Destiny

Pre-TPM. Sequel to 'Guilty Heart.' A vision from the Force that once brought Obi-Wan close to death has returned.

"Master..."

Obi-Wan Kenobi stood at the entrance to his master's bedroom. The light from the hall cast the boy as a dark shadow. It was late into the night and Qui-Gon had been sleeping soundly, but he became immediately awake when he heard the slightly shaky voice of his apprentice calling to him. He sat up and pressed the base of the small lamp on his nightstand. The room slowly illuminated, allowing both Jedi to adjust their eyes to the change.

"Are you all right, Obi-Wan?" the master replied as he swung his legs over the side of the bed. Concern shown in his eyes. It wasn't often that Obi-Wan disturbed his sleep and he knew there must be a good reason for it. "Come, sit." He patted the blanket next to him.

The young knight padded softly to the bed and sat down. His eyes turned down as he fiddled with the birthday stone that was in his hand. Although Obi-Wan was fond of the special stone, it was very unlike him to carry it as he did now. Unless, Qui-Gon knew from experience, he was uneasy...or even scared about something.

"What's wrong, Padawan?"

He hesitated before admitting what troubled him. "I had a bad dream. I don't quite understand it. But...it..." He paused, as if to frightened to continue. Qui-Gon lay a hand gently on the smaller one. At once, Obi-Wan stopped rolling the stone in his hand and sat in silence.

"Obi-Wan, tell me. This is not like you to come to me in the middle of the night."

The padawan felt suddenly guilty for disturbing Qui-Gon's rest. He wasn't a young apprentice who should need to run to his master's side when a dream became to intense. He was a Jedi, a young man now. This is something he could handle. "I'm sorry, Master. It's nothing." And he stood to leave.

Qui-Gon grabbed his arm and gently pulled him back down. "One is never to old to need comforting after something traumatic. Even if it is something that might seem small to you...something like a nightmare. Tell me about it, Obi-Wan."

His master's calming influence having an effect, Obi-Wan gripped his stone firmly in one hand before he spoke. "Six months ago when we had that...accident...in the gym. Do you remember?"

Of course Qui-Gon remembered. It was one of the darkest days of his life. During a sparring match, a flicker in the Force had disrupted the concentration of both Jedi for a split second. It was long enough for Obi-Wan to lose his focus and for Qui-Gon to run his saber through the boy's chest. The healer's efforts saved him from death but his recovery was long and painful. Yet in the end they'd come out of it stronger than before. Qui-Gon however would always battle with those memories of his padawan's cries of pain the images of the boy sprawled on the floor covered in blood. And on occasion those visions returned to haunt him. But the guilt was long gone and they had been able to move past the accident in time. Now Obi-Wan was bringing those memories back again. But why?

"I will never forget that, Obi-Wan. Did you dream about it?"

"Not about the accident, but the disturbance in the Force."

Qui-Gon listened closely. That disturbance was never able to be explained. Obi-Wan had not been able to recall it. And since that one moment in time, it had never resurfaced. Until now. "You felt it again?"

"Yes, Master," he said cautiously. "Last night. And then again just a while ago. But it lasted longer this time. I saw it...or I saw a blurred image of it."

"Padawan are you sure this is the same disturbance? That happened quite a long time ago. You haven't experienced any dreams or flashes since then. Are you certain?"

Obi-Wan nodded firmly. "I am certain. It's the same...uneasiness. The same feelings of fear and...terror."

"Tell me, what did the Force show you?"

The stone began turning again in the boy's hand as he became aware of his breathing that had suddenly become slightly panicked.

"Obi-Wan. What did you see?"

When the apprentice didn't reply after a few moments, Qui-Gon put a hand on his and spoke as softly as he could. "Padawan, it's okay. You can tell me. What did you see?"

A deep breath and he finally managed the words. "Your death."

Qui-Gon was taken aback for a moment. He closed his eyes to focus himself before he dared continue. The silence in the room was eerie. Only Obi-Wan's ragged breathing could be heard. The master decided he needed to calm his apprentice before he questioned him further.

"Relax, Obi-Wan. Concentrate on each breath." He watched as the young Jedi struggled for control.

After a short time, Obi-Wan was calmer, at least on the outside. Qui-Gon pursued more information about the dream. "It showed you my death."

A silent nod.

"Did it tell you when or how?"

A short shake of the head. "A dark creature. I saw a man in black. He held a red saber. I couldn't see his face...part of the images were blurred. But...he...he struck you down, Master. I could see you fighting for breath. But there was nothing I could do. I was trapped behind a wall of some kind. I don't know. All I could do was watch as you...Master, I don't understand this. Why would the Force have me see this? What reason is there for it? Is this the future? Or just some trick it has decided to play with my mind?"

"I don't know, Obi-Wan. Is there anymore to the dream?"

"I don't know what happened to the creature, Master...you were dying. You died...in my arms. Then I woke up. I tried to reach into the Force once I had awoken, but there was nothing to grasp onto. The vision...the dream...was gone." He pulled away from his master's gaze and walked to the door. The rock still clutched tightly in his hand.

Qui-Gon got up and stood before the boy who was trying so hard to maintain his composure. "Padawan..."

"I'm sorry, Master. I was unable to prevent your death in this vision. I failed you. I was not at your side as I should have been." The boy was putting everything into keeping his focus. He closed his eyes and reached for the Force, but his emotions were controlling him now. And he continued to berate himself for what happened in the dream. Folding his arms across his chest, Obi-Wan paced the door way of Qui-Gon's bedroom while the master offered what words he could. A dream so real...a vision from the Force telling a young apprentice that his master would die in front of his own eyes. That his master would die in his arms. That some dark creature would lie in wait for the time when this vision would come true. Or would it come true? Was it perhaps only a disturbing dream? Qui-Gon too reached for the Force. Looking for answers. But he found the unsettled mind of his apprentice desperate to link with his own...looking for those same answers.

Qui-Gon reached out to the shared link and sent calming waves towards the distraught student. And after a few minutes, Obi-Wan began to visibly relax. His pacing stopped and he allowed Qui-Gon to lead him back over to the edge of the bed.

"Obi-Wan, sometimes what the Force shows us is not a true vision of the future. Sometimes it gets clouded by one's own fears and you see your worst fears in your dreams. You have had bad dreams before, and they've not come to pass. They were only dreams."

"This was so real, Master. So real. It can't be true. No. It's not true." Obi-Wan shook his head, wanting so much to believe his own words that what transpired in this dream would not come to his reality. But there was something that he felt was different about this dream. It was not the same as those in the past. There was something evil in their future. Waiting. Lurking in the darkness. At the same time, the boy knew he had to let this go. He must get past this. A Jedi could not allow dreams take hold and use fear of the future against the reality of the present.

As Obi-Wan continued to regain his control and settle even further, Qui-Gon could sense fatigue weighing heavily on him. "Obi-Wan, you need to lie down. Even if you can't sleep, you should rest. Come on, I'll help you back to your room."

They padded quietly to the bedroom. Obi-Wan got comfortable on his back while his master drew the blanket up around his shoulders. Qui-Gon sat on the edge of the bed and took hold of his padawan's hand. "It's okay, Obi-Wan. I'm still here. Let the Force take you. Concentrate on it. Focus. Push the dream from your mind and focus elsewhere. Relax."

When Qui-Gon went to get up from the bed, he felt Obi-Wan's hand tighten around his own. A simple message. But one that told the master that his apprentice needed to feel his presence right now, even in rest. Qui-Gon used the Force to lift a small stool from the corner and place it at Obi-Wan's beside. There the elder Jedi sat in silence, his student's hand snug around his larger one while he waited for sleep to take the boy.

Eventually, it did.

Qui-Gon stood and tucked the blankets more securely around Obi-Wan before moving to the door. He glanced back and watched for a few moments the peace that Obi-Wan had achieved in sleep. The boy's chest rose and fell softly with each breath. For now the visions were gone. The dreams were silenced. Only their meaning was left to ponder. Qui-Gon decided that the best way for him to attack this would be through meditation. He'd always hoped that he'd be with Obi-Wan at his knighting ceremony. That he would be there to offer advice and guidance as the young man took on the responsibility of solo missions as a Jedi Knight. He'd looked forward to the day when he would see how Obi-Wan took on the task of raising a padawan of his own. And then be there to offer counsel when the responsibility became to overbearing. Now, as he took one last look at Obi-Wan's sleeping form, he wondered if he'd see any of those things.

Qui-Gon Jinn did not fear his own death. What he feared were those things that his death would not allow him to be witness to. And that centered around his apprentice. He'd put all his effort into training Obi-Wan to be the finest Jedi he could. It was heartbreaking for the master to know that there was a possibility that he would not live to see his padawan knighted. That he would not live to see the day that Obi-Wan chose his first apprentice. That he would not be there as a friend to his former student to offer comforting words or fatherly advice. That he would not live to see Obi-Wan fulfill and carry on the legacy that was his own.

The door shut in front of the master, blocking his view of his resting apprentice. Qui-Gon closed his eyes for a moment and whispered. "Wherever this path leads, Obi-Wan, I will always be there to guide you," he vowed. "That is my promise to you."

END