Thanks everyone for your kind comments! Glad you're enjoying it. More to
come! :)
First Knight - Part Nineteen
----------------
"Ben? Obi-Wan, what kind of a name is Ben?" Onara asked, laughing softly.
Onara, Obi-Wan, Anakin and K'lia were in the gardens behind the manor. It was later that morning. Onara had regained some of her strength although, Anakin had noted, such moments came and went with alarming rapidity. She was lying on a chaise lounge, thick, turquoise-colored pillows heaped behind her back. She had insisted she felt strong enough to walk, but Obi- Wan had ignored her, sweeping her up in his arms from the bed and carrying her into the garden.
Obi-Wan was sitting next to her in a chair, K'lia on her other side, while Anakin was lying on the grass, hands behind his head, his eyes closed. The honeyroses were still in bloom and, amid the lazy buzz and hum of the myriad insects floating about the heavy-headed golden flowers, and the warmth of the sun bathing his face, he had listened drowsily to her and Obi- Wan discussing names for their son. They had gone through what had sounded to Anakin like every male name in existence. Then Obi-Wan had offered up the name Ben. Anakin opened one eye and looked over at Onara.
"Ben," she went on, smiling, shaking her head. "Obi-Wan, dear, that's not a name. It's too short to be a name."
Obi-Wan frowned at her. He looked over at K'lia.
"What do you think of the name, sir?" Obi-Wan asked him.
"Hmmm, it is a bit unusual, but I like it. It sounds strong. Simple, but strong."
Obi-Wan looked over at Onara and, head tilted, gave her an I-told-you-so- look with his eyes. She shook her head again, her lips still curled in a smile.
"But it's so short," she insisted. She looked over at Anakin.
"What do you think of it, Anakin?"
Anakin opened his eyes and rose to a sitting position.
"I like it," he said without hesitation. "It sounds like the name of a man you can trust. That you know will always be there for you. That you can turn to for help, and he'll drop everything and come running."
Then he blushed, fearing he had said too much, but he was pleased to see his master was smiling at him. Obi-Wan looked back at Onara. She had been starting quietly at Anakin as he had spoken, her dark eyes thoughtful. She looked over at Obi-Wan.
"He sounds as if he's talking about you, and my dearest hope is that our son will be just like his father," she said softly. "All right. It's settled then. Ben it will be. Ben Kenobi."
-----------------------
Anakin fidgeted. This banishment ritual was taking far too long. It was later that day. The ritual was being held in a small amphitheater in the capital city, which was located some miles from K'lia's manor. Onara, of course, was too ill to be present and her aunts had elected not to attend. However, K'lia, Obi-Wan, Anakin and members of the Assembly, the legislative arm of the ruling body of Dynast K'lia's province, were in attendance.
Lady Tsara stood in the center of the amphitheater, flanked by two guards. She was no longer dressed in her opulent robes, but wore only a simple, brown shift. Her feet were clad in rough sandals and her gray hair had been loosened from its intricate curls and lay about her shoulders.
Her wrinkled face continued to blaze defiance, as it had done all through the tedious, convoluted intonations of the ritual of banishment. If it had been up to him, Anakin would have just given her a swift kick in the backside, but the Ahjane were obsessed with tradition. Everything had to be done correctly and according to custom.
Now, finally, K'lia rose to speak. The elderly Dynast stood behind the podium located within the ring of seats that circled high above the floor of the amphitheater. He looked down at his mother. For a long moment he did not speak and, heart thumping, Anakin wondered if K'lia was having a change of heart. He had seemed to be completely under his mother's thumb, but that was before Tsara's conduct regarding her granddaughter had finally endangered Onara's life. The Dynast cleared his throat.
"According to the practices of our people, which have come down to us through the years of fire and pain, and through the years of joy and beauty, I banish you, Tsara, daughter of Siole. You are banned from seeking either solace or succor within the boundaries of this province. You are banned from its valleys and its mountains, from its fields and its villages, and you may not return to it upon pain of death."
Anakin looked down at Tsara. Her expression had not changed. If anything it had grown fiercer. She looked over at Anakin, and he felt himself almost knocked down by the vehemence of her glare. He frowned down at her, letting her know he wasn't afraid of her. She stared at him for a long moment, then returned the fire of her gaze back to her son. Anakin saw she was about to speak, but K'lia raised his hand. The guards quickly grabbed Tsara.
"You haven't heard the last of me," Tsara screeched as she was dragged away. "I'll have my revenge on you all. Especially you, Jedi brat! Curse you! Curse you all to hell!"
Her voice echoed in the amphitheater long after she had disappeared into the door that led to the cells below the amphitheater where she would be held until she was escorted to the border. Anakin released a breath. Although he was pleased to see Tsara get her just reward, it had not been a pleasant experience.
The naming ceremony for Obi-Wan and Onara's son, however, which had been held just a few hours earlier, had been far more pleasant. K'lia had conducted it at the manor, and the child had been named Ben Gavon Kenobi, Gavon being Onara's family name.
Anakin looked over to where Obi-Wan was standing next to K'lia. His master's expression had remained the same throughout the entire banishment ceremony. Calm and unruffled, his face revealing nothing of what he was feeling. K'lia, his body trembling slightly once his mother had disappeared into the bowels of the amphitheater, lowered his head. Obi-Wan reached over and put a hand on his shoulder.
The Dynast raised his head and Anakin saw the two exchange words, though he could not hear what they were saying. Then K'lia turned and left the podium with the rest of the Assembly. Anakin walked over to Obi-Wan who was still staring out at the dusty floor of the amphitheater.
"Well, she's gone, Master," Anakin said. "And good riddance, I say."
Obi-Wan turned and fixed his apprentice with an appraising look.
"Were you aware, Anakin, that there is a saying among the Yamara warriors of the planet Gend that vengeance is like a Karasian snake? Are you familiar with it?"
"With what? Vengeance?"
"No, the Karasian snake."
Anakin shook his head no.
"Ummm. Well, the Karasian snake, if it's not careful when it bites its prey, can wind up poisoning itself. It's the same with vengeance. Be mindful of that."
"Yes, Master. But, are you saying that Lady Tsara should not have been banished?"
"No, I'm not saying that, Anakin. But vengeance breeds vengeance, my young apprentice, the way maggots breed maggots."
------------------------
"How could this have happened?" K'lia raged.
He paced angrily back and forth across the carpet of his office in the Assembly building. He, Anakin and Obi-Wan had gone there so that K'lia could officially enter Ben's name into the Assembly records as his heir. While doing so the captain of the Assembly guard had rushed in with the news that Lady Tsara had escaped the guards who had been assigned to escort her to the border.
Tsara was supposed to have been released into the Veshone wilderness, a harsh, mountainous region dotted with only, or so Anakin had been told, small, meager outposts and some equally dismal mining settlements. The vehicle she and the guards had been riding in had been discovered abandoned a kilometer from the border. The guards had been murdered and Tsara was nowhere to be found.
"She's an old woman," K'lia cried. "She couldn't have killed those guards herself."
The guard captain nodded in agreement.
"They were four of my best men, Dynast. She must have had help."
"Find her, Captain. I don't care how long it takes or how many men you have to use, find her."
"Yes, Dynast."
The captain saluted and left the office. K'lia looked over at Obi-Wan, his expression sick.
"She'll try to take Ben," he said to the Jedi. "She won't stop until she has him."
Obi-Wan's eyes reflected K'lia's concern. "I know."
"I'll have guards assigned to the manor."
Obi-Wan nodded. He drew in and released a deep breath.
"I should stay. Watch over Onara and Ben until she's found, but I have to go. I must find Sinja-Bau."
Anakin walked over and stood before Obi-Wan.
"I'll stay, Master. I'll watch over Onara and Ben," he said firmly, his shoulders straight, his head uplifted. "She'll not harm them. I promise you."
Obi-Wan looked up at his apprentice, his blue-gray eyes brimming with warmth and pride.
"Thank you, Padawan," he said, his voice thick with gratitude as he reached over and squeezed Anakin's arm. "I know how much you want to come with me, and I will sorely miss having you at my side, but it will put my heart at ease knowing you are here watching over them."
----------
Tsara smiled thinly as she rode in the covered transport which was taking her to Edress's province. K'lia was a fool, as were those Jedi. Her black eyes narrowed. Did they think she did not have a back-up plan? She hadn't lived this long without learning the value of always having a way out of any situation. While she had been under guard at the manor, she had convinced one of the servants still loyal to her to sneak her a small transmitter. She had then secretly contacted Edress and arranged for him to have his men waiting near the border to free her.
Now, as she was being taken to the capital city of his province by his men, she wondered if she would have to get rid of Edress in order to carry out her plans for vengeance against K'lia and the Jedi. He had helped her but, she had noted, he had seemed very reluctant to do so.
If she did have to get rid of him, she would have to find new allies. K'lia did not have many enemies on Ahjane, so that could present a problem. She idly rubbed her dress between her fingers as she thought, the transport humming beneath her. Then, as she felt the roughness of the fabric, her blood surged.
She looked down at the plain brown shift and rough-hewn sandals she had been required to wear for the banishment ritual. Peasant clothing! Her withered cheeks burned with shame and anger. She would see to it personally that all of them paid for the humiliation she had suffered! Every last one of them, but especially that Jedi brat, Anakin Skywalker.
She would make sure he suffered the most as compensation for what he had done when he had forced her to tell K'lia of her plans. Then, once K'lia and the Jedi were out of the way she would claim her great-grandson and, with her as his mentor, raise him to become the most powerful and most feared man on Ahjane.
---------------
Count Dooku, his hands at his side, stood straight and tall. Even at his advanced age there was no droop in his shoulders or curving of his spine. His tall frame was just as commanding as it had been when he had been newly knighted into the Jedi Order all those years ago. Then he had stood proud before Jedi Master Yoda. Now, decades later, he stood equally as proud as the holographic image which was being transmitted from Coruscant to his homeworld of Serenno formed within his private chamber.
"What is thy bidding, my Master?" Dooku intoned in his dark, rich voice as he gracefully dropped to one knee.
"Darth Tyranus," the image of Darth Sidious hissed, his face, as always, partially hidden by the dark cowl of his hood. "I have a new assignment for you."
Dooku inclined his head. It did not matter what his master asked of him, he would do it. Without question and without hesitation.
"I am pleased with your work so far regarding the Separatist movement," Sidious went on. "Your work must proceed unabated and is, of course, of the highest priority but, when you have time, I would like you to pay a visit to Ahjane."
Dooku frowned. "Ahjane, Master?"
He had heard of Ahjane. A minor planet in an equally minor system. He couldn't imagine what could be of importance on such an insignificant world or what had drawn his master's attention to it.
"Yes. I want you to contact someone there."
"Whom, Master?"
"A woman by the name of Lady Tsara."
--------------
Obi-Wan finished packing his travel satchel. He looked around the guest room, making sure he hadn't forgotten anything. Then he turned as Master Eo entered the room. He bowed to the Jedi Healer. The Quarren returned his bow.
"Are you ready, Master Obi-Wan?"
"Yes, I just need to say goodbye to Anakin, Onara and Ben."
"Anakin is with Ben. K'lia has stationed guards both inside and outside the nursery. He's also had a security grid activated about the section of the manor where the nursery is located. There are guards patrolling the grounds along with security droids. There are also guards stationed outside Onara's room, though I do not believe Lady Tsara has any interest in her. It is your son she craves."
Obi-Wan nodded. He still did not feel comfortable leaving Ahjane with Lady Tsara running about loose, but he was confident K'lia would take all the necessary precautions to protect his daughter and grandson. And Anakin was here.
Obi-Wan looked over at Master Eo. He hesitated in speaking, for he had already asked so much of the healer. Eo, his face tentacles wriggling in what Obi-Wan had learned was the Quarren equivalent of a smile, reached over and put his hand on Obi-Wan's shoulder.
"You don't have to ask, Master Obi-Wan. I will remain here until you return. I will monitor Onara's condition and help Anakin watch over your family."
Obi-Wan jumped at the word. Family. Yes, he supposed that's what Onara and Ben were now. His family. Although, since Onara was still married to Edress, she was not his wife, but she was the mother of his child.
"Thank you, Master Eo. I know you have duties at the Temple---."
"They can wait."
Obi-Wan sighed and lowered his head.
"I suppose I should at least contact Master Yoda before I leave. So much has happened." He pressed his palm to his forehead. "Anakin and I ignored a summons from the Council to come here. I've never done such a thing before. I don't fear for myself, however, but I shouldn't have brought Anakin with me. I'm jeopardizing his future in the Jedi Order."
"I wouldn't worry, Master Obi-Wan. Don't forget," and Eo tilted his huge head, his turquoise eyes bright with humor, "as master to an apprentice you have the great honor of being totally responsible for the actions of your Padawan. If Anakin came here as a result of your directive, which he did, he will not be deemed at fault. You, however---"
Obi-Wan shook his head as he picked up his lightsaber and attached it to his belt.
"I'm not worried about me. I just don't want Anakin to suffer for my....my..."
Obi-Wan stopped. He wasn't sure how to define his actions of late. Mistakes? Misjudgments? What had happened to him? He had done things the past few days he would never have imagined doing in a thousand years. Ignoring a summons from the Council. Calling on the dark side of the Force. Running off to find an insane ex-Jedi Master.
Suddenly, Obi-Wan wished Qui-Gon were alive so that he could unburden to his master all that was in his heart and ask him if he was doing the right thing. For nearly all of his life, Obi-Wan had served the Jedi Order. Everything he'd done had been, not for personal gain or want, but in service to that Order and to the Republic.
Obi-Wan frowned. He was well aware that saving Onara's life would not benefit either the Jedi Order or the Republic. But, and a wave of emotion swept through him, saving her life would benefit him. Because he needed her. Needed her in a way he had never needed anything or anyone before.
He had not lied to K'lia. Onara was his heart, and he had risked his very soul to bring her back from the abyss. And, he realized, if he had it all to do again, he would not hesitate to do what he had done in bringing her back. But, and a chill tricked down his spine, what did that say about him? Then Obi-Wan felt Eo's hand squeezing his shoulder.
"I know what you're going through, Master Obi-Wan. It's not easy knowing which decision to make, what path to follow. Should you follow your heart or do your duty? I felt the same way when my master was expelled from the Order. I understood the reasons for doing it, but I never accepted it in my heart."
"It is hard, Master Eo," Obi-Wan agreed. "But, I know what Qui-Gon would have done in a situation like this."
Eo's face tentacles wriggled. "Yes, we both know what he would have done." He gently pushed Obi-Wan towards the door. "So, go and do it."
Obi-Wan grinned. "I'll return as soon as I can with Master Sinja-Bau."
"I know you will. Of that I have no doubt. And don't worry, I will contact Master Yoda myself and apprise him of the situation."
"Thank you, Master Eo," Obi-Wan said as he bowed to him.
Obi-Wan picked up his travel satchel. Just as he was going through the door, he heard Eo's voice.
"May the Force be with you, Obi-Wan."
Obi-Wan stopped. For the first time that phrase had a different meaning for him than its customary one. He now hoped that, as a result of his having touched the dark side, the Force had not abandoned him.
"And with you, Master Eo." Then Obi-Wan hesitated. "Keep them safe until I return," he said, his voice thick.
"I will."
To be continued.....
First Knight - Part Nineteen
----------------
"Ben? Obi-Wan, what kind of a name is Ben?" Onara asked, laughing softly.
Onara, Obi-Wan, Anakin and K'lia were in the gardens behind the manor. It was later that morning. Onara had regained some of her strength although, Anakin had noted, such moments came and went with alarming rapidity. She was lying on a chaise lounge, thick, turquoise-colored pillows heaped behind her back. She had insisted she felt strong enough to walk, but Obi- Wan had ignored her, sweeping her up in his arms from the bed and carrying her into the garden.
Obi-Wan was sitting next to her in a chair, K'lia on her other side, while Anakin was lying on the grass, hands behind his head, his eyes closed. The honeyroses were still in bloom and, amid the lazy buzz and hum of the myriad insects floating about the heavy-headed golden flowers, and the warmth of the sun bathing his face, he had listened drowsily to her and Obi- Wan discussing names for their son. They had gone through what had sounded to Anakin like every male name in existence. Then Obi-Wan had offered up the name Ben. Anakin opened one eye and looked over at Onara.
"Ben," she went on, smiling, shaking her head. "Obi-Wan, dear, that's not a name. It's too short to be a name."
Obi-Wan frowned at her. He looked over at K'lia.
"What do you think of the name, sir?" Obi-Wan asked him.
"Hmmm, it is a bit unusual, but I like it. It sounds strong. Simple, but strong."
Obi-Wan looked over at Onara and, head tilted, gave her an I-told-you-so- look with his eyes. She shook her head again, her lips still curled in a smile.
"But it's so short," she insisted. She looked over at Anakin.
"What do you think of it, Anakin?"
Anakin opened his eyes and rose to a sitting position.
"I like it," he said without hesitation. "It sounds like the name of a man you can trust. That you know will always be there for you. That you can turn to for help, and he'll drop everything and come running."
Then he blushed, fearing he had said too much, but he was pleased to see his master was smiling at him. Obi-Wan looked back at Onara. She had been starting quietly at Anakin as he had spoken, her dark eyes thoughtful. She looked over at Obi-Wan.
"He sounds as if he's talking about you, and my dearest hope is that our son will be just like his father," she said softly. "All right. It's settled then. Ben it will be. Ben Kenobi."
-----------------------
Anakin fidgeted. This banishment ritual was taking far too long. It was later that day. The ritual was being held in a small amphitheater in the capital city, which was located some miles from K'lia's manor. Onara, of course, was too ill to be present and her aunts had elected not to attend. However, K'lia, Obi-Wan, Anakin and members of the Assembly, the legislative arm of the ruling body of Dynast K'lia's province, were in attendance.
Lady Tsara stood in the center of the amphitheater, flanked by two guards. She was no longer dressed in her opulent robes, but wore only a simple, brown shift. Her feet were clad in rough sandals and her gray hair had been loosened from its intricate curls and lay about her shoulders.
Her wrinkled face continued to blaze defiance, as it had done all through the tedious, convoluted intonations of the ritual of banishment. If it had been up to him, Anakin would have just given her a swift kick in the backside, but the Ahjane were obsessed with tradition. Everything had to be done correctly and according to custom.
Now, finally, K'lia rose to speak. The elderly Dynast stood behind the podium located within the ring of seats that circled high above the floor of the amphitheater. He looked down at his mother. For a long moment he did not speak and, heart thumping, Anakin wondered if K'lia was having a change of heart. He had seemed to be completely under his mother's thumb, but that was before Tsara's conduct regarding her granddaughter had finally endangered Onara's life. The Dynast cleared his throat.
"According to the practices of our people, which have come down to us through the years of fire and pain, and through the years of joy and beauty, I banish you, Tsara, daughter of Siole. You are banned from seeking either solace or succor within the boundaries of this province. You are banned from its valleys and its mountains, from its fields and its villages, and you may not return to it upon pain of death."
Anakin looked down at Tsara. Her expression had not changed. If anything it had grown fiercer. She looked over at Anakin, and he felt himself almost knocked down by the vehemence of her glare. He frowned down at her, letting her know he wasn't afraid of her. She stared at him for a long moment, then returned the fire of her gaze back to her son. Anakin saw she was about to speak, but K'lia raised his hand. The guards quickly grabbed Tsara.
"You haven't heard the last of me," Tsara screeched as she was dragged away. "I'll have my revenge on you all. Especially you, Jedi brat! Curse you! Curse you all to hell!"
Her voice echoed in the amphitheater long after she had disappeared into the door that led to the cells below the amphitheater where she would be held until she was escorted to the border. Anakin released a breath. Although he was pleased to see Tsara get her just reward, it had not been a pleasant experience.
The naming ceremony for Obi-Wan and Onara's son, however, which had been held just a few hours earlier, had been far more pleasant. K'lia had conducted it at the manor, and the child had been named Ben Gavon Kenobi, Gavon being Onara's family name.
Anakin looked over to where Obi-Wan was standing next to K'lia. His master's expression had remained the same throughout the entire banishment ceremony. Calm and unruffled, his face revealing nothing of what he was feeling. K'lia, his body trembling slightly once his mother had disappeared into the bowels of the amphitheater, lowered his head. Obi-Wan reached over and put a hand on his shoulder.
The Dynast raised his head and Anakin saw the two exchange words, though he could not hear what they were saying. Then K'lia turned and left the podium with the rest of the Assembly. Anakin walked over to Obi-Wan who was still staring out at the dusty floor of the amphitheater.
"Well, she's gone, Master," Anakin said. "And good riddance, I say."
Obi-Wan turned and fixed his apprentice with an appraising look.
"Were you aware, Anakin, that there is a saying among the Yamara warriors of the planet Gend that vengeance is like a Karasian snake? Are you familiar with it?"
"With what? Vengeance?"
"No, the Karasian snake."
Anakin shook his head no.
"Ummm. Well, the Karasian snake, if it's not careful when it bites its prey, can wind up poisoning itself. It's the same with vengeance. Be mindful of that."
"Yes, Master. But, are you saying that Lady Tsara should not have been banished?"
"No, I'm not saying that, Anakin. But vengeance breeds vengeance, my young apprentice, the way maggots breed maggots."
------------------------
"How could this have happened?" K'lia raged.
He paced angrily back and forth across the carpet of his office in the Assembly building. He, Anakin and Obi-Wan had gone there so that K'lia could officially enter Ben's name into the Assembly records as his heir. While doing so the captain of the Assembly guard had rushed in with the news that Lady Tsara had escaped the guards who had been assigned to escort her to the border.
Tsara was supposed to have been released into the Veshone wilderness, a harsh, mountainous region dotted with only, or so Anakin had been told, small, meager outposts and some equally dismal mining settlements. The vehicle she and the guards had been riding in had been discovered abandoned a kilometer from the border. The guards had been murdered and Tsara was nowhere to be found.
"She's an old woman," K'lia cried. "She couldn't have killed those guards herself."
The guard captain nodded in agreement.
"They were four of my best men, Dynast. She must have had help."
"Find her, Captain. I don't care how long it takes or how many men you have to use, find her."
"Yes, Dynast."
The captain saluted and left the office. K'lia looked over at Obi-Wan, his expression sick.
"She'll try to take Ben," he said to the Jedi. "She won't stop until she has him."
Obi-Wan's eyes reflected K'lia's concern. "I know."
"I'll have guards assigned to the manor."
Obi-Wan nodded. He drew in and released a deep breath.
"I should stay. Watch over Onara and Ben until she's found, but I have to go. I must find Sinja-Bau."
Anakin walked over and stood before Obi-Wan.
"I'll stay, Master. I'll watch over Onara and Ben," he said firmly, his shoulders straight, his head uplifted. "She'll not harm them. I promise you."
Obi-Wan looked up at his apprentice, his blue-gray eyes brimming with warmth and pride.
"Thank you, Padawan," he said, his voice thick with gratitude as he reached over and squeezed Anakin's arm. "I know how much you want to come with me, and I will sorely miss having you at my side, but it will put my heart at ease knowing you are here watching over them."
----------
Tsara smiled thinly as she rode in the covered transport which was taking her to Edress's province. K'lia was a fool, as were those Jedi. Her black eyes narrowed. Did they think she did not have a back-up plan? She hadn't lived this long without learning the value of always having a way out of any situation. While she had been under guard at the manor, she had convinced one of the servants still loyal to her to sneak her a small transmitter. She had then secretly contacted Edress and arranged for him to have his men waiting near the border to free her.
Now, as she was being taken to the capital city of his province by his men, she wondered if she would have to get rid of Edress in order to carry out her plans for vengeance against K'lia and the Jedi. He had helped her but, she had noted, he had seemed very reluctant to do so.
If she did have to get rid of him, she would have to find new allies. K'lia did not have many enemies on Ahjane, so that could present a problem. She idly rubbed her dress between her fingers as she thought, the transport humming beneath her. Then, as she felt the roughness of the fabric, her blood surged.
She looked down at the plain brown shift and rough-hewn sandals she had been required to wear for the banishment ritual. Peasant clothing! Her withered cheeks burned with shame and anger. She would see to it personally that all of them paid for the humiliation she had suffered! Every last one of them, but especially that Jedi brat, Anakin Skywalker.
She would make sure he suffered the most as compensation for what he had done when he had forced her to tell K'lia of her plans. Then, once K'lia and the Jedi were out of the way she would claim her great-grandson and, with her as his mentor, raise him to become the most powerful and most feared man on Ahjane.
---------------
Count Dooku, his hands at his side, stood straight and tall. Even at his advanced age there was no droop in his shoulders or curving of his spine. His tall frame was just as commanding as it had been when he had been newly knighted into the Jedi Order all those years ago. Then he had stood proud before Jedi Master Yoda. Now, decades later, he stood equally as proud as the holographic image which was being transmitted from Coruscant to his homeworld of Serenno formed within his private chamber.
"What is thy bidding, my Master?" Dooku intoned in his dark, rich voice as he gracefully dropped to one knee.
"Darth Tyranus," the image of Darth Sidious hissed, his face, as always, partially hidden by the dark cowl of his hood. "I have a new assignment for you."
Dooku inclined his head. It did not matter what his master asked of him, he would do it. Without question and without hesitation.
"I am pleased with your work so far regarding the Separatist movement," Sidious went on. "Your work must proceed unabated and is, of course, of the highest priority but, when you have time, I would like you to pay a visit to Ahjane."
Dooku frowned. "Ahjane, Master?"
He had heard of Ahjane. A minor planet in an equally minor system. He couldn't imagine what could be of importance on such an insignificant world or what had drawn his master's attention to it.
"Yes. I want you to contact someone there."
"Whom, Master?"
"A woman by the name of Lady Tsara."
--------------
Obi-Wan finished packing his travel satchel. He looked around the guest room, making sure he hadn't forgotten anything. Then he turned as Master Eo entered the room. He bowed to the Jedi Healer. The Quarren returned his bow.
"Are you ready, Master Obi-Wan?"
"Yes, I just need to say goodbye to Anakin, Onara and Ben."
"Anakin is with Ben. K'lia has stationed guards both inside and outside the nursery. He's also had a security grid activated about the section of the manor where the nursery is located. There are guards patrolling the grounds along with security droids. There are also guards stationed outside Onara's room, though I do not believe Lady Tsara has any interest in her. It is your son she craves."
Obi-Wan nodded. He still did not feel comfortable leaving Ahjane with Lady Tsara running about loose, but he was confident K'lia would take all the necessary precautions to protect his daughter and grandson. And Anakin was here.
Obi-Wan looked over at Master Eo. He hesitated in speaking, for he had already asked so much of the healer. Eo, his face tentacles wriggling in what Obi-Wan had learned was the Quarren equivalent of a smile, reached over and put his hand on Obi-Wan's shoulder.
"You don't have to ask, Master Obi-Wan. I will remain here until you return. I will monitor Onara's condition and help Anakin watch over your family."
Obi-Wan jumped at the word. Family. Yes, he supposed that's what Onara and Ben were now. His family. Although, since Onara was still married to Edress, she was not his wife, but she was the mother of his child.
"Thank you, Master Eo. I know you have duties at the Temple---."
"They can wait."
Obi-Wan sighed and lowered his head.
"I suppose I should at least contact Master Yoda before I leave. So much has happened." He pressed his palm to his forehead. "Anakin and I ignored a summons from the Council to come here. I've never done such a thing before. I don't fear for myself, however, but I shouldn't have brought Anakin with me. I'm jeopardizing his future in the Jedi Order."
"I wouldn't worry, Master Obi-Wan. Don't forget," and Eo tilted his huge head, his turquoise eyes bright with humor, "as master to an apprentice you have the great honor of being totally responsible for the actions of your Padawan. If Anakin came here as a result of your directive, which he did, he will not be deemed at fault. You, however---"
Obi-Wan shook his head as he picked up his lightsaber and attached it to his belt.
"I'm not worried about me. I just don't want Anakin to suffer for my....my..."
Obi-Wan stopped. He wasn't sure how to define his actions of late. Mistakes? Misjudgments? What had happened to him? He had done things the past few days he would never have imagined doing in a thousand years. Ignoring a summons from the Council. Calling on the dark side of the Force. Running off to find an insane ex-Jedi Master.
Suddenly, Obi-Wan wished Qui-Gon were alive so that he could unburden to his master all that was in his heart and ask him if he was doing the right thing. For nearly all of his life, Obi-Wan had served the Jedi Order. Everything he'd done had been, not for personal gain or want, but in service to that Order and to the Republic.
Obi-Wan frowned. He was well aware that saving Onara's life would not benefit either the Jedi Order or the Republic. But, and a wave of emotion swept through him, saving her life would benefit him. Because he needed her. Needed her in a way he had never needed anything or anyone before.
He had not lied to K'lia. Onara was his heart, and he had risked his very soul to bring her back from the abyss. And, he realized, if he had it all to do again, he would not hesitate to do what he had done in bringing her back. But, and a chill tricked down his spine, what did that say about him? Then Obi-Wan felt Eo's hand squeezing his shoulder.
"I know what you're going through, Master Obi-Wan. It's not easy knowing which decision to make, what path to follow. Should you follow your heart or do your duty? I felt the same way when my master was expelled from the Order. I understood the reasons for doing it, but I never accepted it in my heart."
"It is hard, Master Eo," Obi-Wan agreed. "But, I know what Qui-Gon would have done in a situation like this."
Eo's face tentacles wriggled. "Yes, we both know what he would have done." He gently pushed Obi-Wan towards the door. "So, go and do it."
Obi-Wan grinned. "I'll return as soon as I can with Master Sinja-Bau."
"I know you will. Of that I have no doubt. And don't worry, I will contact Master Yoda myself and apprise him of the situation."
"Thank you, Master Eo," Obi-Wan said as he bowed to him.
Obi-Wan picked up his travel satchel. Just as he was going through the door, he heard Eo's voice.
"May the Force be with you, Obi-Wan."
Obi-Wan stopped. For the first time that phrase had a different meaning for him than its customary one. He now hoped that, as a result of his having touched the dark side, the Force had not abandoned him.
"And with you, Master Eo." Then Obi-Wan hesitated. "Keep them safe until I return," he said, his voice thick.
"I will."
To be continued.....