Memories From Afar

Disclaimer: I do not own Star Wars or any of the Star Wars characters. George Lucas does. I do, however, own the Original Characters (if any) and the fic all of this is in. That is all.

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Chapter Two: Three Hours Later

Obi-Wan Kenobi had his back on his bed, his arms crossed behind his head. He stared up at the ceiling, the room around him in total darkness. There was no light around him except for the light in which seeped from underneath the doorway that lead out into the corridors. Only a few shadows of Jedi's and Padawans walked past, their voices low and quiet. The low hum of the lights, which had been turned out a half hour before and had since quieted somewhat, with the rare footsteps were the only sounds that could be heard within the Temple room.

The boy had not been able to sleep for the last week. The training was not the problem that plagued him. Sure it was hard and intense with few breaks in between to catch one's breath. Qui-Gon made it so that his Padawan worked the hardest. No, it wasn't the training. It was the Master. He had not shown any compassion towards the younger Jedi. Not since he had chosen the Kenobi child as his trainee all those months ago. That was one act that even surprised some of the members of the Council. The Jedi had not had a Padawan in many years. What was the reason he didn't know. Whatever was the problem he was going to find out. And soon.

There was something else that haunted Obi-Wan's dreams. Something that he had never encountered while on Courscant. Images of hooded figures had appeared in his mind when it was going into a night-time slumber. Images of lights and music not of the Temple or any of the species that was known to dwell on the planet. Images of a harden face of a woman that did not look at him. That kept facing forwards, her eyes blank and lifeless. That had no more meaning in them like it had vanished a long time ago.

The child wanted to tell his Master this ever since they had started only a year earlier. Every time there was an opportunity, it slipped away just as quickly as it appeared. Qui-Gon would lose that sense of whatever he felt inside of him and become that statue he had once been. Talking to a statue would not help. There was no chance of going to the Council. They would wonder why a Padawan had strayed away from his own Master and escort him back to Jinn, who would be not too pleased to have him running off.

A stir from the other side of the room indicated that Qui-Gon was shifting his weight. Obi-Wan turned his head to the side, his lips pressed in a thin line. In the dimness of the room, he could almost see the slightly opened eyes of the Master. That did not mean anything to him. He wondered if Jinn ever slept or ever ate. Those were two things that the boy never saw him do. Yet he always seemed have more energy in him then the Padawan did.

"Master.....?" Obi-Wan whispered, hoping to get some sort of response from the other. Yet there was no answer to the call as the darkness was quiet. The noise from the already blackened lights had faded only seconds earlier. Qui-Gon did not stir again, his body rigid and his breath shallow. He did not show any signs that he heard the word nor did he even have any other appearance that he was awake.

Obi-Wan sighed, turning his body over to his left side and bringing one arm from behind his head. He then closed his eyes, hoping to fall into a slumber that would grant him some serenity.

~~~~

The darkness of the light years between planet's is something all pilots dread. In between there is nothing but a black void with few stars in it. There is no life forms for millions of miles around. Unless someone was able to pass another ship briefly. With each metal hull going at light speed, even a quick hello was impossible. The transmissions would be lost in the passing, never to reach the other's lonely ears.

The systems of planets, however, provided a more closer reach to those who wanted to travel less and stay closer to their home planet. Or, their chosen residence, pending on the sole purpose on what that creature has done in it's life or who, or what, is after them. The distance between these planets is far less then traveling between the systems and far less agonizing to those who can not stand to be cooped up in a piece of metal. Not that it would not take time to hop from one planet to another. But, with those solitary clusters of moons, stars, and planets, it is easier to trade and live within one's own universe of anything that was familiar.

Yet, there are few planets that have their own systems of complicated stars and such. Some have had their mother planet destroyed, leaving only a single moon floating about with the light from a faraway sun beaming onto it. Others have only one planet and many moons, the heat from a star gazing upon it. Those single planet and moon systems are scattered throughout the universe and few in number. Only fewer are charted on maps since most have never been found or have been bypassed all together for they seem like single stars in a cluster of billions.

On one such planet, which is farther away from the reach of most travelers, there is more then meets the eye. In remote villages, that have been tossed all over the grassy plains, people of all species gather and live. There are even bigger cities in the more rugged terrain that hold higher populations then the smaller farming villages. But, each is not without a connection to each other in a more dark way then light.

In the middle of a single village, a woman stands. She is wearing a dark colored tunic which a black cape falls on her shoulders and covers most of the clothes that are underneath it. A hood is attached to the top of the cape and is not on the head of the woman. She is starring up at the stars with her arms at her side and her hair in a single braid down her back, a hard yet hurt expression on her face. The wind whispers around her but she does not want to hear what it says to her. She pushes away the secrets that it holds within it's melodies and keeps her intent gaze on the void above her.

The sun had set many hours ago but there was no reason for her to watch it any longer. The night's and days brought no more comfort to her aching soul for there was no more reason to walk the endless cycles. Her soul had been battered and torn away from her own body years ago and had not seen the light of hope. Life no longer mattered. It was just a useless word to her now. Everything she had known and loved had been ripped from her and taken to who knows where. Taken to a place where she could not find nor could she reach.

"Why are you still standing here? It has been passed the time when the sun has set. The practicing is over. The night brings us no more pleasure at the current time." A gruff voice said from behind her. The woman did not move her body nor did she look behind her. All the familiar sounds now were foreign except for the sounds of the voices of those who were in control.

"I have no more. You have taken what you have and left it out to die in the cold. At least let me have the few nights where I can look upon the heavens and find what is still alive." She replied, pushing her lips into a thin line.

"No. We have not taken anything away from you. They left the moment you decided to give up your life."

"I had no choice. It was either die physically or keep my heart beating hollowly. I am already dead without the things that I cherished for so long." She let her head return to face the plains, her body turning around to face the one that was behind her. Like herself, he was clothed in the dark tunic and black cape but the hood of his was on his head, covering every feature. A single torch was in his hand, offering little light to the darkness. "All I ask is for one simple request. That is all and you can have your night back that you so deeply love."

"Do request and perhaps we can grant it."

"Find the one that I lost so long ago. Find the one thing that still alive with a burning passion deep inside of it. I know it is still out there, waiting for me to claim it. I want it brought to me."

"Ah. I understand. That is a hard request to fulfill but I will bring it to the attention of the elders. Yet, for now, you must return to the home."

"Very well." She said, bowing ever so slightly. She then, as she straightened her angelic body, placed her hands upon the hood and brought it up over her head. The woman started to walk past the other, a pre-set determination now in her body. Before she strode away, she stopped by his side, her eyes elsewhere. "This thing may not be alone. If you decide to challenge the heavens then please use caution. Not all is alike."

~~~~

Qui-Gon Jinn stood near the entrance to the Jedi Temple, his arms loosely crossed over his chest. He stood as he normally stood, on his guard and well alert. Every sense in his body was on end, keeping themselves keen and unnerving.

There was no one else out upon the small courtyard. All was deserted and unmoving. There was not even a small wind that blew along the planet's lower atmosphere. The sun was not shinning up above. Only a single moon and a handful of stars graced the void of space that Courscant laid upon, blanketing the high rise buildings of the one city planet.

Even with most of the Master's and Padawan's already asleep, Qui-Gon found the night nearly welcoming. The darkness beckoned to him, pulling him closer to it's gates. It was like a sweet smelling flower in spring, brining fourth the wonders of life. Yet, the Jedi did not budge. There was no need. The lure of the dark was tempting to those who sought the easy way and did not want to indulge in the light. Instead, he basked in the glory of a knowing that was deep inside of him. A knowing that was hidden for now.

A sound from behind the Master prompted him to turn his head around. There was nothing there but the glass doors that reflected the glimmer of the moon. He stared at them for a moment, his senses telling him nothing. Yet, as he turned around, he was surprised at what he saw. There, before him, was an outline of a figure he had wanted to push out of his mind. A figure that he just could not let go.

"What are you doing here?" Qui-Gon demanded, pushing back the anger that was starting to rise in him.

"I've come back to put you out of your own pain. I should have killed you many years ago." It replied, it's voice dripping with disgust and hatred.

"What's stopping you? You've had all this time to come and kill me. Why not now?"

"Even with all this, there is a small part in you that wants to."

"Wants to what?"

"That child, Qui-Gon."

"What about him?" The figure did not respond to the question. Instead, it started to fade into the night, darkness upon darkness. In a instant, there was nothing except the blanket of night....

Qui-Gon sat straight up in the bed, beads of sweat pouring down his hard face. His heart was beating with every breath he took in, trying to calm his own blood. His pulse raced along with every emotion that he had faced in his lifetime. His blue eyes darted around as if there was something that would suddenly jump upon him.

He soon realized that there was no covers upon him. The sheets had been thrown down on the floor in a heap of linen. The only thing that was on him was the brown pants that he normally wore during the day and had forgotten that he still had them on. His pillow had stayed on the bed and was barely anywhere else from it's original position at the top.

Qui-Gon swung his legs over the side, placing his hands on the edge. He stared down at the floor, sweat beads slowly making a course down his cheeks and onto the floor itself. His breathing was still hard, the pounding of his heart echoing through his ears. As he closed his eyes, the Master took in several breaths, hoping to stop the flow of emotions that still went through his body.

He had the dream several times in the course of the last few months. It had eerily appeared in his mind, causing several sleepless nights along with no desire to eat. It did not seem like lost no energy when those feelings arose. There had been times, in the years before, when the Jedi went several weeks with no sleep nor food. At those times, he showed no signs of hunger or fatigue to others even though, he knew, that the other Jedi's could sense it in him.

Qui-Gon lifted his head up enough to stare the sleeping figure of Obi-Wan. The boy was in a sleep that seemed not be without the usual nightmare. His Master had woken up to the child's own screams of terror that caused him to wake as well. There was no doubt in the older one's mind that there was sleep lost in his Padawan's mind as well. Yet, he would not yield to the innocence that was inside of him.

There was something about Obi-Wan that Qui-Gon had to figure out. Something that caused the dream, which would not leave him the hell alone. Whatever it was, he was going to find out.

Chapter Three: One Week Later

Mace Windu stared at the training Masters and Padawans that were inside the training room, his arms clasped behind his back. His face blankly watched them, holding his solitude to himself. One noticed he was there. At least, the Padawan's did not. Only a few Master's sensed a new presence in the room yet did not acknowledge it for they had training to do. There was no time to notice a strange presence in the room with other things to do.

Yet, Mace's attention was not focused upon those around him. His eyes moved crossed the few that were there, scanning those for a pair that he had been watching all too carefully. His searched turned up nothing of importance to him as he sighed, a small defeat in his part on coming into the room himself. But he would not give up until he found what he was looking for.

The Jedi turned around, the doors opening wide enough to let him walk out. The corridor, that stretched from one end and flowed into the main room on the other side, was nearly deserted, lacking in bodies that were usually there. Mace did not seem to be frayed by this as he took the route towards the main room, which would open up into the outside world. He did not take the course out of the Temple as he only glanced out of it. There was nothing out there that he needed to see at the moment.

Windu walked towards the corridor that lead towards the same level rooms that housed the Jedi's and their Padawan's. He knew where he was going. He hoped that the ones that he wanted to speak to where there and where not busy at the moment. Something had come up and was not in the process of being held back any longer.

~~~~

Obi-Wan Kenobi was sitting on his bed, a data pad in one of his hands. His blue eyes looked over the information that was scrolling up, making a mental image in his mind. He had been given this to study with for by his Master. Qui-Gon had told him that not all things that he taught him he had to show. There were things that he had to learn by reading and reading alone. That was his training for the day. To learn. To read.

The Padawan sighed, becoming bored with what he was reading. Not only was it boring but it was not what he wanted to learn at the current moment. He knew that Jinn was keeping something from him. Something that pertained to his apprentice and whatever was keeping him from bonding with the younger one. He had hoped that he would be able to talk to his Master but he had gone into meditation and did not want to be disturbed. But, the child wanted to know and know now. He could not wait until he was finished with what he was doing.

"Master?" Obi-Wan asked, setting the pad down and glancing over to where Qui-Gon was meditating. No answer came and a slightly pissed off expression formed on his face. He called out again, this time louder. "Master?!?!"

"What?" Qui-Gon snapped irritably, not even opening his eyes to look at his Padawan.

"I want to know something."

"I told you to not disturb me when I am meditating. Can it wait until I am done?"

"No, it can not. I need to know now." The Master opened his eyes, gazing upon the boy with a sigh.

"What do you need to know?"

"I want to know why don't you trust me yet. By now, most of the other Masters have bonded more closely with their Padawans and......"

"As I told you from the beginning that this is one thing that you will not ask me."

"I know you did." Obi-Wan snapped, jumping up from his bed. He gave Qui-Gon a glare, his anger flaring. "But, that was then. I don't care what you told me. If you can not trust me why should I trust you?"

"Do not raise your voice at me, Padawan!" The Jedi stood up, towering over the younger one. Yet, he did not flinch as he gazed up into his eyes, determination in them. "There is nothing I need to tell you."

"Yes, there is. I want to know why you can't trust me. I want to know where I came from. I want to know these things. You can't hide them from me forever. I am your Padawan and yours only. If there is no trust between us then I want a new Master." Qui-Gon blinked his eyes at this, surprised that the mere thought of having a Master change had even crossed the boy's mind. He sat down on the bed, trying not to let the feelings of his past surface. He stared down, making sure that he did not let the boy know that there was pain in his eyes.

"If you want to know why I can not trust you is because my last Padawan took the easy way out. He went down the path of the dark and never returned. I have only seen him several times, each with a new level of hatred brewing in him." The Master took in a deep breath, trying to keep back those tears that had been inside of him for so long. "I am scared that I will lose you to the same path that he took. I have told myself countless times to not take in another Padawan."

"Then why did you take me in?" Qui-Gon looked up at him, his emotions finally surfaced on his aging face. Obi-Wan smiled at this, a small victory in his part. It was one step closer to what he wanted. There were a few other things that he wanted to know before anything else happened.

"I heard your cry of help. It was the same one that my first Padawan had but yours was more desperate. As much as I tried to ignore it, the cry would not leave me alone. By the time I had come back, I had nearly lost my chance for a Padawan and hoped that chance was there. Thankfully I had come at the right time and claimed you as mine."

"I see." The child walked over to him and knelt by his Master, the smile still on his lips. For a moment, there was a brief silence that could be heard throughout the Temple. Two people, a Master and a Padawan, had broken one part of a barrier that had been between them and now was a little closer to be broken in all the way. "Qui-Gon?"

"Hmmm?"

"I have a promise."

"And that is?"

"I will not turn on you. I want to be your Padawan. Even though the training is hard I can't back down. I want to be a Jedi, just like you."

"I don't know if I can believe that...." Qui-Gon whispered, a single tear going down his cheek.

"You can. I will not be like him. I will stay on the side of good."

"That is something I....." He did not get to finish as a knock came at the door. He stood up, sensing who was there before the door itself had opened. When it did, Mace Windu entered, a emotionless face that held a secret behind it. "Mace, what brings you to my quarters?"

"There is something that I need to discuss with you." Windu said, not even flinching.

"Go ahead. I'm listening."

"I have to tell you alone. Obi-Wan can not hear this."

"What ever you have to say you can say it in front of my Padawan. Eventually he will find out."

"It is something that pertains to him." Obi-Wan's eyes went wide as he looked up at his Master, his mouth dropping open ever so slightly. The emotions that had been on Jinn's face only a few short seconds later had vanished and was replaced by the hard face that had always been there before. He knew something was wrong and hoped that nothing was going to change.

"Very well." He said, walking forwards. He did not say anything to his Padawan as he walked out, Mace giving the boy a small glance that only told him that it was something that was not meant for him to ever know.

To Be Continued......