
To make matters worse, Alena was the daughter of a very high-ranking senator, who checked on her progress almost every day. He had not found out yet, but when he did the Council wanted to be able to tell him that their best were out looking for his daughter. Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan were the best.
"We must find this young girl. We only have one lead, and that is that he was flying a senate speeder. He may have stolen it, but that is the only lead we have. There is a picture taken by a security camera outside. It is not by any standard good quality, but perhaps it will be of help." Mace Windu handed Qui-Gon the image.
"Anything could lead us to Alena. You have my word, Masters, we will find her. We will not fail." Qui-Gon's voice was set and determined. Obi-Wan knew it was going to be a long couple of days, possibly more, until they found Alena. Qui-Gon didn't just give his word for anything, and he had a soft spot in his heart for children. As the pair left the council chamber, Qui-Gon wasted no time.
"Padawan, I know this is inconvenient for you, but we must start right away." Obi-Wan nodded, also worried.
"Don't worry, Master. We'll find her. Saving a young girl is never an inconvenience."
"Thank you Obi-Wan."
"Lets get to work."
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Obi-Wan was frustrated. It had been three days, and there was no trace of Alena.
Senator Hagi was not happy, to say the least. Obi-Wan and his Master had gone to personally tell the senator of his daughter's disappearance, and he had exploded at them, demanding that they bring her back.
The three days that had passed since then had been miserable ones. Running almost completely on adrenaline – getting virtually no sleep – Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan had been working non-stop to find Alena. He hadn't had any time to see Gwen, and the worst part was that he knew he was missing something. Something that would be the last piece of the puzzle...
"You could use some rest, Padawan." Qui-Gon could see the dark circles under Obi-Wan's eyes.
"No, Master. I'll be fine."
"Padawan..."
"Please, I'll be fine. Don't worry."
"If you insist. But please, if you need a break you can take one."
"I'll remember that." Obi-Wan flashed Qui-Gon a tired, but impish, grin. Qui-Gon just shook his head.
Obi-Wan picked up the image from the security camera. He felt like he had looked at it a million times, and decided he'd probably see it in his sleep for months after everything was over. He groaned in exasperation and began to set the photo down, when something caught his eye and he froze.
As if the world was moving in slow motion, he brought the image closer to his face. The man in the speeder was half turned away from the camera, and was wearing a mask, so none of his facial details could be seen. But for the first time, Obi-Wan noticed that his arms were bare. The picture had no color, so that wasn't a factor, but on the upper portion of the man's right arm was a small marking.
Obi-Wan practically overturned his desk as he scrambled for a magnifying glass. As he found one, he grasped the picture and held the glass over the marking. Qui-Gon was looking at him with an inquisitive eye.
As far as Obi-Wan could tell, it was a small sun or planet with an something sticking through it. It seemed vaguely familiar. Obi-Wan leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes.
((Please come to me... Where have I seen that symbol?))
As he reached into the Force for the answer, it showed him Senator Hagi's chambers. Obi-Wan's heart lurched in his chest. His eyes sprang open, and he leapt from his chair.
"Yes..." he mumbled, "Master, do you have a full body shot of Senator Hagi?"
"It's right here, Padawan. Why..."
Obi-Wan grasped the picture off his master's desk, praying that his suspicions would be confirmed. Senator Hagi was a very imposing man, a tall Twi'lek with bright red skin...
And a small tattoo of a sun with an arrow through it on the upper portion of his right arm.
"Yes!" Obi-Wan breathed. Qui-Gon leaned back calmly in his chair, and Obi-Wan snatched up the two images, practically running over to his Master.
"Look! The tattoo on his arm. It's the same. It was him. Master, it was him! He kidnapped his own child!" Obi-Wan shook his head, "I knew I was missing something!"
Qui-Gon smiled. "Well done, Padawan. This does present an interesting problem. Let's contact the Council."
As Qui-Gon contacted the Council, Obi-Wan felt satisfied, and tired. It was over. He would be able to see Gwen again, and he could get some sleep.
"Well, Obi-Wan, they're going to follow our lead, but for now we're taking a break. Great work."
"Thank you, Master. Can we get some sleep now?"
Qui-Gon's eyes twinkled. "Yes, my Padawan, we can."
Obi-Wan Kenobi had never felt so happy to climb into bed. As soon as his head hit the pillow, he was fast asleep.
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End Chapter 4.
I know this chapter didn't advance the plot much, but I was having a hard time deciding where I wanted the story to go at this point and so I decided to have a little fun and give Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon a mission. Thanks for reading! More tomorrow! - Laura