Chapter 1 - Coruscant
It seems an age since last I wrote and indeed perhaps it has been. Silence is no longer chosen or forced upon me; once again I have voice, no longer choked by grief of enemies. I speak to you again, friend, with great joy and anticipation, for the story I will tell you is greater than the last. It is grand in design and tragic in its consequence and all consuming in its splendour. It is you and I and him, in a world changed and growing. I do not wish to draw figures in the sand; I'd rather paint them upon stone. No more shall these tales be merely hearsay and myth. I give you the truth of your hero. Look upon his life as it really is and love him, treasure him and keep him safe. Behold your saviour and uphold him in your hearts and your dreams. The story I tell is worthy of telling and mourn with me the loss of something most precious.
Much has happened since our last meeting. Given that it has been a year, you would expect change. Obi-Wan and I hoped for it desperately but the change that has come to us is not the one we had longed for. Instead of finding peace, all I have left is grief. Obi-Wan has gone from my side; he has left me. Inconceivable you say? Not so. As my first story was of our courtship my second is of our destruction. Love was not enough. Or should I say it was too much?
This tale will not take long; not least of all because my heart aches to tell of it, but I shall tell you because it is the truth. And one thing I know above all else, one thing I have learnt in all my years of chasing and investigating, is that people adore tales of bravery and love, especially when it is true, and as you can expect from the Jedi, there is plenty of both and lots more besides.
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Allow me to begin a year ago. I returned to Coruscant and to Beli'ay and, of course, to Obi-Wan. I had King Palpatine's permission to travel the country and seek out the Jedi or any clues leading to his identity. He also encouraged my use of the locals. This meant Obi-Wan. With the king's approval, Travin could not argue.
Obi-Wan and I stayed in the capital for a week or so, arranging his affairs so that we could travel freely and without interruption. The Prince was not happy about his closest companion and confidant being unavailable and unreachable.
"I'll be back, Xan," Obi-Wan assured him. "You'll just have to be patient."
Even now I am not sure if Xanatos knew that Obi-Wan was the elusive Jedi. Love blinded me and Xanatos had loyalty to contend with as well. Perhaps he suspected, knew or was even in on the rescues. May be he was totally in the dark. One thing I know about Obi-Wan now that I did not before is that he is very distrustful of the nobility and the monarchy; anyone's, not just Naboo's. Most of the League members were working men and women
He loved Xanatos dearly as a friend and was loyal to him as a countryman, but I am not sure he trusted him with his secret because the prince was compromised by politics. In the favour he did know this, which meant if he ever guessed he did not confront Obi-Wan. A war with Naboo would be costly and as long as the Jedi was allowed to be hunted on either side of the ocean, then peace remained. Palpatine needed Coruscant's king's permission for my presence and Xanatos, as prince regent, granted it.
Yes, Xanatos is a good man and my respect for him continues to grow. He is cunning and perceptive. When Obi-Wan and I were preparing to leave I had been concerned about Travin; without me in the capital there'd be no telling what he'd get up to. I was relieved and amused to discover that Xanatos had ordered the little spy to be watched at all times. It amused me further when Obi-Wan told me Xanatos ordered the police officers doing the watching to be obvious about it. I still wish I had seen the complete look of anger that would have crossed Travin's face when he realised.
My last tale had little to do with the politics of the Jedi and Naboo, it was an adventure centred around love. Upon my return to Coruscant, Palpatine was still king, the resistance still fought, I still hunted the Jedi and he was still free, even though I knew him. The League was thriving and I was its newest member. But nothing had changed for the world. My tale continues with the people in mind. I suppose that this story is more about our two countries than love, although Obi-Wan and I are still at its centre and the Jedi is still at the heart of all the trouble.
So, we left the comfort of Obi-Wan's town house, and headed northwest to Dantooine. I wanted to know what Obi-Wan's home looked like; I wanted to imagine the boy he had been before his family died and the adult world had been forced upon him.
He was right. I loved that place the moment I saw it. The manor was less assuming in its grandeur than Kenobi Hall, but there was no mistaking the wealth of the owner.
We could not linger long. I had things I had to do and so did Obi-Wan, who was happy to travel though his country. We moved from west to east and back again, gradually returning south. Sometimes we would part for weeks while he went to Naboo or I returned to Beli'ay to check up on Travin and to send progress reports to Theed. With Obi-Wan's help I constructed clues and leads to follow up.
A better part of a year was spent in this way and although at the time I longed for a time when we could be together openly and peacefully, I now long for that time and almost miss it. We had almost a year together and then the Spider came.
Obi-Wan did not tell me of its appearance straight away. He did not know what it meant, if anything at all, but after the third time, and the night before I returned to Beli'ay for news from Theed, he told me everything.
"Sit with me a moment, Qui-Gon?" he asked.
I settled myself comfortably in the great chair I had taken as my own upon my arrival at that particular house. A fire burned in the hearth and Obi-Wan gazed into it as he spoke. Obi-Wan Kenobi slipped away before my very eyes and in his place was the Jedi.
"There have been attacks," he began. These words offered little explanation for his behaviour and although he paused, I did not rush him into his confession. "Three times now, Lord Jinn, three times I have entered a cell and found a body waiting for me. Upon a wall in blood, in ash or scratched there was an image of a spider. These attacks are not aimed at the people of Naboo, Qui-Gon," The Jedi fled and Obi-Wan's eyes looked at me filled with guilt. "They were aimed at me."
He waited for me to respond. I knew there must be more, however, first he had to know I was not angry and forgave him for his secrecy. I beckoned him to me. I pulled him down into my lap and he snuggled close and as he did so a sigh escaped his control. It was the only sign of his relief.
"I forgive you, my Obi-Wan." I said the words even though he had not asked. He nodded, thanking me silently for my understanding and for knowing him so well.
"It was awful, Qui-Gon. He showed no mercy and was indiscriminate in his slaying. He killed guards and prisoners alike, but the prisoners who had been my targets were killed differently. Blood soaked the ground from his other victims but them he strangled. He took his time and enjoyed it. There is something so personal, so intimate about strangulation, Qui-Gon. It is a crime of passion. And then he plunged his blade into their eyes. I cannot imagine their fear and now I fear even more for the Fallen."
I could offer little comfort to him. I had no answers other than to tell him it was not his fault.
I left the next morning for Beli'ay and awaiting me there was news of the Spider. No one had connected the Spider's killings with the Jedi. Why would they? Only League members knew they had been intended rescuees. Weeks passed without a Jedi rescue, yet the Spider continued to kill. Every time the Jedi tried he was meant with slaughter. Travin was gleeful about the news of Spider killings, although he did not connect them with the Jedi, either. On one of my visits I mentioned the lack of Jedi activity and Travin told me there had been no escapes because the Jedi was afraid.
He was right, although for the wrong reasons. I had never know Obi-Wan or the Jedi to be afraid, but I saw fear in his eyes. As far as the world was concerned, the Jedi seemed to have disappeared just as mysteriously as he'd appeared. Obi-Wan tried so hard to win once; he went back again and again, trying more rescues in a month than he had ever attempted before. He was always meant with defeat.
The Spider was spinning his web, and sooner or later he would trap the prey he wanted to snare the most.
Did you realise that then, Obi-Wan? Did you see the Spider's intention? Yes, I suppose you must have. It explains much; it explains the end and how I come to be sitting here alone again, once more telling the world a story of your life. It explains why you died the way you did and why I live to tell the tale.
AN:Please R&R.
It seems an age since last I wrote and indeed perhaps it has been. Silence is no longer chosen or forced upon me; once again I have voice, no longer choked by grief of enemies. I speak to you again, friend, with great joy and anticipation, for the story I will tell you is greater than the last. It is grand in design and tragic in its consequence and all consuming in its splendour. It is you and I and him, in a world changed and growing. I do not wish to draw figures in the sand; I'd rather paint them upon stone. No more shall these tales be merely hearsay and myth. I give you the truth of your hero. Look upon his life as it really is and love him, treasure him and keep him safe. Behold your saviour and uphold him in your hearts and your dreams. The story I tell is worthy of telling and mourn with me the loss of something most precious.
Much has happened since our last meeting. Given that it has been a year, you would expect change. Obi-Wan and I hoped for it desperately but the change that has come to us is not the one we had longed for. Instead of finding peace, all I have left is grief. Obi-Wan has gone from my side; he has left me. Inconceivable you say? Not so. As my first story was of our courtship my second is of our destruction. Love was not enough. Or should I say it was too much?
This tale will not take long; not least of all because my heart aches to tell of it, but I shall tell you because it is the truth. And one thing I know above all else, one thing I have learnt in all my years of chasing and investigating, is that people adore tales of bravery and love, especially when it is true, and as you can expect from the Jedi, there is plenty of both and lots more besides.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Allow me to begin a year ago. I returned to Coruscant and to Beli'ay and, of course, to Obi-Wan. I had King Palpatine's permission to travel the country and seek out the Jedi or any clues leading to his identity. He also encouraged my use of the locals. This meant Obi-Wan. With the king's approval, Travin could not argue.
Obi-Wan and I stayed in the capital for a week or so, arranging his affairs so that we could travel freely and without interruption. The Prince was not happy about his closest companion and confidant being unavailable and unreachable.
"I'll be back, Xan," Obi-Wan assured him. "You'll just have to be patient."
Even now I am not sure if Xanatos knew that Obi-Wan was the elusive Jedi. Love blinded me and Xanatos had loyalty to contend with as well. Perhaps he suspected, knew or was even in on the rescues. May be he was totally in the dark. One thing I know about Obi-Wan now that I did not before is that he is very distrustful of the nobility and the monarchy; anyone's, not just Naboo's. Most of the League members were working men and women
He loved Xanatos dearly as a friend and was loyal to him as a countryman, but I am not sure he trusted him with his secret because the prince was compromised by politics. In the favour he did know this, which meant if he ever guessed he did not confront Obi-Wan. A war with Naboo would be costly and as long as the Jedi was allowed to be hunted on either side of the ocean, then peace remained. Palpatine needed Coruscant's king's permission for my presence and Xanatos, as prince regent, granted it.
Yes, Xanatos is a good man and my respect for him continues to grow. He is cunning and perceptive. When Obi-Wan and I were preparing to leave I had been concerned about Travin; without me in the capital there'd be no telling what he'd get up to. I was relieved and amused to discover that Xanatos had ordered the little spy to be watched at all times. It amused me further when Obi-Wan told me Xanatos ordered the police officers doing the watching to be obvious about it. I still wish I had seen the complete look of anger that would have crossed Travin's face when he realised.
My last tale had little to do with the politics of the Jedi and Naboo, it was an adventure centred around love. Upon my return to Coruscant, Palpatine was still king, the resistance still fought, I still hunted the Jedi and he was still free, even though I knew him. The League was thriving and I was its newest member. But nothing had changed for the world. My tale continues with the people in mind. I suppose that this story is more about our two countries than love, although Obi-Wan and I are still at its centre and the Jedi is still at the heart of all the trouble.
So, we left the comfort of Obi-Wan's town house, and headed northwest to Dantooine. I wanted to know what Obi-Wan's home looked like; I wanted to imagine the boy he had been before his family died and the adult world had been forced upon him.
He was right. I loved that place the moment I saw it. The manor was less assuming in its grandeur than Kenobi Hall, but there was no mistaking the wealth of the owner.
We could not linger long. I had things I had to do and so did Obi-Wan, who was happy to travel though his country. We moved from west to east and back again, gradually returning south. Sometimes we would part for weeks while he went to Naboo or I returned to Beli'ay to check up on Travin and to send progress reports to Theed. With Obi-Wan's help I constructed clues and leads to follow up.
A better part of a year was spent in this way and although at the time I longed for a time when we could be together openly and peacefully, I now long for that time and almost miss it. We had almost a year together and then the Spider came.
Obi-Wan did not tell me of its appearance straight away. He did not know what it meant, if anything at all, but after the third time, and the night before I returned to Beli'ay for news from Theed, he told me everything.
"Sit with me a moment, Qui-Gon?" he asked.
I settled myself comfortably in the great chair I had taken as my own upon my arrival at that particular house. A fire burned in the hearth and Obi-Wan gazed into it as he spoke. Obi-Wan Kenobi slipped away before my very eyes and in his place was the Jedi.
"There have been attacks," he began. These words offered little explanation for his behaviour and although he paused, I did not rush him into his confession. "Three times now, Lord Jinn, three times I have entered a cell and found a body waiting for me. Upon a wall in blood, in ash or scratched there was an image of a spider. These attacks are not aimed at the people of Naboo, Qui-Gon," The Jedi fled and Obi-Wan's eyes looked at me filled with guilt. "They were aimed at me."
He waited for me to respond. I knew there must be more, however, first he had to know I was not angry and forgave him for his secrecy. I beckoned him to me. I pulled him down into my lap and he snuggled close and as he did so a sigh escaped his control. It was the only sign of his relief.
"I forgive you, my Obi-Wan." I said the words even though he had not asked. He nodded, thanking me silently for my understanding and for knowing him so well.
"It was awful, Qui-Gon. He showed no mercy and was indiscriminate in his slaying. He killed guards and prisoners alike, but the prisoners who had been my targets were killed differently. Blood soaked the ground from his other victims but them he strangled. He took his time and enjoyed it. There is something so personal, so intimate about strangulation, Qui-Gon. It is a crime of passion. And then he plunged his blade into their eyes. I cannot imagine their fear and now I fear even more for the Fallen."
I could offer little comfort to him. I had no answers other than to tell him it was not his fault.
I left the next morning for Beli'ay and awaiting me there was news of the Spider. No one had connected the Spider's killings with the Jedi. Why would they? Only League members knew they had been intended rescuees. Weeks passed without a Jedi rescue, yet the Spider continued to kill. Every time the Jedi tried he was meant with slaughter. Travin was gleeful about the news of Spider killings, although he did not connect them with the Jedi, either. On one of my visits I mentioned the lack of Jedi activity and Travin told me there had been no escapes because the Jedi was afraid.
He was right, although for the wrong reasons. I had never know Obi-Wan or the Jedi to be afraid, but I saw fear in his eyes. As far as the world was concerned, the Jedi seemed to have disappeared just as mysteriously as he'd appeared. Obi-Wan tried so hard to win once; he went back again and again, trying more rescues in a month than he had ever attempted before. He was always meant with defeat.
The Spider was spinning his web, and sooner or later he would trap the prey he wanted to snare the most.
Did you realise that then, Obi-Wan? Did you see the Spider's intention? Yes, I suppose you must have. It explains much; it explains the end and how I come to be sitting here alone again, once more telling the world a story of your life. It explains why you died the way you did and why I live to tell the tale.
AN:Please R&R.