See Disclaimers on Chapter One!
A/N: This is just the 2/3 of Chapter 9. I have not posted in so long that I wanted to go ahead and put this up even though it is not complete. I am waiting for surgery in Jan and have been put on morphine while waiting, which is not really a good thing for someone who wants to write. This will be updated in fits and starts because i am not usually lucid enough to write....so please know i am not stopping the story, but will be spotty till mid February probably. I have surgery on jan 21, and will be in the hospital/physical therapy center for 3-4 weeks. Please don't give up on me, i priomise this fic will be finished eventually! And for all who are still reading, thanks so much! I will try not to let so much time go between updates, even if it is only a partial chapter like this one.
***************************
Chapter 9: Getting There
***************************
~~ I can't BELIEVE I'm on my way back to the ole fishin' hole. ~~
Obi Wan Kenobi smirked to himself in the mirror as the mental image of his long days on Solinia trudged through his mind.
~~ Yoda promised me no more of that; I'll resign my place in the Order before I ever. Go. Fishing . . . Again! ~~
Anakin glanced worriedly at his new guardian. From his spot behind Obi- Wan, he noticed the young Jedi alternately chewing on his bottom lip and glowering thunderously; occasionally he did both at the same time. Agitation was rolling off of him in waves. Kenobi wasn't actually speaking to Anakin through their bond, but the boy could still catch the general mind-set of his friend. It wasn't happy.
Ani ran his fingers through Kenobi's hair, checking for sections he may have missed. Snipping at a stray strand of the ginger colored locks, the boy ventured a glance at his mentor's reflection.
*I kind of like to fish, Mas . . . Obi-Wan. * A hint of a smile, encouraging.
The blank stare Anakin received made it clear that Obi Wan was not in the mood for encouragement. "Are you through there, Anakin? I'd like to look over the mission specs again." The tone was businesslike but not unkind. No reason to take his frustration out on the boy.
Ani's expression turned serious as he clinically examined Obi Wan's hair. The young man's brow knit as he concentrated on his task. A few snips later, Skywalker declared his masterpiece complete. "I think that's done, sir." Obi Wan glanced at the mirror absently. He really didn't care much about the haircut, but Anakin had REALLY wanted to do it for him, rather than let Kenobi have it done at the Temple. It had taken longer than anticipated for the technician to return Obi Wan's hair to its normal reddish blonde, and who knew how long he would have been kept waiting for an actual haircut.
They had been in a hurry, and letting the boy cut his hair had saved time. ~~Force! ~~ Obi Wan stared at himself, a bit startled. ~~I look just like I did on Naboo! Minus the braid and ponytail, that is.~~ Kenobi had been so engrossed in self-pity that he had totally ignored the assault that was being perpetrated on his hair.
One last uncertain glance at his new/old look, then Kenobi turned in his chair and faced the boy. "It's, uh . . . A bit short, isn't it, Anakin?" The boy's face fell, his head lowering perceptibly. "No, hey, Ani, it's fine." Kenobi reached out and patted the thin shoulder. "I'm just not used to it. I haven't had my hair this way for years." Anakin glanced up, looking a bit reassured.
"I'm sorry, Master. It's the only haircut I know how to do. You know, the Padawan cut. They teach us so we can keep our own hair neat and straight after we're apprenticed . . . " The boy looked chagrined.
"Yes, well, you did a fine job. Soon you'll be trimming your own Padawan cut, I'm sure." He ran his fingers through the short hair. Obi Wan grinned brightly. "Hey, it won't be getting into my eyes anymore, that's for sure!"
With that, Kenobi stood and stretched the kinks out of his legs. "I'm going to relax in our cabin for a while, go over the briefing again. Why don't you wander up to the cockpit and bother Garen for a bit?" Anakin nodded and smiled widely. "You can tell him everything he's doing wrong." Kenobi winked conspiratorially and turned toward the sleeping cabins. Catching his reflection briefly as he did so, a sigh escaped him. ~~ It will grow back. It will grow back . . . ~~
************
Mace Windu stared at the little green troll, not even bothering to hide his consternation.
"Do you really believe it was wise to send Skywalker along on this mission, Master Yoda?" The tone was tense, the words clipped.
Yoda continued munching on his cookie, as usual taking advantage of Mace's hospitality. "Would I have done it, if wise I did not consider it? The boy must stay with Kenobi. This, the Force is demanding. To separate them would be . . . Foolish."
"I see." In fact, Windu did NOT see, but knew better than to argue with Yoda when the small Master had his mind set on something.
"Worry, you should not. Kenobi is an experienced Knight, one of our best. Muln, as well, very competent. Work well together, they do, friends since the creche." The crunching continued, makingWindu reconsider his long tradition of leaving cookies out for Yoda.
"Yes, but Muln has only been a Knight for two cycles . . . " Mace began, not quite whining.
The stern look Yoda gave his friend closed that particular line of questioning. "Able to handle this, Garen is. Kenobi's mission this is, Muln has only to watch and learn. Experience must be gained somehow. As far as the boy goes . . . " Yoda stopped chewing as his small body stilled. His large eyes unfocused and drooping. "Meant to be together, the boy and Kenobi are. Imperative we not dismiss this. Three years ago, separated they had to be, but now. Now, on this all depends. Skywalker can have no other Master." Yoda's eyes returned to stare at Mace.
Windu's troubled stare rested heavily on his friend's. "'No other Master'? What did you See, Yoda?" The large man leaned forward intently.
Yoda's large ears drooped. "Ever in motion, the future is. We will keep Kenobi and Skywalker together, and the path of the Light will be served. For this, did Qui Gon perish. If Jinn had been Master to the boy . . . All would be lost."
Windu shook his head, bewildered. "You can't be seriously telling me that Qui Gon Jinn, arguably our best, an experienced Master with decades of training, is dead now because Kenobi, a young, barely tried Jedi, exceptional though he is, not a seasoned Master, is a better mentor for Skywalker than Qui Gon would have been? Is that what you're telling me?" Windu's annoyance was obvious, just this side of true anger.
Master Yoda glared at his fellow Council member. "No! Telling you that, I am not! Not a better Master will Kenobi make. The ONLY Master. All others lead to Darkness. Kenobi himself would have led to Dark as well, had he trained the boy when requested, on Naboo. Take the boy as Padawan at the right time, and disaster will be averted. Take him too soon or too late, and the Darkness will fall."
Mace shook his head, confused. "So you're saying that if Kenobi, and no one BUT Kenobi, takes the boy as an apprentice at JUST the right time, all will be well. But take him at any OTHER time, and the boy will turn? I assume that is what you mean by Darkness? And somehow Skywalker's turning will be the end of us all?" Mace stared intently, digesting this new information.
Yoda grabbed another cookie and stood to leave. "Understood me, you almost have." The small Master thumped his way toward the door as he chewed. He turned briefly as the door slid open. "One point, make clear I must: It is not Skywalker's turning I speak of. Anakin, the danger once was. No longer." Yoda shook his head sadly and walked out, muttering, "No longer . . . "
The door slid closed and the thumping receded. Mace stared after Yoda for several long moments, absently rubbing the large bruise on his shin from his most recent thwacking. He had a bad feeling about this.
******************
The cockpit door if the starship Serenity swished open with a soft whoosh, admitting Anakin Skywalker into the small control room. The boy swept his eyes hungrily over the controls, resting on the mocha-brown hands of the man currently piloting the small provate transport.
Garen's fingers flew surely over the controls, setting their route and giving the ship instructions to alert him when the time came to return to normal space. Sensing that his new companion was not his old childhood friend, but the youngster accompannying him, Garen unlatched his safety harness and swiveled to face the boy.
"Please, Anakin Skywalker, have a seat there in the co-pilot's chair. Just don't touch anything." The warm brown eyes gave him a wink; Garen knew full well that Anakin was most probably a superior pilot to himself, although likely not rated to fly Kenobi's prescious little transport.
Anakin smiled shyly and gave a short bow before sitting beside the tall brown Knight. "Thank you, Knight Muln. And please, call me Anakin. Or Ani."
Muln's eyebrows rose at this. Obi Wan had related to him the anger this boy had shown when Kenobi addressed Skywalker by what the boy considered a derogative, childish nickname. "Ok, then, Ani. To what do I owe this visit?"
Anakin grinned, a guileless expression. "Knight Kenobi told me I should come tell you what you're doing wrong." The grin turned mischevious.
Garen's low chuckle filled the small space. "Oh, ho! He did, did he? Well. I will have to leave him to his illusions then. Good pilots like us probably make him feel his own inadequacies most profoundly." Another wink, conspiratorially.
"Yes, I have heard you're one of the best pilots in the Order, Knight Muln..." Anakin began.
"No, no." The large sable hand came up in a silencing gesture. "Garen, please. Just Garen. Knight Muln makes me think I'm in front of the Council or something."
Both Jedi shuddered at that thought.
The boy smiled and nodded. "Ok, Garen. I hope to be as good a pilot as I hear you are, someday."
Garen smiled, puzzled. ~~ This is the arrogant Chosen One I have heard about? Someone has a funny notion of what arrogance is. ~~
"Well if Temple gossip is true, you will have no problem surpassing me in flying skills, if you haven't alredy, my boy." The Knight shifted back in his chair and plopped his feet up on a section of the control panel, careful to steer clear of any actual levers or buttons. "So, whatcha wanna talk about, Ani? It's a long ride to Solinia, and these trips can get rather boring."
Anakin perked up and leaned forward in his chair. "Knight Kenobi, uhh, Obi Wan, told me you have been friends since you were both infants."
Garen grinned and nodded. "Yes, yes that's true. I would go so far to say he is my best friend. And I don't think it would be presumptuous of me to say I am his." A thoughtful look. "Well, me and Bant, anyway. Bant and Obi Wan are so close they're practically one person! Always have been. But Obi Wan and I, being both guys, you know what I mean. We have a 'guy thing' that is impossible to have with a friend that is a female." A shrug. "You know what I mean."
The expression on Anakin's face told Garen that the youth did in fact NOT know what he meant. He filed that thought away and chose not to comment on it.
Skywalker's pensiveness held on for a few seconds, then lifted. "Well, I was wondering if you could tell me some stories of you and Master Kenobi when you were padawans. I bet you got into some interesting situations." The grin was wheedling, clearly asking for tidbits that his friend might not want the boy to know about.
"Oh, I don't know if your Master would like that. He was quite a troublemaker, we both were, and I wouldn't want to get in trouble with him for corrupting his Padawan." Garen smiled. He had some stories, boy did he have some stories! Somehow he didn't think Obi Wan would appreciate him relating most of these memories, most especially the one about Obi's 20th Naming Day party. No, his friend would not appreciate that at all.
Garen snapped out of his reverie to see a distraught Anakin sitting before him.
The boy's face had fallen, and his gaze fixed on the floor. Small nimble hands fiddled in his lap. Anakin's next words were soft and full of longing. "Master Kenobi isn't MY MASTER. It's just an honorific. I'm just an Initiate along for the ride." Feet shuffling and a slight trembling illustrated how important this subject was to Skywalker, and how painful.
Garen's face showed puzzlement. "Oh. Well, I wondered how it could be that Obi Wan had taken a Padawan without anyone knowing. You two just seem so attuned to one another, even just in the few minutes I have seen you together, I assumed...Well I assumed you just hadn't gotten the haircut yet. Then I wondered why Obi Wan got the haircut instead!" His laughter was rich and filled the compartment.
Anakin brightened at that and looked up smiling. "Yes, that was my fault. I asked to cut his hair and it's the only way I know how."
"Did he get very angry?" Garen knew how much Obi Wan hated that 'ridiculous parody of a haircut' as he called it.
Anakin shook his head, his blonde hair rustling with the movement. "No, no, I could tell he was less than happy, but he didn't get mad."
Garen whistled low. "Well then he must like you, a lot! If *I* did that to his hair, which, just between you and me, he fusses over way too much and has a pride unbecoming a Jedi concerning it, well...I'd be sitting here bald after he Force-suggested me to sleep and shaved my head in retaliation!"
Anakin grinned at the mental picture of a snarling Obi Wan knelt over his unconscious friend, shaver in hand and brown curls falling in sheets to the floor.
** Where in the Sith Hells did THAT come from, Ani?! **
"Uh-Oh," Anakin said. "Busted."
*******************
This chapter will be updated soon! Two thirds done now.
A/N: This is just the 2/3 of Chapter 9. I have not posted in so long that I wanted to go ahead and put this up even though it is not complete. I am waiting for surgery in Jan and have been put on morphine while waiting, which is not really a good thing for someone who wants to write. This will be updated in fits and starts because i am not usually lucid enough to write....so please know i am not stopping the story, but will be spotty till mid February probably. I have surgery on jan 21, and will be in the hospital/physical therapy center for 3-4 weeks. Please don't give up on me, i priomise this fic will be finished eventually! And for all who are still reading, thanks so much! I will try not to let so much time go between updates, even if it is only a partial chapter like this one.
***************************
Chapter 9: Getting There
***************************
~~ I can't BELIEVE I'm on my way back to the ole fishin' hole. ~~
Obi Wan Kenobi smirked to himself in the mirror as the mental image of his long days on Solinia trudged through his mind.
~~ Yoda promised me no more of that; I'll resign my place in the Order before I ever. Go. Fishing . . . Again! ~~
Anakin glanced worriedly at his new guardian. From his spot behind Obi- Wan, he noticed the young Jedi alternately chewing on his bottom lip and glowering thunderously; occasionally he did both at the same time. Agitation was rolling off of him in waves. Kenobi wasn't actually speaking to Anakin through their bond, but the boy could still catch the general mind-set of his friend. It wasn't happy.
Ani ran his fingers through Kenobi's hair, checking for sections he may have missed. Snipping at a stray strand of the ginger colored locks, the boy ventured a glance at his mentor's reflection.
*I kind of like to fish, Mas . . . Obi-Wan. * A hint of a smile, encouraging.
The blank stare Anakin received made it clear that Obi Wan was not in the mood for encouragement. "Are you through there, Anakin? I'd like to look over the mission specs again." The tone was businesslike but not unkind. No reason to take his frustration out on the boy.
Ani's expression turned serious as he clinically examined Obi Wan's hair. The young man's brow knit as he concentrated on his task. A few snips later, Skywalker declared his masterpiece complete. "I think that's done, sir." Obi Wan glanced at the mirror absently. He really didn't care much about the haircut, but Anakin had REALLY wanted to do it for him, rather than let Kenobi have it done at the Temple. It had taken longer than anticipated for the technician to return Obi Wan's hair to its normal reddish blonde, and who knew how long he would have been kept waiting for an actual haircut.
They had been in a hurry, and letting the boy cut his hair had saved time. ~~Force! ~~ Obi Wan stared at himself, a bit startled. ~~I look just like I did on Naboo! Minus the braid and ponytail, that is.~~ Kenobi had been so engrossed in self-pity that he had totally ignored the assault that was being perpetrated on his hair.
One last uncertain glance at his new/old look, then Kenobi turned in his chair and faced the boy. "It's, uh . . . A bit short, isn't it, Anakin?" The boy's face fell, his head lowering perceptibly. "No, hey, Ani, it's fine." Kenobi reached out and patted the thin shoulder. "I'm just not used to it. I haven't had my hair this way for years." Anakin glanced up, looking a bit reassured.
"I'm sorry, Master. It's the only haircut I know how to do. You know, the Padawan cut. They teach us so we can keep our own hair neat and straight after we're apprenticed . . . " The boy looked chagrined.
"Yes, well, you did a fine job. Soon you'll be trimming your own Padawan cut, I'm sure." He ran his fingers through the short hair. Obi Wan grinned brightly. "Hey, it won't be getting into my eyes anymore, that's for sure!"
With that, Kenobi stood and stretched the kinks out of his legs. "I'm going to relax in our cabin for a while, go over the briefing again. Why don't you wander up to the cockpit and bother Garen for a bit?" Anakin nodded and smiled widely. "You can tell him everything he's doing wrong." Kenobi winked conspiratorially and turned toward the sleeping cabins. Catching his reflection briefly as he did so, a sigh escaped him. ~~ It will grow back. It will grow back . . . ~~
************
Mace Windu stared at the little green troll, not even bothering to hide his consternation.
"Do you really believe it was wise to send Skywalker along on this mission, Master Yoda?" The tone was tense, the words clipped.
Yoda continued munching on his cookie, as usual taking advantage of Mace's hospitality. "Would I have done it, if wise I did not consider it? The boy must stay with Kenobi. This, the Force is demanding. To separate them would be . . . Foolish."
"I see." In fact, Windu did NOT see, but knew better than to argue with Yoda when the small Master had his mind set on something.
"Worry, you should not. Kenobi is an experienced Knight, one of our best. Muln, as well, very competent. Work well together, they do, friends since the creche." The crunching continued, makingWindu reconsider his long tradition of leaving cookies out for Yoda.
"Yes, but Muln has only been a Knight for two cycles . . . " Mace began, not quite whining.
The stern look Yoda gave his friend closed that particular line of questioning. "Able to handle this, Garen is. Kenobi's mission this is, Muln has only to watch and learn. Experience must be gained somehow. As far as the boy goes . . . " Yoda stopped chewing as his small body stilled. His large eyes unfocused and drooping. "Meant to be together, the boy and Kenobi are. Imperative we not dismiss this. Three years ago, separated they had to be, but now. Now, on this all depends. Skywalker can have no other Master." Yoda's eyes returned to stare at Mace.
Windu's troubled stare rested heavily on his friend's. "'No other Master'? What did you See, Yoda?" The large man leaned forward intently.
Yoda's large ears drooped. "Ever in motion, the future is. We will keep Kenobi and Skywalker together, and the path of the Light will be served. For this, did Qui Gon perish. If Jinn had been Master to the boy . . . All would be lost."
Windu shook his head, bewildered. "You can't be seriously telling me that Qui Gon Jinn, arguably our best, an experienced Master with decades of training, is dead now because Kenobi, a young, barely tried Jedi, exceptional though he is, not a seasoned Master, is a better mentor for Skywalker than Qui Gon would have been? Is that what you're telling me?" Windu's annoyance was obvious, just this side of true anger.
Master Yoda glared at his fellow Council member. "No! Telling you that, I am not! Not a better Master will Kenobi make. The ONLY Master. All others lead to Darkness. Kenobi himself would have led to Dark as well, had he trained the boy when requested, on Naboo. Take the boy as Padawan at the right time, and disaster will be averted. Take him too soon or too late, and the Darkness will fall."
Mace shook his head, confused. "So you're saying that if Kenobi, and no one BUT Kenobi, takes the boy as an apprentice at JUST the right time, all will be well. But take him at any OTHER time, and the boy will turn? I assume that is what you mean by Darkness? And somehow Skywalker's turning will be the end of us all?" Mace stared intently, digesting this new information.
Yoda grabbed another cookie and stood to leave. "Understood me, you almost have." The small Master thumped his way toward the door as he chewed. He turned briefly as the door slid open. "One point, make clear I must: It is not Skywalker's turning I speak of. Anakin, the danger once was. No longer." Yoda shook his head sadly and walked out, muttering, "No longer . . . "
The door slid closed and the thumping receded. Mace stared after Yoda for several long moments, absently rubbing the large bruise on his shin from his most recent thwacking. He had a bad feeling about this.
******************
The cockpit door if the starship Serenity swished open with a soft whoosh, admitting Anakin Skywalker into the small control room. The boy swept his eyes hungrily over the controls, resting on the mocha-brown hands of the man currently piloting the small provate transport.
Garen's fingers flew surely over the controls, setting their route and giving the ship instructions to alert him when the time came to return to normal space. Sensing that his new companion was not his old childhood friend, but the youngster accompannying him, Garen unlatched his safety harness and swiveled to face the boy.
"Please, Anakin Skywalker, have a seat there in the co-pilot's chair. Just don't touch anything." The warm brown eyes gave him a wink; Garen knew full well that Anakin was most probably a superior pilot to himself, although likely not rated to fly Kenobi's prescious little transport.
Anakin smiled shyly and gave a short bow before sitting beside the tall brown Knight. "Thank you, Knight Muln. And please, call me Anakin. Or Ani."
Muln's eyebrows rose at this. Obi Wan had related to him the anger this boy had shown when Kenobi addressed Skywalker by what the boy considered a derogative, childish nickname. "Ok, then, Ani. To what do I owe this visit?"
Anakin grinned, a guileless expression. "Knight Kenobi told me I should come tell you what you're doing wrong." The grin turned mischevious.
Garen's low chuckle filled the small space. "Oh, ho! He did, did he? Well. I will have to leave him to his illusions then. Good pilots like us probably make him feel his own inadequacies most profoundly." Another wink, conspiratorially.
"Yes, I have heard you're one of the best pilots in the Order, Knight Muln..." Anakin began.
"No, no." The large sable hand came up in a silencing gesture. "Garen, please. Just Garen. Knight Muln makes me think I'm in front of the Council or something."
Both Jedi shuddered at that thought.
The boy smiled and nodded. "Ok, Garen. I hope to be as good a pilot as I hear you are, someday."
Garen smiled, puzzled. ~~ This is the arrogant Chosen One I have heard about? Someone has a funny notion of what arrogance is. ~~
"Well if Temple gossip is true, you will have no problem surpassing me in flying skills, if you haven't alredy, my boy." The Knight shifted back in his chair and plopped his feet up on a section of the control panel, careful to steer clear of any actual levers or buttons. "So, whatcha wanna talk about, Ani? It's a long ride to Solinia, and these trips can get rather boring."
Anakin perked up and leaned forward in his chair. "Knight Kenobi, uhh, Obi Wan, told me you have been friends since you were both infants."
Garen grinned and nodded. "Yes, yes that's true. I would go so far to say he is my best friend. And I don't think it would be presumptuous of me to say I am his." A thoughtful look. "Well, me and Bant, anyway. Bant and Obi Wan are so close they're practically one person! Always have been. But Obi Wan and I, being both guys, you know what I mean. We have a 'guy thing' that is impossible to have with a friend that is a female." A shrug. "You know what I mean."
The expression on Anakin's face told Garen that the youth did in fact NOT know what he meant. He filed that thought away and chose not to comment on it.
Skywalker's pensiveness held on for a few seconds, then lifted. "Well, I was wondering if you could tell me some stories of you and Master Kenobi when you were padawans. I bet you got into some interesting situations." The grin was wheedling, clearly asking for tidbits that his friend might not want the boy to know about.
"Oh, I don't know if your Master would like that. He was quite a troublemaker, we both were, and I wouldn't want to get in trouble with him for corrupting his Padawan." Garen smiled. He had some stories, boy did he have some stories! Somehow he didn't think Obi Wan would appreciate him relating most of these memories, most especially the one about Obi's 20th Naming Day party. No, his friend would not appreciate that at all.
Garen snapped out of his reverie to see a distraught Anakin sitting before him.
The boy's face had fallen, and his gaze fixed on the floor. Small nimble hands fiddled in his lap. Anakin's next words were soft and full of longing. "Master Kenobi isn't MY MASTER. It's just an honorific. I'm just an Initiate along for the ride." Feet shuffling and a slight trembling illustrated how important this subject was to Skywalker, and how painful.
Garen's face showed puzzlement. "Oh. Well, I wondered how it could be that Obi Wan had taken a Padawan without anyone knowing. You two just seem so attuned to one another, even just in the few minutes I have seen you together, I assumed...Well I assumed you just hadn't gotten the haircut yet. Then I wondered why Obi Wan got the haircut instead!" His laughter was rich and filled the compartment.
Anakin brightened at that and looked up smiling. "Yes, that was my fault. I asked to cut his hair and it's the only way I know how."
"Did he get very angry?" Garen knew how much Obi Wan hated that 'ridiculous parody of a haircut' as he called it.
Anakin shook his head, his blonde hair rustling with the movement. "No, no, I could tell he was less than happy, but he didn't get mad."
Garen whistled low. "Well then he must like you, a lot! If *I* did that to his hair, which, just between you and me, he fusses over way too much and has a pride unbecoming a Jedi concerning it, well...I'd be sitting here bald after he Force-suggested me to sleep and shaved my head in retaliation!"
Anakin grinned at the mental picture of a snarling Obi Wan knelt over his unconscious friend, shaver in hand and brown curls falling in sheets to the floor.
** Where in the Sith Hells did THAT come from, Ani?! **
"Uh-Oh," Anakin said. "Busted."
*******************
This chapter will be updated soon! Two thirds done now.