The Past Returns
Chapter Two
-The Jedi Council -
Ben fell asleep and it seemed like minutes later that Tahiri was shaking him, telling him they were there. He opened his eyes and pulled them out of hyperlaunch.
What he saw made his eyes go wide and his jaw drop open. Before them loomed Coruscant. Shipping lanes bustled around the planet. Oh wow, he thought. Coruscant. It was amazing. The whole planet was one large city. He took a deep breath. He had always dreamed of seeing Coruscant, imagining what it would be like and now he'd finally know. He knew he'd never read those books the same way again, knowing this was all real and what it really looked like.
* * *
Later, he stood in the Jedi Council chamber, his hands wet with sweat. Beads of perspiration gathered on his forehead. He looked around at all the Jedi Masters' expressionless faces. His eyes landed on Yoda. Yoda looked just like he did in the movies. Ben had thought that he'd never meet him. "How old are you Ben?" Mace Windu asked.
"Seven, sir," Ben said, surprised he could even talk.
"Too old," Yoda said softly and calmly.
"Why?" he blurted out. Ben immediately looked down. "Sorry."
Yoda nodded. "Impatient. Impulsive you are. Much fear I sense in you."
* * *
Journal Entry 3: "I just got word from the council. I had gone to meet with them yesterday, and I waited in a guest room last night. The council isn't going to train me. But why? It wasn't fair. Just because I was seven. I'm sure I could learn though! It's kind of strange though, how this is all turning out. It's just like what happened to Anakin in Episode I. The difference though, is that I have no one to train me. Tahiri might, but I don't think so. I think she already has a Padawan. Oh well. I guess I have to go home now, but what would I do? I wouldn't really be happy, knowing I had been so close to fulfilling my dream. Anyway, Damon is going in today. Tahiri thinks he might have some Jedi potential. I wonder if he would get trained. That would be cool if at least one of us became a Jedi."
Ben stood outside the council chambers. Damon had just gone in. He could hear them talking as he sat outside the door. And then he heard Yoda say they would train him.
Ben slumped onto the floor, his forehead resting on his up-raised knees. It's not fair! He slammed his fist onto the cold ground in anger.
He heard footsteps and looked up to see Senator Palpatine. Ben immediately jerked back, banging his head against the wall. He put his hand up to his head, grimacing.
"Sorry to have startled you," Palpatine said. He helped Ben up. His face showed no deterioration yet. Why would it? Ben couldn't believe he was standing a foot away from a Sith Lord, and Darth Sidious on top of that! "What's wrong? You look like you've seen a ghost."
Ben looked at him, searching for any sign of the man he truly was, but all he saw was sincere concern. Ben didn't say anything for awhile. "I'm not to be trained," Ben said finally, looking down.
"Why not?"
"They say I'm too old."
"How old are you?"
"Seven."
"I thought nine was the cut off point."
"Me too. I guess not. I guess you have to be taken right after you're born or be special." Ben said the word 'special' with disdain. "Yoda said I had too much anger in me anyway."
"What's your name?"
"Ben Kenobi."
"Ben, if you ever need to talk, feel free to come to me. You can contact me with this." He handed Ben a silver, wrist-band: a com-link. Ben hesitantly put it on his left wrist. It was about four inches thick and clicked into place as Ben snapped it shut around his wrist. On it was a number pad that looked exactly like the one that Darth Maul had had. "Just punch in 30-57X9 and you can reach me. A shuttle will be immediately sent to your location."
Ben nodded. "Thanks."
* * *
Inside the Jedi chamber, Damon stood, looking around at all of the Jedi Masters. He couldn't believe he was actually going to be trained. If he was going to be trained, then Ben must be. Yoda had said that Damon was remarkably calm for his age and that with a little training Yoda believed that Damon could become a great Jedi Knight.
Yoda nodded to him and Damon turned towards the door. He heard voices outside. Ben was talking to someone. Damon stepped out into the hallway. He saw someone slink back into the shadows and move quietly down the corridor. It looked like Senator Palpatine! But what was he doing, talking to Ben?
Damon looked at Ben and then noticed a sliver band on Ben's wrist. "What's this?" Damon asked, grabbing Ben's arm.
Ben jerked his arm out of Damon's grip. "A present," Ben snapped.
Damon's eyes went wide, taken aback by Ben's anger. "Was that Senator Palpatine you were talking to?" Damon asked calmly, determined not to raise his voice.
"Yeah, so what if it was?"
Damon grabbed Ben by the shoulders. "What's gotten into you? That was Darth Sidious! A Sith Lord!" Damon cried, his calm voice gone. He was really getting worried about Ben. Something was wrong. He had never seen Ben so angry before. Damon cared about Ben like a brother and did not want anything to happen to him.
"So?" Ben asked, shaking Damon's hands off of his shoulders.
"He gave you that didn't he?"
"So what if he did? You're just jealous cause you don't have one."
"Cut the crap, Ben. You know I'd never be jealous of you. I treat you like a brother. I'm just worried that you don't know what you're getting yourself into."
"Yeah right," Ben said angrily.
"What's the matter with you?'
"What do you think?!" Ben asked, his voice rising, his green eyes flashing with anger and something darker and more dangerous. "You're older than me and got accepted to be trained as a Jedi! I'm not!"
Damon looked down, thinking. Ben hadn't been accepted? No wonder Ben was so angry. That wasn't fair. Ben should have gotten accepted. Poor Ben! "I didn't know that." Damon said softly, looking up at him.
"Nor would you care!"
Damon's face took on a look of shock by Ben's brashness. The Ben he knew would never be this cold. "Of course I would care. How could you think otherwise? Please Ben, calm down. Your hatred is blinding you, convincing you that I'm the enemy."
"Why should I calm down?! You've always gotten things over me but this . . . this is it." He punched something into the wrist-band com-link that was around his wrist.
He moved to leave but Damon grabbed his arm. "You're not realizing what you're doing. Please, reconsider. You're teetering on that edge between light and dark and I'm worried you're going to get in over your head and not be able to get out." Ben twisted his arm out of Damon's grasp and backhanded Damon with all his anger. Damon staggered back, a hand on his cheek where Ben had slapped him. Ben ran down the corridor. "BEN!"
* * *
Journal Entry 4: "I'm going to Palpatine. So what if he's Darth Sidious. At least he might train me. And I'm sure I'm not going to go over to the dark side. I'll just get the skills and then finish out and become a Jedi. Why had Damon gotten to be trained?! That wasn't fair! The council had said that I had been too old, but Damon was three years older than me, so why had he gotten trained? Everyone hates me! Well, I hate them too, and I just wish . . . I wish I could find some way to get back at them all. It would serve them right!"
* * *
One year later, Ben came down with a fatal illness. The doctor's couldn't cure it and they said that Ben didn't have more than a few weeks, maybe days at most. Damon was fast becoming strong in the Force and his training was speeding along smoothly. Over that year, Ben came to rely on Senator Palpatine's guidance and wisdom. Even though he knew he shouldn't be listening to him, he couldn't help but listen. Palpatine's words were wise and he had helped Ben a lot though that year. He came to visit Ben almost every day. Damon didn't once stop by. Ben learned that Qui-Gon Jinn had taken Damon as his Padawan and that crushed all of Ben's dreams. Ever since he had seen Episode I, he had wanted to be a Jedi, training under Qui- Gon.
Ben lay in the bed in the infirmary, instruments hooked up to him. One whole side of the room was glass and it gave him a beautiful view of Coruscant, since he was on one of the upper floors. He watched as speeders and ships flew by. He closed his eyes and leaned back, taking a deep breath. Almost immediately thereafter he sat up, coughing, his chest heaving. Blood spattered the white sheet that covered the lower part of his body. His eyes widened. He had been coughing a lot lately but he hadn't coughed up blood yet. It must be getting worse, he thought fearfully.
Journal Entry 5: "The illness isn't getting any better. Palpatine's been coming to see me a lot. That helps. At least I know someone cares. I can't believe that Damon is a Padawan, and Qui-Gon's on top of it! He should have refused! He should have asked for a different Master! Damon knew that I wanted to train under Qui-Gon, why didn't he at least speak up? Maybe Damon didn't want to be friends with me anymore. I hate him. I hate him and I wish he'd just go away! He always takes everything away from me! Everything that rightfully should be mine! I shouldn't think like that though. But if he was my friend, wouldn't he at least come see me? I don't know if we're friends or not. I don't know anything for sure anymore. Palpatine's not as bad as everyone says he is. He's helped me so much; I can't believe he's evil. How could a man, a man that has helped me live through this illness, a man that has become my one and only friend, be evil? The movies were wrong. They had to be. I bet they have no truth in them. Palpatine is wise and he knows exactly what he is talking about. But I have to make sure. Tomorrow I will test him. Tell him things about what the movie said. I have to make sure that he wasn't evil. I still want to become a Jedi though, and I'll do anything to achieve it."
* * *
A day later, Ben learned that he wouldn't live past tomorrow. Senator Palpatine had waited outside the room the entire time and it was comforting to know that at least someone cared.
Palpatine walked into the room. "Ben, I heard. I'm so sorry," Palpatine said. Ben turned his head slowly to look at him. Ben's face was a sickening pale color and it was getting harder to breathe. Palpatine looked around to make sure no one was listening. "I came here to tell you that you don't have to die," he said softly.
"What?" Ben rasped.
"If you join me, I can give you the power to keep you alive."
"What, dark side powers?" Palpatine tried not to look surprised but he didn't hide it well. "I know who you really are."
"Oh, and who is that?"
"Darth Sidious, a powerful Sith Lord. I know the Sith aren't extinct and that you are looking for an apprentice to train in secrecy until you are ready to go up against the Jedi."
"How is it that you know all this?"
"I know the future. And I know you're trying to convert me, but it's not going to work. I've always wanted to be a Jedi and that's what I'll become."
"Not if you're dead."
"Eventually," Ben continued, ignoring him. "You will come up against Luke Skywalker and he'll destroy you with your own super weapon."
"My offer still stands," Palpatine said, changing the subject. Out of the corner of his eye Ben saw Damon standing in the doorway. Damon looked at Palpatine and began shaking his head, mouthing, "No! Don't do it!" There was a long glass window in the door that ran down the middle, so Ben could see Damon in full length. Something inside him snapped as he took in Damon's Padawan haircut: the ponytail and braid, the Jedi tunic and cape but what hurt Ben the most was seeing a newly constructed lightsaber clipped to Damon's belt that was fastened around his waist. As Ben took all this in, he realized that though he had wanted to be a Jedi so badly, they weren't doing anything to help him and he was going to die by tomorrow. If he went with Palpatine, he'd live. On the other hand, if he gave into the dark side, there would be no turning back and he'd have given up the chance forever of becoming a Jedi Knight. He looked down, thinking. The only way out was to go with Palpatine. He looked at Palpatine, who held out his hand.
"Would you train me in the Force?"
"Yes."
"Will I be able to build my own lightsaber?"
"Of course."
Ben glanced one more time at Damon and the next words he spoke, he spoke loudly so that Damon could hear them and as Ben said them, he looked Damon straight in the eyes. "And will I have the power to get revenge on the Jedi?"
He saw Damon's eyes go wide and he smiled. Then his smile disappeared. Damon knew it, he knew it. He was choosing the wrong path, but it was the path that was going to make him live and that's all that counted, no matter what the consequences. He looked back at Palpatine.
"Yes," Palpatine said, smiling.
Ben took a deep breath and took Palpatine's outstretched hand in his own.
Chapter Two
-The Jedi Council -
Ben fell asleep and it seemed like minutes later that Tahiri was shaking him, telling him they were there. He opened his eyes and pulled them out of hyperlaunch.
What he saw made his eyes go wide and his jaw drop open. Before them loomed Coruscant. Shipping lanes bustled around the planet. Oh wow, he thought. Coruscant. It was amazing. The whole planet was one large city. He took a deep breath. He had always dreamed of seeing Coruscant, imagining what it would be like and now he'd finally know. He knew he'd never read those books the same way again, knowing this was all real and what it really looked like.
* * *
Later, he stood in the Jedi Council chamber, his hands wet with sweat. Beads of perspiration gathered on his forehead. He looked around at all the Jedi Masters' expressionless faces. His eyes landed on Yoda. Yoda looked just like he did in the movies. Ben had thought that he'd never meet him. "How old are you Ben?" Mace Windu asked.
"Seven, sir," Ben said, surprised he could even talk.
"Too old," Yoda said softly and calmly.
"Why?" he blurted out. Ben immediately looked down. "Sorry."
Yoda nodded. "Impatient. Impulsive you are. Much fear I sense in you."
* * *
Journal Entry 3: "I just got word from the council. I had gone to meet with them yesterday, and I waited in a guest room last night. The council isn't going to train me. But why? It wasn't fair. Just because I was seven. I'm sure I could learn though! It's kind of strange though, how this is all turning out. It's just like what happened to Anakin in Episode I. The difference though, is that I have no one to train me. Tahiri might, but I don't think so. I think she already has a Padawan. Oh well. I guess I have to go home now, but what would I do? I wouldn't really be happy, knowing I had been so close to fulfilling my dream. Anyway, Damon is going in today. Tahiri thinks he might have some Jedi potential. I wonder if he would get trained. That would be cool if at least one of us became a Jedi."
Ben stood outside the council chambers. Damon had just gone in. He could hear them talking as he sat outside the door. And then he heard Yoda say they would train him.
Ben slumped onto the floor, his forehead resting on his up-raised knees. It's not fair! He slammed his fist onto the cold ground in anger.
He heard footsteps and looked up to see Senator Palpatine. Ben immediately jerked back, banging his head against the wall. He put his hand up to his head, grimacing.
"Sorry to have startled you," Palpatine said. He helped Ben up. His face showed no deterioration yet. Why would it? Ben couldn't believe he was standing a foot away from a Sith Lord, and Darth Sidious on top of that! "What's wrong? You look like you've seen a ghost."
Ben looked at him, searching for any sign of the man he truly was, but all he saw was sincere concern. Ben didn't say anything for awhile. "I'm not to be trained," Ben said finally, looking down.
"Why not?"
"They say I'm too old."
"How old are you?"
"Seven."
"I thought nine was the cut off point."
"Me too. I guess not. I guess you have to be taken right after you're born or be special." Ben said the word 'special' with disdain. "Yoda said I had too much anger in me anyway."
"What's your name?"
"Ben Kenobi."
"Ben, if you ever need to talk, feel free to come to me. You can contact me with this." He handed Ben a silver, wrist-band: a com-link. Ben hesitantly put it on his left wrist. It was about four inches thick and clicked into place as Ben snapped it shut around his wrist. On it was a number pad that looked exactly like the one that Darth Maul had had. "Just punch in 30-57X9 and you can reach me. A shuttle will be immediately sent to your location."
Ben nodded. "Thanks."
* * *
Inside the Jedi chamber, Damon stood, looking around at all of the Jedi Masters. He couldn't believe he was actually going to be trained. If he was going to be trained, then Ben must be. Yoda had said that Damon was remarkably calm for his age and that with a little training Yoda believed that Damon could become a great Jedi Knight.
Yoda nodded to him and Damon turned towards the door. He heard voices outside. Ben was talking to someone. Damon stepped out into the hallway. He saw someone slink back into the shadows and move quietly down the corridor. It looked like Senator Palpatine! But what was he doing, talking to Ben?
Damon looked at Ben and then noticed a sliver band on Ben's wrist. "What's this?" Damon asked, grabbing Ben's arm.
Ben jerked his arm out of Damon's grip. "A present," Ben snapped.
Damon's eyes went wide, taken aback by Ben's anger. "Was that Senator Palpatine you were talking to?" Damon asked calmly, determined not to raise his voice.
"Yeah, so what if it was?"
Damon grabbed Ben by the shoulders. "What's gotten into you? That was Darth Sidious! A Sith Lord!" Damon cried, his calm voice gone. He was really getting worried about Ben. Something was wrong. He had never seen Ben so angry before. Damon cared about Ben like a brother and did not want anything to happen to him.
"So?" Ben asked, shaking Damon's hands off of his shoulders.
"He gave you that didn't he?"
"So what if he did? You're just jealous cause you don't have one."
"Cut the crap, Ben. You know I'd never be jealous of you. I treat you like a brother. I'm just worried that you don't know what you're getting yourself into."
"Yeah right," Ben said angrily.
"What's the matter with you?'
"What do you think?!" Ben asked, his voice rising, his green eyes flashing with anger and something darker and more dangerous. "You're older than me and got accepted to be trained as a Jedi! I'm not!"
Damon looked down, thinking. Ben hadn't been accepted? No wonder Ben was so angry. That wasn't fair. Ben should have gotten accepted. Poor Ben! "I didn't know that." Damon said softly, looking up at him.
"Nor would you care!"
Damon's face took on a look of shock by Ben's brashness. The Ben he knew would never be this cold. "Of course I would care. How could you think otherwise? Please Ben, calm down. Your hatred is blinding you, convincing you that I'm the enemy."
"Why should I calm down?! You've always gotten things over me but this . . . this is it." He punched something into the wrist-band com-link that was around his wrist.
He moved to leave but Damon grabbed his arm. "You're not realizing what you're doing. Please, reconsider. You're teetering on that edge between light and dark and I'm worried you're going to get in over your head and not be able to get out." Ben twisted his arm out of Damon's grasp and backhanded Damon with all his anger. Damon staggered back, a hand on his cheek where Ben had slapped him. Ben ran down the corridor. "BEN!"
* * *
Journal Entry 4: "I'm going to Palpatine. So what if he's Darth Sidious. At least he might train me. And I'm sure I'm not going to go over to the dark side. I'll just get the skills and then finish out and become a Jedi. Why had Damon gotten to be trained?! That wasn't fair! The council had said that I had been too old, but Damon was three years older than me, so why had he gotten trained? Everyone hates me! Well, I hate them too, and I just wish . . . I wish I could find some way to get back at them all. It would serve them right!"
* * *
One year later, Ben came down with a fatal illness. The doctor's couldn't cure it and they said that Ben didn't have more than a few weeks, maybe days at most. Damon was fast becoming strong in the Force and his training was speeding along smoothly. Over that year, Ben came to rely on Senator Palpatine's guidance and wisdom. Even though he knew he shouldn't be listening to him, he couldn't help but listen. Palpatine's words were wise and he had helped Ben a lot though that year. He came to visit Ben almost every day. Damon didn't once stop by. Ben learned that Qui-Gon Jinn had taken Damon as his Padawan and that crushed all of Ben's dreams. Ever since he had seen Episode I, he had wanted to be a Jedi, training under Qui- Gon.
Ben lay in the bed in the infirmary, instruments hooked up to him. One whole side of the room was glass and it gave him a beautiful view of Coruscant, since he was on one of the upper floors. He watched as speeders and ships flew by. He closed his eyes and leaned back, taking a deep breath. Almost immediately thereafter he sat up, coughing, his chest heaving. Blood spattered the white sheet that covered the lower part of his body. His eyes widened. He had been coughing a lot lately but he hadn't coughed up blood yet. It must be getting worse, he thought fearfully.
Journal Entry 5: "The illness isn't getting any better. Palpatine's been coming to see me a lot. That helps. At least I know someone cares. I can't believe that Damon is a Padawan, and Qui-Gon's on top of it! He should have refused! He should have asked for a different Master! Damon knew that I wanted to train under Qui-Gon, why didn't he at least speak up? Maybe Damon didn't want to be friends with me anymore. I hate him. I hate him and I wish he'd just go away! He always takes everything away from me! Everything that rightfully should be mine! I shouldn't think like that though. But if he was my friend, wouldn't he at least come see me? I don't know if we're friends or not. I don't know anything for sure anymore. Palpatine's not as bad as everyone says he is. He's helped me so much; I can't believe he's evil. How could a man, a man that has helped me live through this illness, a man that has become my one and only friend, be evil? The movies were wrong. They had to be. I bet they have no truth in them. Palpatine is wise and he knows exactly what he is talking about. But I have to make sure. Tomorrow I will test him. Tell him things about what the movie said. I have to make sure that he wasn't evil. I still want to become a Jedi though, and I'll do anything to achieve it."
* * *
A day later, Ben learned that he wouldn't live past tomorrow. Senator Palpatine had waited outside the room the entire time and it was comforting to know that at least someone cared.
Palpatine walked into the room. "Ben, I heard. I'm so sorry," Palpatine said. Ben turned his head slowly to look at him. Ben's face was a sickening pale color and it was getting harder to breathe. Palpatine looked around to make sure no one was listening. "I came here to tell you that you don't have to die," he said softly.
"What?" Ben rasped.
"If you join me, I can give you the power to keep you alive."
"What, dark side powers?" Palpatine tried not to look surprised but he didn't hide it well. "I know who you really are."
"Oh, and who is that?"
"Darth Sidious, a powerful Sith Lord. I know the Sith aren't extinct and that you are looking for an apprentice to train in secrecy until you are ready to go up against the Jedi."
"How is it that you know all this?"
"I know the future. And I know you're trying to convert me, but it's not going to work. I've always wanted to be a Jedi and that's what I'll become."
"Not if you're dead."
"Eventually," Ben continued, ignoring him. "You will come up against Luke Skywalker and he'll destroy you with your own super weapon."
"My offer still stands," Palpatine said, changing the subject. Out of the corner of his eye Ben saw Damon standing in the doorway. Damon looked at Palpatine and began shaking his head, mouthing, "No! Don't do it!" There was a long glass window in the door that ran down the middle, so Ben could see Damon in full length. Something inside him snapped as he took in Damon's Padawan haircut: the ponytail and braid, the Jedi tunic and cape but what hurt Ben the most was seeing a newly constructed lightsaber clipped to Damon's belt that was fastened around his waist. As Ben took all this in, he realized that though he had wanted to be a Jedi so badly, they weren't doing anything to help him and he was going to die by tomorrow. If he went with Palpatine, he'd live. On the other hand, if he gave into the dark side, there would be no turning back and he'd have given up the chance forever of becoming a Jedi Knight. He looked down, thinking. The only way out was to go with Palpatine. He looked at Palpatine, who held out his hand.
"Would you train me in the Force?"
"Yes."
"Will I be able to build my own lightsaber?"
"Of course."
Ben glanced one more time at Damon and the next words he spoke, he spoke loudly so that Damon could hear them and as Ben said them, he looked Damon straight in the eyes. "And will I have the power to get revenge on the Jedi?"
He saw Damon's eyes go wide and he smiled. Then his smile disappeared. Damon knew it, he knew it. He was choosing the wrong path, but it was the path that was going to make him live and that's all that counted, no matter what the consequences. He looked back at Palpatine.
"Yes," Palpatine said, smiling.
Ben took a deep breath and took Palpatine's outstretched hand in his own.