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.
Summary: Obi-Wan Kenobi and Qui-Gon Jinn start out on a mission, and a lifetime of memories follow.
Chapter Six
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----- One Year Later -----
Gwen mock-groaned in protest. "I don't like it when you leave!" They always protested to each other; it was a silly ritual.
"I know, love, but you know I have to go." Obi-Wan hated when they were apart, but it was part of being a Jedi. They had a duty. "The Trade Federation has blockaded Naboo. We've been called in to negotiate.
"Just hurry back, okay? Take good care of Master Jinn."
Obi-Wan laughed at his wife. "I promise. I love you."
"I love you too. Be careful."
"I always am. I'll see you, hopefully, in a few days."
They shared a kiss, and Obi-Wan turned and headed onto the ship. He hadn't told her. He shook his head. This was not going to go well. He had a very bad feeling about it...
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Aboard the Trade Federation ship, Obi-Wan's bad feeling was still nagging at him. He decided to tell Qui-Gon.
"I have a bad feeling about this."
"I don't sense anything." The older Jedi replied.
"It's not about the mission, Master. It's something... elsewhere. Elusive."
"Don't center on your anxiety, Obi-Wan. Keep your concentration here and now, where it belongs." Obi-Wan heard those words often.
As they continued the conversation, Obi-Wan tried to isolate what was troubling him. As the conversation ended, however, he had not discovered it.
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Any chance at peaceful negotiations went quickly downhill from there.
Their ship was destroyed, and the two Jedi had to fight their way out of the Trade Federation ship. They had stowed aboard separate transports and now they were back together on the planet. Much to Obi-Wan's dismay, Qui-Gon had picked up a rather pathetic creature that called himself Jar Jar Binks.
It had taken some time and they had been forced to navigate the planet's core in a less-than-stellar transport, but now they were in Theed, the capital of Naboo. They needed to find the Queen. Queen Amidala of the Naboo. She could help them contact the Jedi Temple.
It was soon apparent that the Queen was no longer in control of the city. Battle droids from the Trade Federation were everywhere. As the Jedi moved quietly toward the capitol building, they found her. She had been captured.
Qui-Gon motioned toward a bridge that went over the street below. They needed to free the Queen and her entourage, who were quickly approaching. As the Jedi leapt from the ledge into the path of the oncoming group, they made quick work of the clumsy droids and ushered the Queen off the streets.
Qui-Gon was now discussing the situation with the Queen. Obi-Wan quickly scanned the other members of the group. As his eyes passed over the group of brightly-dressed handmaidens, he stopped. Standing beside the Queen was a woman he had never met before, but someone he recognized immediately.
The woman from his visions. She was a handmaiden to the Queen of Naboo? He wanted to know her name. He needed to know how she would tie into his life. He would have to wait; the mission now was to protect the Queen.
"Either choice presents great danger," Queen Amidala responded to Qui-Gon in a strong voice, and she turned to the woman from Obi-Wan's visions, "to us all."
"We are brave, your highness." Even her voice sounded familiar.
Obi-Wan watched as the Queen agreed with Qui-Gon, making the decision to travel to Coruscant, and joined the group as they entered the hanger bay.
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Gwen tried to push away her feeling of dread. Obi-Wan's mission had taken a turn for the worse, and he hadn't made any kind of contact. She wanted to call to him through their bond, but she was afraid it could distract him. She didn't want to take the chance.
((Please be okay!)) She asked the Force for help. ((Please let him be okay.))
It was late, and she decided to attempt to sleep. Maybe he would contact her in the morning...
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Obi-Wan was unusually tense. Their ship had been damaged during their escape from the Trade Federation blockade, and they had been forced to land on Tatooine, a small desert planet, to find a new hyperdrive.
Qui-Gon had left him to "watch over" the ship, which had not pleased the younger man. Something was wrong, he could feel it clearly in the Force, but Qui-Gon seemed not to sense it.
The young woman from his visions had gone with Qui-Gon, which Obi-Wan noticed with blind interest. She was playing a vital role in their operations, and he knew she was important, but his lack of knowledge was eating at him. He had learned her name, Padmé, but not much else. She had been gone with his Master the entire time they had been on the hot planet.
He knew most of the other people on board were angry with Qui-Gon, and Obi-Wan couldn't fault them. The Jedi Master had placed their fate in the hands of a young boy he had met just hours after their arrival. Only through a miracle from the Force, Obi-Wan decided, the boy had not let them down, and Qui-Gon had left a short time before to retrieve the boy, but Obi-Wan knew little else. Obi-Wan wasn't looking forward to a young boy running all over the place, but he knew how much his Master had a soft spot for children, and the boy had been a slave, after all.
Obi-Wan was ready to return to Coruscant. He thought of Gwen. They couldn't send transmissions, there was too much of a risk, so he reached into the Force.
/ Gwen? /
Her love flowed into him immediately. / Obi-Wan? I've been so worried! /
/ I'm fine, love. We've landed on Tatooine to repair our ship. Our hyperdrive was damaged, but we've acquired a new one. /
/ How are you? Are you and Master Jinn okay? /
/ Yes. We've got the Queen of Naboo and her entourage with us. We should be leaving shortly; Qui-Gon had to pick up one last thing and we'll be leaving. I wish you were here. /
/ So do I. I love you. /
/ I love you too, darling. I'll– /
Obi-Wan felt a sudden dark surge in the Force. He sprang to his feet, cutting the connection off on his end.
To his horror, Captain Panaka's voice rang out, "Qui-Gon's in trouble!"
Obi-Wan flew to the front windows of the ship. He spotted Qui-Gon and... he was engaged in a lightsaber duel. Obi-Wan didn't have time to ponder the possibilities of that horrible truth.
"Over there," he pointed, "fly low."
((Please see it, Master. Please!))
Qui-Gon did see the lowered ramp, and he leapt into the ship. As soon as the Force told Obi-Wan that the older man had leapt onto the boarding ramp, he turned and rushed to find his mentor.
When he found Qui-Gon, he also found a young boy – presumably Anakin – on his heels.
"Are you all right?" the young boy barged in. Obi-Wan's irritation was overridden by his concern for Qui-Gon.
As Qui-Gon assured them both that he was indeed uninjured, Obi-Wan couldn't be patient.
"What was it?" he asked, his eyes locked onto the Jedi Master.
"I don't know," Qui-Gon answered, and Obi-Wan felt his hesitation, "but it was well trained in the Jedi arts."
As he finished the thought, Qui-Gon let Obi-Wan know through their bond that they would discuss it more later. They had little information on which to base any ideas.
"What are we going to do about it?" young Anakin's voice broke into Obi-Wan's mind again. He felt a great deal of admiration for Qui-Gon's patience as he turned a calm gaze to the boy. Obi-Wan turned to look at their newest passenger too, but with much less care in his eyes.
"We shall be patient," Qui-Gon actually smiled, then motioned to his Padawan. "Anakin Skywalker, meet Obi-Wan Kenobi."
Obi-Wan reached out and shook the young boy's outstretched hand, and as he did so he felt Anakin's excitement. As the boy exclaimed "You're a Jedi too?" Obi-Wan couldn't resist a slight smile. Something about the boy felt familiar to him...
As he met eyes with the former slave, he realized why. Those were the eyes he had seen in the mirror on his wedding day; the eyes of the groom waiting for the Queen's handmaiden. Anakin Skywalker and Padmé of Naboo.
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Gwen was scrambling to discover what had happened to her husband. As soon as Obi-Wan had cut her off, in a way he never had before, she had sprung into action.
It had been hours now and there had been no word. No transmission. Not even a faint indication in her mind that he was still alive.
Master L'arel seemed to sense that her thoughts were leading her to the worst conclusion.
"He's just distracted," she offered softly, "Their ability to send transmissions has likely been damaged, and he's just concentrating."
"Don't focus on your anxiety," Gwen mumbled, reciting the words she had often overheard Qui-Gon telling Obi-Wan, who was prone to worry more than he should.
Her Master smiled, "He's a smart man. Soon you'll hear from Obi-Wan."
Gwen turned, and Master L'arel could see that she wanted to believe it, but just under the hope on the surface lurked a dark shadow of dread that refused to be defeated.
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As they touched down on Coruscant, Obi-Wan let relief flow through his body. He was going to see his wife. They were set to report to the Council in a few hours, but he was going to see Gwen first.
Just short of running, he hurried to their quarters, and found her asleep in a chair, a chart of the Outer Rim under her right hand. A stab of guilt clenched his heart; due to the large distance between them, he had been unable to reconnect with her during their flight back to Coruscant. He didn't know how.
He walked over and knelt down beside her, laying his hand on her knee. "Gwen..."
She stirred, and then breathed in deeply. "Five more minutes, Master."
"Whatever you say, love." He whispered softly, kissing her cheek. The response was immediate, but still not awake.
"Obi-Wan?"
He grinned. "The one and only."
Her eyes flew open, all trace of tiredness gone. The smile on her face made the whole ordeal he had been through fade away into insignificance.
"Oh, Obi-Wan!" She grabbed his tunic, pulling him close. "I was so worried... I didn't know..."
He pulled her away just enough to look into her face. "I'm fine. I'm sorry... there was a situation that required every bit of my attention, and I couldn't reconnect..."
She nodded, not needed a more thorough explanation as long as he was safe.
He told her a brief version of the events on Naboo and Tatooine, but soon his comlink was summoning him to the Council meeting.
"I'll be here when you are done," she said, looking tired again. "Go."
"I love you." He wanted to tell her every second. He kissed her quickly before leaving to meet Qui-Gon, leaving her alone. She sighed, wishing for one fleeting moment that they didn't have to answer to the Council, or to anyone.
"I love you, too..."
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Obi-Wan strode through the halls of the Jedi Temple. The Council meeting had gone as well as he had expected. Qui-Gon wanted Anakin to be trained as a Jedi, which didn't surprise Obi-Wan. Anakin would pass the Council's tests, he was sure of it. In his vision, the young-adult Anakin had a Padawan braid.
((Who will be his Master?)) he thought absentmindedly.
They were to return with the Queen to Naboo. The news had solidified a knot in his stomach; his feeling that something was wrong was intensifying. He tried to focus, but failed miserably.
He strode into his quarters, and Gwen greeted him with a smile. He smiled sadly back, and her smile disappeared.
"Obi-Wan, what's wrong?" She stood and walked over to him, taking hold of his hand.
He felt his heart grow heavy. "We have to go back to Naboo."
"Is that all? It'll be –"
"No, it won't."
Obi-Wan's words surprised him. No? He reached into the Force, trying to find out why he had such a strong feeling that this mission was different, more dangerous.
Gwen had meen momentarily silenced by his harsh retort, but she recovered quickly. "Obi-Wan, what is it? Please..." she caressed his face, forcing him to turn and face her.
"I – I just know," he said clumsily, "Something is going to happen." He looked up at her, and they shared a gentle kiss.
"Padawan," Obi-Wan broke the kiss and turned to see Qui-Gon standing in the doorway, "we have to leave now. I'm sorry. We'll be back soon."
Wishing she could erase the worry in his eyes, Gwen kissed him affectionately, coaxing a smile out of Obi-Wan.
"Have fun," she teased, "and hurry back."
"I love you." He kissed her once more, and she hid her emotions behind a smile.
"I love you too Obi-Wan. Remember that."
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As Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon left for their final Council meeting before the mission, Gwen sat down slowly.
(("No, it won't...Something is going to happen.")) His voice filled her mind. He had sounded so sure.
She reached into the Force, hoping to feel what her husband felt that made him so nervous, but she sensed little more than a whisper of doubt. The Force did not warn her of any impending danger. She shook her head, turning to look at the door. There was nothing she could do now but wait. Wait and ask the Force to give her answers and keep Obi-Wan safe.
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Obi-Wan, Qui-Gon, and Anakin stood in the Council chamber awaiting the Council's decision on the young boy's fate. Obi-Wan sighed inwardly, his vision confirming for him that Anakin would be a Jedi.
The Council surprised him.
"No, he will not be trained." Mace Windu's voice pierced into his mind, and he frowned.
He felt Qui-Gon's surprise, and Obi-Wan hoped his Master wouldn't do anything rash.
"No?" Qui-Gon's voice was defiant. ((Don't do anything you'll regret later, Master. Please.))
"He is too old."
"He is the Chosen One. You must see it."
Master Yoda spoke up. "Clouded this boy's future is. Masked by his youth."
Obi-Wan considered it. Could he be wrong? He had never been very good at seeing the future, but something about his visions of an older Anakin and his bride seemed real to him.
Qui-Gon took a deep breath, and Obi-Wan wanted to grab him and shake him. This never ended nicely. The Council would end up upset with them both, and there would probably be a heated discussion. He had been in this situation many times, but nothing could have prepared him for what Qui-Gon did next.
Qui-Gon straightened, and spoke, his words firm and confident.
"Very well. I will train him then," there was the briefest of pauses, "I take Anakin Skywalker as my Padawan learner."
Obi-Wan inhaled a sharp breath, not masking his shock. He was Qui-Gon's Padawan; Qui-Gon had an apprentice! He felt a wave of anger, and a measure of self-doubt which he thought Qui-Gon had managed to flush out early in their Master/Apprentice relationship.
He couldn't think of any reason for the Jedi Master to make such a statement, such a suggestion. Was Qui-Gon angry with him? He knew he had argued more lately than usual, but his Master did not often hold grudges.
He set his face as if it was chiseled out of stone. He couldn't allow anyone – especially the Council members – to see how badly those words had stung. A brief glance at Anakin told him that the boy was feeling exactly the opposite. His eyes twinkled with a new hope.
Every Council member in the room stiffened. There was an uncomfortably silence, and finally master Yoda spoke.
"An apprentice you already have, Qui-Gon. Impossible to take on a second."
Mace Windu voiced his thoughts next, "It is forbidden."
Qui-Gon seemed to have this all planned out. "Obi-Wan is ready..."
"I am!" Obi-Wan spoke without thought, and in a voice more fiery than he had intended, "I am ready to face the trials."
Yoda turned to look at him. "What know you of ready?" Obi-Wan recoiled inwardly.
Qui-Gon's voice spoke again. "He is headstrong, and has much to learn of the Living Force, but he is capable. There is little more he can learn from me."
Obi-Wan didn't know what to say, or think. Most of him wanted to believe that Qui-Gon was telling the truth, and had simply not had the time beforehand to tell his apprentice, but in the back of his mind doubt nagged at him.
The Council did not budge on the issue. They decided that they would debate the issue further in another session, and that the Jedi team and their young charge should remain with the Queen of Naboo.
As the meeting ended, Obi-Wan strode out of the chamber, trying to the best of his ability not to let his anger and hurt play out on his face. By the time they arrived at the docking bay where the Queen's ship was waiting, he was able to mask his feelings, but just barely. Suddenly Qui-Gon was beside him.
After a few tightly controlled words, Obi-Wan decided to share his feelings – at least partially – with his Master. Despite his vision, Obi-Wan did feel a certain darkness from the young boy. Perhaps the boy was the source of the Force's warning.
"The boy is dangerous. They all sense it, why can't you?" It came out as more of an accusation than a question, and Obi-Wan flinched inwardly. He had not meant it to sound so angry, but perhaps it would be good if Qui-Gon knew of his emotion.
To his surprise, Qui-Gon spoke crossly and ordered him to get on the ship. Obi-Wan whirled around and stormed up the boarding ramp. He had had arguments with Qui-Gon before, but this seemed different. It seemed to be escalating.
Obi-Wan found a private place to sit and began to meditate. He needed to calm his mind, he needed answers, and the Force was the place to find both.
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End Chapter 6.
I know we're moving quickly, but you all know the story of The Phantom Menace (if you don't I'm not sure how you ended up here - you really need to see the movie!). I've just always wanted to write about what Obi-Wan was feeling during the film, so that's what I'm incorporating here! Thanks for reading, and please review! - Laura