First Knight - Part Thirteen
---------------
Obi-Wan sat on the meditation cushion, his legs crossed in front of him. It had been a week since his and Anakin's return from Ahjane. The Jedi Knight had been so busy catching up on back-logged mission reports, continuing with his training of Anakin, and meeting with Masters Windu and Yoda regarding said training, he had only been able to meditate for brief periods of time and then only right before bed.
However, last night he had received an invitation from Master Yoda to join him in his quarters for a dawn meditation. As Obi-Wan was free that morning, he had accepted. Now, as he let himself ascend from the deep layers of his communion with the Force, he slowly opened his eyes and looked over at Yoda, who was seated, as he was, on a circular cushion. Yoda was gazing solemnly over at him.
"How feel you?" he asked.
"Fine, Master."
"Believe you I do not."
Obi-Wan started. He looked at Yoda for a long moment, then lowered his eyes.
"What do you want me to say?" he asked quietly.
"The truth. As always."
Obi-Wan slowly shook his head as he gazed down at the meditation cushion. He released a deep, heavy breath.
"I can't stop thinking about her, Master."
He then glanced up at Yoda to gauge the Jedi Master's reaction. Other than Qui-Gon, there was no one else he would have admitted such a thing to.
"Hmmm. Wish that do you? To stop thinking of her?"
Obi-Wan sighed, both relieved and surprised that Yoda had not chastised him for his confession regarding his feelings for Onara.
"I don't know, Master. It...it hurts when I think of her."
"Warned you I did not to lose yourself."
Obi-Wan felt a brief surge of anger.
"Do you think this is what I wanted? To feel this way? I didn't even want to go through with the blasted ceremony! I tried to avoid it. I didn't want her to be hurt."
Or me, Obi-Wan added silently.
"No, of course you did not."
Yoda then let out a long, slow breath. He tilted his head and looked over at Obi-Wan.
"Wanted her for yourself, you did, hmmm?"
Obi-Wan nodded, but remained silent.
"Take her you could have."
Obi-Wan did not respond right away.
"Yes, Master," he finally agreed, his voice soft and reflective. "I could have."
"But you did not."
Obi-Wan felt his heart constrict. "No, I did not."
"Why?"
Obi-Wan looked sharply at Yoda. "What?"
"Why did you not take her when wanted her you did?"
"And give up my life in the Order? Break my vow to Qui-Gon and my promise to Anakin to train him to become a Jedi? Plunge her planet back into years of war?"
Obi-Wan lowered his head. "Is any woman worth so much?" he added softly.
"Know that I do not, Obi-Wan. Only you that can answer."
Obi-Wan jerked his head up at Yoda's answer. The little Jedi slowly levered himself off his mediation cushion. Obi-Wan did likewise. He adjusted his tunic as he looked down at his former clan master.
"Think upon this, young Obi-Wan," Yoda said as he limped past him towards the door, his cane tapping on the floor. "Often the heart its reasons has that the mind knows not of."
Obi-Wan was both surprised and baffled by Yoda's words, but he did not move or speak, not even when the Jedi Master had passed through the door and out into the main rooms of his quarters. Obi-Wan continued to stand, his arms crossed tightly over his chest as if he were terribly cold or trying to hold something in that, if allowed to escape, would consume him.
--------------
As Obi-Wan made his way down the Main Hall of the Jedi Archives, his boots echoing softly in the cavernous room, the bluish glow from the computer panels highlighting his face, he was again struck by the vast accumulation of knowledge that was stored here. The Archives was one of the greatest libraries in the Republic, a repository of seemingly infinite information on every part of the known galaxy and its billions upon billions of inhabitants.
But no wonder. Knowledge was one of the three pillars of Jedi strength, along with the Force and self-discipline. However, despite all the information that was stored here, Obi-Wan doubted he would find what he was looking for.
The Main Hall contained the busts of a number of well known and revered Jedi, both past and present. It also contained the busts of the "Lost 20" the only Jedi to have left the Order voluntarily. Among those was Count Dooku, Qui-Gon's former master.
However, on this particular day, Obi-Wan walked past the bust which, over the years, especially since Qui-Gon's death, he had often stopped and studied as he had tried to fathom this man who had trained his master and yet, had turned his back on the Jedi Order. Obi-Wan had something else on his mind.
He walked further down the hall, then saw the person he was looking for. Jocasta Nu, the Archives Director, was a former active Jedi Knight. She still wore her lightsaber as a symbol of her years of field service. She had been the Archivist for as long as Obi-Wan could remember and, he knew, had been its Director far beyond that.
She appeared frail, but possessed a formidable spirit and did not suffer fools or unprepared Jedi gladly. As an initiate, and then as a Padawan, Obi- Wan had painfully learned over the years to always approach her with a definite idea of what he was looking for. Nonetheless, as he now approached her, he felt like a tongue-tied initiate again, for he had no idea how she was going to respond to what he was seeking today.
"Master Kenobi," she said as she turned away from one of the glowing data shelves. "How did your mission to Ahjane go?"
"It went well, Madame Nu."
"Was the information we found regarding their culture of help?"
Obi-Wan suppressed a smile. He was tempted to tell her a vital piece of information on Ahjane culture had been left out of the research.
"Yes, it was. My Padawan and I were able to successfully negotiate a peace accord between the two warring provinces."
Madame Nu fixed him with a sharp look. "I haven't received your report regarding that mission. It's been over three months since you returned from Ahjane."
"I know, Madame Nu. Forgive me. I've been quite busy. I'm still working on it."
The truth was Obi-Wan had finished the report some time ago. But, because he had decided to leave out what had happened regarding the blessing ceremony, he had been hesitant to turn it in. Having never left out anything in any of the other mission reports he had filed, he felt guilty for having done so this time.
"You know that the turnaround time for reports is one month, Master Kenobi."
"Yes, Madame Nu."
"Get it to me as soon as possible."
"I will."
Obi-Wan hesitated. He cleared his throat and glanced nervously over at the data panel Madame Nu had been examining.
"Is there something I can help you with, Master Kenobi?" she asked, her voice elevated a bit to let him know she was, as always, quite busy and if he needed her help, he'd better be quick about it.
"Yes, yes, there is. I was wondering...if there is somewhere in the Archives...any...um...Jedi poetry?"
One of Madame Nu's brows rose sharply.
"Jedi poetry? Hmmm, well there are the Odes of Master Jahari. And the Litanies of Masters Lua and Musbau. And we do have a substantial collection of Meditations on the Force by Knight Analy."
Obi-Wan's heart sank. He recognized all those names and not one of those Jedi was known for his or her romantic inclinations. They were all well- known Jedi prophets and mystics who had been heralded for their deep connection to the Force.
"I see by your expression, Master Kenobi, that none of what I've mentioned are what you seek."
"No, I'm afraid they're not."
"Well, what kind of poetry are you looking for?"
Obi-Wan took a deep breath. He folded his arms within the sleeves of his robe. Blast it, he wasn't a wet-behind-the-ears initiate! He was a grown man, a Jedi Knight, and master to an apprentice.
"I'm looking for love poetry, Madame Nu," he said firmly, looking her straight in the eye. "Romantic love poetry. Written by Jedi."
"Ah, I see," she said.
Her wrinkled face took on a knowing look. She stared at him for a moment, her dark eyes boring into his. Then she turned and headed across the wide corridor to the other side of the Hall. Obi-Wan followed her.
They walked down a row of shelved holobooks until they came just to the end of the row. Madame Nu stopped and looked up. She closed her eyes and lifted her hand. Obi-Wan watched as one of the rectangular, glowing holobooks slid from the shelf and floated down to her. She examined it, then handed it to Obi-Wan.
"What's this?" he asked.
"Your Jedi love poetry, Master Kenobi. That, I'm afraid, is the only example we have of such a thing in the Archives."
Obi-Wan stared at the holobook. He once again thought of the nearly infinite sea of knowledge that was stored in the Archives. And, yet out of all that, he thought, just this little drop of poetry that celebrated romantic love. He frowned. Had more been written perhaps, but never archived? And what did that say about the Jedi that there was so little of it?
"Who is it by?" he asked as he examined the holobook
"The poetry in that particular volume was written 4,000 years ago by the Jedi Knight Nomi Sunrider."
Obi-Wan had heard of her. She had been married to Andur Sunrider, but her husband was killed by the henchmen of a Hutt. Taking up her husband's lightsaber, she had killed his murderers. Later, she apprenticed under Master Vodo-Siosk Baas and became one of the greatest Jedi Knights of her time.
"There is poetry in there written in memory of her husband, Andur," Madame Nu went on, "and there's also poetry she wrote regarding her feelings for Ulic Qel-Droma."
Obi-Wan nodded. Ulic was another Jedi who had lived during that time. He had thought he could learn the ways of the dark side of the Force and use that knowledge for good. But he succumbed to the power of the dark side. Nomi had fallen in love with him after the death of her husband, but it was Nomi herself who was forced to blind Ulic to the Force after he killed his own brother. He was later redeemed by Nomi's daughter, Vima.
"Is that what you're looking for, Master Kenobi?"
Obi-Wan blinked his eyes. For a moment he had been lost in the far distant past of Jedi history. A past where love had not been forbidden to the Jedi.
"Yes, thank you, Madame Nu. This will do just fine."
Madame Nu reached into the brown cloth bag that was attached to her waist. She pulled out a tiny scanner, ran it over the book, then held it up to Obi- Wan's left eye in order to retrieve his retinal pattern and use it to record his identity.
"You may keep the book for three weeks, Master Kenobi."
"Thank you, Madame Nu."
"If you're sent on a mission and forget to return it, any overdue penalties will be assessed against your credit account."
"Of course, Madame Nu."
"Now, if you'll excuse me."
She moved briskly past Obi-Wan and walked back towards the Main Hall, her long dark dress swishing over the floor. Obi-Wan watched her leave, then looked down at the holobook he was holding. What had possessed him to come looking for such a book and on such a subject? He had never done anything like this before. Then he knew, and he felt, and he remembered. _Onara_. Obi-wan slipped the book into a pocket within his robe and left the Archives.
--------------
Obi-Wan hunkered down as another explosion roared through the air. Tiny pieces of duracrete rained down on his head and the dust from previous explosions filled his lungs, coated his hair and prickled his eyelids. He coughed and wiped at his tearing eyes. Then he glanced over at Anakin, shaking his head in amazement.
His padawan was sleeping and had remained asleep, even during this latest barrage. Yet, Obi-Wan knew if needed, he would be on his feet in an instant. However, he was glad Anakin was able to get some rest. They had been on Sarius IV for a week now, aiding the populace of its capital against incursions from a gang of bio-droids that had decided to make the city their new home.
The bio-droids weren't really droids. They were humanoids who had replaced parts of their bodies with pieces from droids they had either scavenged or stolen. The droid parts came primarily from third-degree droids like the humanoid appearing 3PO-series. Since what they were doing was forbidden by the Republic, the bio-droids lived as outlaws, usually wandering from system to system, preying on the general population and stealing droids for new parts for their bodies. However, they were also prone to other criminal activities such as robbery, extortion and murder. The Jedi Council had sent Obi-Wan and Anakin to work with the planetary police force in flushing out this particular gang and taking them into custody.
Obi-Wan winced as a seismic grenade exploded nearby. Well, he and Anakin had certainly flushed the gang out. The two were holed up in an abandoned factory just a few blocks away from the gang's base of operation. Although the bio-droids had been blasting away at the factory for hours, trying to smoke him and Anakin out, the weapons they were using were not powerful enough to bring the building down. In addition, their attacks were coming at increasingly longer intervals, which led Obi-Wan to suspect they were running out of weapons.
Anakin had wanted to stage a two-man frontal assault on the hideout, but Obi-Wan had informed him that, even for Jedi, it would have been suicidal. Although the bio-droid's weapons were not doing a lot of damage to the building, they were still capable of tearing flesh and bone. Anakin had been disappointed, but had agreed with his master's assessment of the situation. They would wait for the planetary police force to arrive.
Obi-Wan grunted softly as he stretched out his legs. Their back-up would be arriving in less than an hour. Reaching out with the Force he detected that the bio-droids were still holed up in their hideout. He had a few moments to spare.
Checking to make sure Anakin was still asleep, Obi-Wan pulled a ultra-thin compact datapad from out of the inner lining of his robe. He pressed it on. The tiny, green square screen lit up. Obi-Wan scrolled through the files until he found the one he wanted. He glanced over at Anakin who sniffed and rubbed at some dust on his nose, but remained asleep.
Obi-Wan didn't know why he was acting so surreptitious. Four months had passed since he had checked out that holobook of Nomi Sunrider's love poetry from the Archives. Before returning it, however, Obi-Wan had downloaded a flat version of the holobook into his personal datapad. He had told Madame Nu he had done so. She had only gave him another one of her shrewd looks, but said nothing.
Now, as he had done nearly every day for the last four months, Obi-Wan read Nomi's love poems. He had memorized all of them by heart, but he still liked to see the words on the screen. The one he was reading now was called "Moonlit Memories". It was his favorite by far of the Jedi woman's poems for it never failed to remind him of the night he and Onara had watched the Katarra dancing in that moon-washed glade.
He had long since stopped feeling guilty for not only reading the poems, but taking them to heart. The poems had become not only his solace, but his inspiration, revealing to him the depths and the heights to which the Jedi heart could descend and soar when allowed to truly and deeply love.
Another explosion rocked the factory and, half an hour later, still another, but Obi-Wan no longer heeded them. He was swept away on the waves of Nomi's lyrical verses and in his memories of a beautiful young woman with dark eyes who smiled at him through a swirl of green and gold flower petals.
-----------------------
Obi-Wan quickly parried another attack from Anakin. Nearly two months had passed since their mission to Sarius IV, and Anakin saw Obi-Wan still favored his left arm. When the police force finally arrived and he and his master joined them in the assault on the bio-droids' hideout, Anakin had, while deflecting blaster fire, accidentally sent one of the bolts of energy toward Obi-Wan. Extensive therapy sessions with a Jedi Healer had taken care of the worst of the injury to his master's left arm, but Anakin could sense Obi-Wan still felt some discomfort from it.
He and his master were in the temple gymnasium. They, and a number of other Jedi were working out, some exercising, while others, like Anakin and Obi- Wan, were practice dueling. The two were reenacting the Rashta kai-kan, a particularly difficult lightsaber duel that had been fought between Jedi Master Rashta and a Sith by the name of Darth Yesero thousands of years ago. The duel had been recorded in a Jedi holocron.
Anakin and Obi-Wan had studied the duel and, over their years together as master and padawan, had often reenacted it. Anakin this time was playing the part of Yesero, the Sith Lord. Yesero, like Anakin, had favored Form IV of the seven forms of lightsaber combat. Form IV was known for its speed and power.
Obi-Wan, however, since the death of Qui-Gon, had focused on Form III which maximized defensive protection. Developed initially as high-speed laserblast deflection training, over the centuries it had been refined into an expression of nonaggressive Jedi philosophy.
Lightsabers clashing and crackling in the cavernous room the two fought their way across the floor. Soon, most of the Jedi in the gym had stopped what they were doing to watch. Anakin was taller than his master and also quicker and more powerful. Obi-Wan, however, wisely conserved his strength, his concentration always directed on the Force. Anakin had tried to be as inner directed as his Master, but found it difficult. He was too often aware of things around him, too mindful of his own sometimes conflicted thoughts.
Obi-Wan executed a nimble drop stance as he parried another one of Anakin's attack. Anakin swung around and tried to come at Obi-Wan from behind, but the Jedi Knight swept his blade behind his back and effectively parried him. Anakin heard Obi-Wan grunt softly as he did so. A part of Anakin longed to take advantage of his master's injury. But he didn't want to win that way. He wanted to beat Obi-Wan fair and square.
"Not, bad, Master," Anakin gasped as he stepped back, his blade high above his head.
Obi-Wan gave him a wry smile. "Don't forget, my young padawan-learner, you still have much to learn.
"That may be," Anakin said as he rushed towards Obi-Wan, "but one day I'll beat you.
Again, Obi-Wan deftly parried Anakin's attack. Their lightsabers crashed against each other. Anakin gritted his teeth, focusing all his power on pushing Obi-Wan's blade away, but his master, despite his injury, was too strong. The next thing Anakin knew he was wheeling back and, unceremoniously, landed on his rear. His lightsaber clicked off as it clattered to the floor.
Anakin's face burned, his gaze on the floor, as he felt a sudden surge of anger. He cursed himself for not having taken advantage of his master's weakness. Then he looked up as Obi-Wan walked over and held out his hand. Anakin hesitated for a moment, then took it. Obi-Wan squeezed his hand and Anakin's anger just as quickly disappeared.
"Well done, Padawan," Obi-Wan said smiling as he helped Anakin to his feet. "You're improving. I believe you're right. One day you will defeat me."
Once Anakin was standing the two were greeted by applause from the watching Jedi. Obi-Wan inclined his head in acknowledgment while Anakin executed a short, formal bow. Then, just as they were heading for the showers, a young female initiate ran into the gym.
"Master Obi-Wan, Master Obi-Wan," she cried in a high, breathless voice.
Anakin turned, as did Obi-Wan. His master smiled warmly as the little Togruta girl skidded to a stop in front of them, her tiny, patterned lekkus quivering on her shoulders, the eyes in her orange-white face wide with excitement.
"Hello, Esha," Obi-Wan greeted her.
"I...I have a message for you, Master Obi-Wan," she gasped, the words tumbling out of her mouth. "I was told to give it to you right away. It's marked urgent. It's from Ahjane."
Anakin jumped and saw a muscle in Obi-Wan's jaw clench at the mention of Onara's homeworld. If Obi-Wan ever thought about what had happened there he gave no sign. Of course, Anakin knew that meant nothing. His master kept a lot to himself. Neither he nor Obi-Wan had heard any news from Ahjane which, in light of their assignment there, was a good thing because it meant the peace accord was still intact. However, as to what else had occurred during their mission there, nothing was heard nor spoken regarding it, either from Ahjane or between Obi-Wan and Anakin.
Obi-Wan thanked Esha and took the silver message canister from her. She bowed, turned and ran from the gym. Anakin saw Obi-Wan's hands shake somewhat as he quickly opened the canister. He pulled the flexisheet out and read it. His face blanched.
"Anakin."
"Yes, Master?"
"Arrange transport for us to Ahjane. Immediately."
"Ahjane? But, Master, we're supposed to appear before the Council---"
"Do it, Anakin! Now! Find the fastest ship available. Hurry!"
"Yes, Master."
Anakin turned and ran. He couldn't imagine what news could have come from Ahjane to make his master deliberately ignore a summons from the Jedi Council. But, as he raced out of the gym and down the echoing corridors of the Temple, he would see to it he and his master got there as quickly as possible.
To be continued...
---------------
Obi-Wan sat on the meditation cushion, his legs crossed in front of him. It had been a week since his and Anakin's return from Ahjane. The Jedi Knight had been so busy catching up on back-logged mission reports, continuing with his training of Anakin, and meeting with Masters Windu and Yoda regarding said training, he had only been able to meditate for brief periods of time and then only right before bed.
However, last night he had received an invitation from Master Yoda to join him in his quarters for a dawn meditation. As Obi-Wan was free that morning, he had accepted. Now, as he let himself ascend from the deep layers of his communion with the Force, he slowly opened his eyes and looked over at Yoda, who was seated, as he was, on a circular cushion. Yoda was gazing solemnly over at him.
"How feel you?" he asked.
"Fine, Master."
"Believe you I do not."
Obi-Wan started. He looked at Yoda for a long moment, then lowered his eyes.
"What do you want me to say?" he asked quietly.
"The truth. As always."
Obi-Wan slowly shook his head as he gazed down at the meditation cushion. He released a deep, heavy breath.
"I can't stop thinking about her, Master."
He then glanced up at Yoda to gauge the Jedi Master's reaction. Other than Qui-Gon, there was no one else he would have admitted such a thing to.
"Hmmm. Wish that do you? To stop thinking of her?"
Obi-Wan sighed, both relieved and surprised that Yoda had not chastised him for his confession regarding his feelings for Onara.
"I don't know, Master. It...it hurts when I think of her."
"Warned you I did not to lose yourself."
Obi-Wan felt a brief surge of anger.
"Do you think this is what I wanted? To feel this way? I didn't even want to go through with the blasted ceremony! I tried to avoid it. I didn't want her to be hurt."
Or me, Obi-Wan added silently.
"No, of course you did not."
Yoda then let out a long, slow breath. He tilted his head and looked over at Obi-Wan.
"Wanted her for yourself, you did, hmmm?"
Obi-Wan nodded, but remained silent.
"Take her you could have."
Obi-Wan did not respond right away.
"Yes, Master," he finally agreed, his voice soft and reflective. "I could have."
"But you did not."
Obi-Wan felt his heart constrict. "No, I did not."
"Why?"
Obi-Wan looked sharply at Yoda. "What?"
"Why did you not take her when wanted her you did?"
"And give up my life in the Order? Break my vow to Qui-Gon and my promise to Anakin to train him to become a Jedi? Plunge her planet back into years of war?"
Obi-Wan lowered his head. "Is any woman worth so much?" he added softly.
"Know that I do not, Obi-Wan. Only you that can answer."
Obi-Wan jerked his head up at Yoda's answer. The little Jedi slowly levered himself off his mediation cushion. Obi-Wan did likewise. He adjusted his tunic as he looked down at his former clan master.
"Think upon this, young Obi-Wan," Yoda said as he limped past him towards the door, his cane tapping on the floor. "Often the heart its reasons has that the mind knows not of."
Obi-Wan was both surprised and baffled by Yoda's words, but he did not move or speak, not even when the Jedi Master had passed through the door and out into the main rooms of his quarters. Obi-Wan continued to stand, his arms crossed tightly over his chest as if he were terribly cold or trying to hold something in that, if allowed to escape, would consume him.
--------------
As Obi-Wan made his way down the Main Hall of the Jedi Archives, his boots echoing softly in the cavernous room, the bluish glow from the computer panels highlighting his face, he was again struck by the vast accumulation of knowledge that was stored here. The Archives was one of the greatest libraries in the Republic, a repository of seemingly infinite information on every part of the known galaxy and its billions upon billions of inhabitants.
But no wonder. Knowledge was one of the three pillars of Jedi strength, along with the Force and self-discipline. However, despite all the information that was stored here, Obi-Wan doubted he would find what he was looking for.
The Main Hall contained the busts of a number of well known and revered Jedi, both past and present. It also contained the busts of the "Lost 20" the only Jedi to have left the Order voluntarily. Among those was Count Dooku, Qui-Gon's former master.
However, on this particular day, Obi-Wan walked past the bust which, over the years, especially since Qui-Gon's death, he had often stopped and studied as he had tried to fathom this man who had trained his master and yet, had turned his back on the Jedi Order. Obi-Wan had something else on his mind.
He walked further down the hall, then saw the person he was looking for. Jocasta Nu, the Archives Director, was a former active Jedi Knight. She still wore her lightsaber as a symbol of her years of field service. She had been the Archivist for as long as Obi-Wan could remember and, he knew, had been its Director far beyond that.
She appeared frail, but possessed a formidable spirit and did not suffer fools or unprepared Jedi gladly. As an initiate, and then as a Padawan, Obi- Wan had painfully learned over the years to always approach her with a definite idea of what he was looking for. Nonetheless, as he now approached her, he felt like a tongue-tied initiate again, for he had no idea how she was going to respond to what he was seeking today.
"Master Kenobi," she said as she turned away from one of the glowing data shelves. "How did your mission to Ahjane go?"
"It went well, Madame Nu."
"Was the information we found regarding their culture of help?"
Obi-Wan suppressed a smile. He was tempted to tell her a vital piece of information on Ahjane culture had been left out of the research.
"Yes, it was. My Padawan and I were able to successfully negotiate a peace accord between the two warring provinces."
Madame Nu fixed him with a sharp look. "I haven't received your report regarding that mission. It's been over three months since you returned from Ahjane."
"I know, Madame Nu. Forgive me. I've been quite busy. I'm still working on it."
The truth was Obi-Wan had finished the report some time ago. But, because he had decided to leave out what had happened regarding the blessing ceremony, he had been hesitant to turn it in. Having never left out anything in any of the other mission reports he had filed, he felt guilty for having done so this time.
"You know that the turnaround time for reports is one month, Master Kenobi."
"Yes, Madame Nu."
"Get it to me as soon as possible."
"I will."
Obi-Wan hesitated. He cleared his throat and glanced nervously over at the data panel Madame Nu had been examining.
"Is there something I can help you with, Master Kenobi?" she asked, her voice elevated a bit to let him know she was, as always, quite busy and if he needed her help, he'd better be quick about it.
"Yes, yes, there is. I was wondering...if there is somewhere in the Archives...any...um...Jedi poetry?"
One of Madame Nu's brows rose sharply.
"Jedi poetry? Hmmm, well there are the Odes of Master Jahari. And the Litanies of Masters Lua and Musbau. And we do have a substantial collection of Meditations on the Force by Knight Analy."
Obi-Wan's heart sank. He recognized all those names and not one of those Jedi was known for his or her romantic inclinations. They were all well- known Jedi prophets and mystics who had been heralded for their deep connection to the Force.
"I see by your expression, Master Kenobi, that none of what I've mentioned are what you seek."
"No, I'm afraid they're not."
"Well, what kind of poetry are you looking for?"
Obi-Wan took a deep breath. He folded his arms within the sleeves of his robe. Blast it, he wasn't a wet-behind-the-ears initiate! He was a grown man, a Jedi Knight, and master to an apprentice.
"I'm looking for love poetry, Madame Nu," he said firmly, looking her straight in the eye. "Romantic love poetry. Written by Jedi."
"Ah, I see," she said.
Her wrinkled face took on a knowing look. She stared at him for a moment, her dark eyes boring into his. Then she turned and headed across the wide corridor to the other side of the Hall. Obi-Wan followed her.
They walked down a row of shelved holobooks until they came just to the end of the row. Madame Nu stopped and looked up. She closed her eyes and lifted her hand. Obi-Wan watched as one of the rectangular, glowing holobooks slid from the shelf and floated down to her. She examined it, then handed it to Obi-Wan.
"What's this?" he asked.
"Your Jedi love poetry, Master Kenobi. That, I'm afraid, is the only example we have of such a thing in the Archives."
Obi-Wan stared at the holobook. He once again thought of the nearly infinite sea of knowledge that was stored in the Archives. And, yet out of all that, he thought, just this little drop of poetry that celebrated romantic love. He frowned. Had more been written perhaps, but never archived? And what did that say about the Jedi that there was so little of it?
"Who is it by?" he asked as he examined the holobook
"The poetry in that particular volume was written 4,000 years ago by the Jedi Knight Nomi Sunrider."
Obi-Wan had heard of her. She had been married to Andur Sunrider, but her husband was killed by the henchmen of a Hutt. Taking up her husband's lightsaber, she had killed his murderers. Later, she apprenticed under Master Vodo-Siosk Baas and became one of the greatest Jedi Knights of her time.
"There is poetry in there written in memory of her husband, Andur," Madame Nu went on, "and there's also poetry she wrote regarding her feelings for Ulic Qel-Droma."
Obi-Wan nodded. Ulic was another Jedi who had lived during that time. He had thought he could learn the ways of the dark side of the Force and use that knowledge for good. But he succumbed to the power of the dark side. Nomi had fallen in love with him after the death of her husband, but it was Nomi herself who was forced to blind Ulic to the Force after he killed his own brother. He was later redeemed by Nomi's daughter, Vima.
"Is that what you're looking for, Master Kenobi?"
Obi-Wan blinked his eyes. For a moment he had been lost in the far distant past of Jedi history. A past where love had not been forbidden to the Jedi.
"Yes, thank you, Madame Nu. This will do just fine."
Madame Nu reached into the brown cloth bag that was attached to her waist. She pulled out a tiny scanner, ran it over the book, then held it up to Obi- Wan's left eye in order to retrieve his retinal pattern and use it to record his identity.
"You may keep the book for three weeks, Master Kenobi."
"Thank you, Madame Nu."
"If you're sent on a mission and forget to return it, any overdue penalties will be assessed against your credit account."
"Of course, Madame Nu."
"Now, if you'll excuse me."
She moved briskly past Obi-Wan and walked back towards the Main Hall, her long dark dress swishing over the floor. Obi-Wan watched her leave, then looked down at the holobook he was holding. What had possessed him to come looking for such a book and on such a subject? He had never done anything like this before. Then he knew, and he felt, and he remembered. _Onara_. Obi-wan slipped the book into a pocket within his robe and left the Archives.
--------------
Obi-Wan hunkered down as another explosion roared through the air. Tiny pieces of duracrete rained down on his head and the dust from previous explosions filled his lungs, coated his hair and prickled his eyelids. He coughed and wiped at his tearing eyes. Then he glanced over at Anakin, shaking his head in amazement.
His padawan was sleeping and had remained asleep, even during this latest barrage. Yet, Obi-Wan knew if needed, he would be on his feet in an instant. However, he was glad Anakin was able to get some rest. They had been on Sarius IV for a week now, aiding the populace of its capital against incursions from a gang of bio-droids that had decided to make the city their new home.
The bio-droids weren't really droids. They were humanoids who had replaced parts of their bodies with pieces from droids they had either scavenged or stolen. The droid parts came primarily from third-degree droids like the humanoid appearing 3PO-series. Since what they were doing was forbidden by the Republic, the bio-droids lived as outlaws, usually wandering from system to system, preying on the general population and stealing droids for new parts for their bodies. However, they were also prone to other criminal activities such as robbery, extortion and murder. The Jedi Council had sent Obi-Wan and Anakin to work with the planetary police force in flushing out this particular gang and taking them into custody.
Obi-Wan winced as a seismic grenade exploded nearby. Well, he and Anakin had certainly flushed the gang out. The two were holed up in an abandoned factory just a few blocks away from the gang's base of operation. Although the bio-droids had been blasting away at the factory for hours, trying to smoke him and Anakin out, the weapons they were using were not powerful enough to bring the building down. In addition, their attacks were coming at increasingly longer intervals, which led Obi-Wan to suspect they were running out of weapons.
Anakin had wanted to stage a two-man frontal assault on the hideout, but Obi-Wan had informed him that, even for Jedi, it would have been suicidal. Although the bio-droid's weapons were not doing a lot of damage to the building, they were still capable of tearing flesh and bone. Anakin had been disappointed, but had agreed with his master's assessment of the situation. They would wait for the planetary police force to arrive.
Obi-Wan grunted softly as he stretched out his legs. Their back-up would be arriving in less than an hour. Reaching out with the Force he detected that the bio-droids were still holed up in their hideout. He had a few moments to spare.
Checking to make sure Anakin was still asleep, Obi-Wan pulled a ultra-thin compact datapad from out of the inner lining of his robe. He pressed it on. The tiny, green square screen lit up. Obi-Wan scrolled through the files until he found the one he wanted. He glanced over at Anakin who sniffed and rubbed at some dust on his nose, but remained asleep.
Obi-Wan didn't know why he was acting so surreptitious. Four months had passed since he had checked out that holobook of Nomi Sunrider's love poetry from the Archives. Before returning it, however, Obi-Wan had downloaded a flat version of the holobook into his personal datapad. He had told Madame Nu he had done so. She had only gave him another one of her shrewd looks, but said nothing.
Now, as he had done nearly every day for the last four months, Obi-Wan read Nomi's love poems. He had memorized all of them by heart, but he still liked to see the words on the screen. The one he was reading now was called "Moonlit Memories". It was his favorite by far of the Jedi woman's poems for it never failed to remind him of the night he and Onara had watched the Katarra dancing in that moon-washed glade.
He had long since stopped feeling guilty for not only reading the poems, but taking them to heart. The poems had become not only his solace, but his inspiration, revealing to him the depths and the heights to which the Jedi heart could descend and soar when allowed to truly and deeply love.
Another explosion rocked the factory and, half an hour later, still another, but Obi-Wan no longer heeded them. He was swept away on the waves of Nomi's lyrical verses and in his memories of a beautiful young woman with dark eyes who smiled at him through a swirl of green and gold flower petals.
-----------------------
Obi-Wan quickly parried another attack from Anakin. Nearly two months had passed since their mission to Sarius IV, and Anakin saw Obi-Wan still favored his left arm. When the police force finally arrived and he and his master joined them in the assault on the bio-droids' hideout, Anakin had, while deflecting blaster fire, accidentally sent one of the bolts of energy toward Obi-Wan. Extensive therapy sessions with a Jedi Healer had taken care of the worst of the injury to his master's left arm, but Anakin could sense Obi-Wan still felt some discomfort from it.
He and his master were in the temple gymnasium. They, and a number of other Jedi were working out, some exercising, while others, like Anakin and Obi- Wan, were practice dueling. The two were reenacting the Rashta kai-kan, a particularly difficult lightsaber duel that had been fought between Jedi Master Rashta and a Sith by the name of Darth Yesero thousands of years ago. The duel had been recorded in a Jedi holocron.
Anakin and Obi-Wan had studied the duel and, over their years together as master and padawan, had often reenacted it. Anakin this time was playing the part of Yesero, the Sith Lord. Yesero, like Anakin, had favored Form IV of the seven forms of lightsaber combat. Form IV was known for its speed and power.
Obi-Wan, however, since the death of Qui-Gon, had focused on Form III which maximized defensive protection. Developed initially as high-speed laserblast deflection training, over the centuries it had been refined into an expression of nonaggressive Jedi philosophy.
Lightsabers clashing and crackling in the cavernous room the two fought their way across the floor. Soon, most of the Jedi in the gym had stopped what they were doing to watch. Anakin was taller than his master and also quicker and more powerful. Obi-Wan, however, wisely conserved his strength, his concentration always directed on the Force. Anakin had tried to be as inner directed as his Master, but found it difficult. He was too often aware of things around him, too mindful of his own sometimes conflicted thoughts.
Obi-Wan executed a nimble drop stance as he parried another one of Anakin's attack. Anakin swung around and tried to come at Obi-Wan from behind, but the Jedi Knight swept his blade behind his back and effectively parried him. Anakin heard Obi-Wan grunt softly as he did so. A part of Anakin longed to take advantage of his master's injury. But he didn't want to win that way. He wanted to beat Obi-Wan fair and square.
"Not, bad, Master," Anakin gasped as he stepped back, his blade high above his head.
Obi-Wan gave him a wry smile. "Don't forget, my young padawan-learner, you still have much to learn.
"That may be," Anakin said as he rushed towards Obi-Wan, "but one day I'll beat you.
Again, Obi-Wan deftly parried Anakin's attack. Their lightsabers crashed against each other. Anakin gritted his teeth, focusing all his power on pushing Obi-Wan's blade away, but his master, despite his injury, was too strong. The next thing Anakin knew he was wheeling back and, unceremoniously, landed on his rear. His lightsaber clicked off as it clattered to the floor.
Anakin's face burned, his gaze on the floor, as he felt a sudden surge of anger. He cursed himself for not having taken advantage of his master's weakness. Then he looked up as Obi-Wan walked over and held out his hand. Anakin hesitated for a moment, then took it. Obi-Wan squeezed his hand and Anakin's anger just as quickly disappeared.
"Well done, Padawan," Obi-Wan said smiling as he helped Anakin to his feet. "You're improving. I believe you're right. One day you will defeat me."
Once Anakin was standing the two were greeted by applause from the watching Jedi. Obi-Wan inclined his head in acknowledgment while Anakin executed a short, formal bow. Then, just as they were heading for the showers, a young female initiate ran into the gym.
"Master Obi-Wan, Master Obi-Wan," she cried in a high, breathless voice.
Anakin turned, as did Obi-Wan. His master smiled warmly as the little Togruta girl skidded to a stop in front of them, her tiny, patterned lekkus quivering on her shoulders, the eyes in her orange-white face wide with excitement.
"Hello, Esha," Obi-Wan greeted her.
"I...I have a message for you, Master Obi-Wan," she gasped, the words tumbling out of her mouth. "I was told to give it to you right away. It's marked urgent. It's from Ahjane."
Anakin jumped and saw a muscle in Obi-Wan's jaw clench at the mention of Onara's homeworld. If Obi-Wan ever thought about what had happened there he gave no sign. Of course, Anakin knew that meant nothing. His master kept a lot to himself. Neither he nor Obi-Wan had heard any news from Ahjane which, in light of their assignment there, was a good thing because it meant the peace accord was still intact. However, as to what else had occurred during their mission there, nothing was heard nor spoken regarding it, either from Ahjane or between Obi-Wan and Anakin.
Obi-Wan thanked Esha and took the silver message canister from her. She bowed, turned and ran from the gym. Anakin saw Obi-Wan's hands shake somewhat as he quickly opened the canister. He pulled the flexisheet out and read it. His face blanched.
"Anakin."
"Yes, Master?"
"Arrange transport for us to Ahjane. Immediately."
"Ahjane? But, Master, we're supposed to appear before the Council---"
"Do it, Anakin! Now! Find the fastest ship available. Hurry!"
"Yes, Master."
Anakin turned and ran. He couldn't imagine what news could have come from Ahjane to make his master deliberately ignore a summons from the Jedi Council. But, as he raced out of the gym and down the echoing corridors of the Temple, he would see to it he and his master got there as quickly as possible.
To be continued...