Title: Crossing the Lines

Summary: Obi-wan Kenobi knows revenge leads to the Dark side, but after what his Master has done to him, it's worth it, isn't it?  Especially since Qui-gon betrayed him.  Pg-13 for violence.

Disclaimer: Star Wars belongs to Mr George Lucas, I'm only borrowing it to fool around with, and I earn no money from this.

Acknowledgements: Jesus, Padawan Nik-ka, Ginger Ninja, Redtailhawk, Chewbacca, Yoda, Orin, Heartfire, Moonwing Lobo and Metabee, Becky, Galahan (who writes great humour fics)

a/n: Thanks for all those wonderful reviews, here's the next chapter… chapter 3 should be up by Tuesday or so.  Sorry if this chapter sounds kindof military-ish, I've been stuck on Tom Clancy for the last coupla days.

Chapter 2:

They wanted him to go back.  They said the people were tired of fighting – they were ready for peace.  Qui-gon Jinn stared at the ceiling of his quarters in the Jedi Temple.

He gave up after ten minutes.  He had too much to think about, even after three months.  Three months, had it really been that long?  It wasn't his fault, and yet, it was his fault.  He should have known the pilot would take off, would leave Obi-wan behind.  Qui-gon buried his head in his hands.  He had to believe his Apprentice was still alive, and yet, it was becoming harder day by day.  Like he had doen so many times before, Qui-gon reached out along the Bond for Obi-wan… and found nothing.  Empty space.

Qui-gon's thoughts turned finally to the mission at hand.  The council wanted him to return to Seylar and resume peace negotiations.  Seylar was a world of bitter civil war for the last ten or so years, but it hadn't always been this way.  The people used to be united, before war split them into two – the Rebellion and the True Government.  There were rumours of another faction, known as the Freedom Fighters, but Qui-gon assumed they were just rumours, nothing more than that.

The Jedi Master sighed.  He had lost his third Apprentice on Seylar, and going back meant a chance to find Obi-wan.  Qui-gon knew he had to keep on hoping, even when everyone, including his own mind, told him his Padawan was dead.

"Tell me more about this Master Qui-gon," Kelyl Tanner told Obi-wan Kenobi as they sat in the Weapons Room.  Kelyl was about Obi-wan's size and age – twenty – but heavier built, with shoulder-length dark brown hair he tied in a ponytail and rugged features.  He would have been considered handsome, except for the long scar across one eye, and the coldness in his startlingly blue eyes.

"He is, was, my Jedi Master.  Sort of like a mentor," Obi-wan stripped down his blaster rifle and started reassembling it, cleaning it as he did so.  "and father.  I thought he loved me, as a son, but I should've seen it coming.  I stumbled, once, and he never trusted me again.  Then he left me to die here on this planet."

Kelyl shrugged.  "Almost everyone in this Universe is out to get us," He checked the spare power packs for his weapon, then dumped the packs into a pouch on his utility belt.  "We just get them first, or we get back at them after they hurt us."

Obi-wan looked up from what he was doing, "Someone once told me revenge and hate are bad things.  Especially for a Jedi."

"Obsessions," Kelyl smiled grimly at Obi-wan, "They're obsessions, and they would drive you crazy, like they did to me."  He didn't elaborate further.

"Then that person was right?"

Kelyl Tanner shook his head.  "Who knows?  But it isn't fair, is it, when you suffer while those who made you don't?"

Like Qui-gon.  The memories of his pain in the Prisons and of Qui-gon leaving him behind burned sharply in Obi-wan's mind.  Yes, it isn't fair.  I was loyal to him, I loved him like my father, but he didn't care.

Kelyl smiled inwardly as he saw the pain on Obi-wan's face.  It wasn't a smile of triumph, though, it was a grim, battle-hardened smile from his few but crucial years of experience as a mercenary.  Obi-wan finally knew what life was really like – not black or white, but different shades of grey, with no lines at all.

"No, it's not fair," Obi-wan answered quietly.  He'd finished reassembling the blaster rifle.  "I guess I now know why people want revenge."  Yeah, it would feel good, to let Qui-gon feel the pain he had put his apprentice through.  I will make Qui-gon pay.

"But you have to be careful, too," Kelyl Tanner cautioned.  He and Obi0wan had finished preparing their gear.  Obi-wan held his lightsabre in his hands, checking it one last time before he hooked it to his belt.

"What are we doing today?"

"Explosives, I think, on an abandoned building.  The General wants to make his presence known," Kelyl grimaced.

Obi-wan grinned for the first time, "You have better ideas?"

"Yeah, why not just assassinate all those stupid political leaders.  End the war faster, and we could get off this rock."

"They have to be polite."

At this, even Kelyl smiled, though his expression was still a closed, guarded one.

"Cover me," Kelyl Tanner whispered to Obi-wan over the comlink.

Obi-wan double-clicked a reply, then dropped onto his stomach in the bushes, his blaster rifle ready.  There was no-one around, or at least it seemed that way, but Obi-wan Kenobi wasn't about to take any chances.

Kelyl sprinted across the gap of ferrocrete that separated the forest Obi-wan was hinding in and the target, an old, derelict building.  All the entrances were locked, exactly like he'd expected, but it wasn't much of a problem for him.  He removed the package of mouldable plastic explosive from the pouch on his utility belt, carefully separated about four square centimetres of the clay-like stuff, and stuck it to one of the six supporting pillars he'd identified as crucial in taking down the building.  Then, he rigged a detonator and moved on to the next pillar.

Obi-wan watched Kelyl's actions tensely for what seemed like hours, but was actually measured in minutes, before Kelyl started running away from the building.  Seconds later, the sound of the explosion ripped through the air as the building caved in on its fallen supports.  Obi-wan heaved a sigh of relief, then, suddenly, he jumped to his feet, prompted by instinct.  The next thing he knew, someone had jammed the barrel of a blaster rifle into his back.

Uh oh.  He dropped his own rifle.

"Put your hands on your head," a voice came from behind him, accompanied with a sharp jab from the rifle.  Obi-wan didn't have a choice.  He felt a hand on his shoulder, saw a flicker of movement out of the corner of his eye, and turned in surprise as he felt the hand release his shoulder and the rifle fall away.

Kelyl was kneeling over on the body of a man wearing the uniform of the True Government army, a bloodied knife in his hand.  "Close call?" He grinned humourlessly.

"Thanks.  I owe you one," Obi-wan picked up his own blaster rifle and slung the strap over his shoulder.

"I owed you a favour in the Prisons, we're even now," Kelyl wiped the knife on the grass.  "Let's get out of here."

Qui-gon sat on the transport to Seylar, staring at the streaks of light against black space that was Hyperspace.  If only…if only he'd thought of his apprentice too, before boarding the transport.

"Shut up," Qui-gon told himself sternly, "Just shut up.  All the 'if's aren't going to bring Obi-wan back.  He's dead.  Face it!"  The waves of grief were almost too much to bear, but Qui-gon built walls around them, cutting himself away, like he'd done before with Xanatos.  Nothing mattered now except his mission.  Not Obi-wan, not his own failures.  Nothing.  When he landed on Seylar, he would do the best he could to bring about peace.  And that was all that really mattered.  Everything else could wait.

Obi-wan sat among the crowd of four hundred or so Freedom Fighters, listening to their leader, General Aly'sr. 

"We know, from sources, that the Rebellion and True Government are planning peace negotiations.  They are going to form a government every bit as corrupt as the True Government is, right now," General Aly'sr's voice rose heatedly.  "Famine, poverty and the Prisons.  These won't go away!"

The Freedom Fighters voiced their agreement loudly.

The General waited some minutes before the commotion died down, then continued, "We will warn them, when they meet in two days' time.  We will storm their building, and sho ourselves.  And we will fight for peace, justice, and the right to live our lives."

The cheers lasted long after the General had left.  Obi-wan sighed and gott o his feet, heading for his quarters in the underground bunkers that the Freedom Fighters had used as their base.  He found Kelyl there, trying, unsuccessfully, to grab a few hours of dreamless – and nightmare-less – sleep.

"The General wants to gatecrash on peace negotiations," Obi-wan announced to his fighter partner and roommate.

"I know," Kelyl gave up on the sleep and looked down at Obi-wan, "Start preparing, 'cause it's gonna be the two of us doing the gate-crashing.  We're the lucky ones going in to deliver the message – blaster rifle, thermal detonator, sweet-talk and all."

Obi-wan raised an eyebrow, "Any special reason why?"

Kelyl Tanner just shrugged.

a/n: hey thanks for reading, hope y'all review.  The next chapter [when obi meets qui] should be up by Sunday, latest Tuesday.  I hope I'll finish it in time.  Any suggestions are most welcome. :)