Title: Hidden Shadows Seeking Light

Rating: I wish I knew. I am putting it at PG-13 just because I don't know any better and would rather err on the safe side.

Genre: Drama/Mild Angst

Feedback: I would love to get feedback on this story. I would appreciate it if everyone would put down their flame throwers though because this is only my second time out and I know I made mistakes on the first story and have no doubt I will make many on this one. I need constructive criticism so that I will get better not mean comments that will only serve to make me cry. I thank each and every one of the readers who take the time to review this story. I love fan fiction and hope to write stories that can entertain others as much as their stories have entertained me.

Disclaimer: I own none of the characters in this story. They are, were and will always belong to Mr. George Lucas creator of an amazing universe. Not only does this story contain elements of the universe that Mr. Lucas created but also the Alternate Universe (AU) found in a wonderful story called An Untimely Frost by CYNICAL21.

Just to a little guide as to what things mean:

/-/ Bond thought //-// Private thought "-" Speaking aloud

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Qui-Gon watched as the Knight left the medical bay. He hadn't been surprised by the man's vicious parting remarks. It hadn't taken him but a few moments in the other man's presence to realize that he was NOT his beloved Obi-Wan. He chided himself for not recognizing it sooner. He had allowed his relief to blind him to the truth. He should have sensed it sooner. He had suspected from the moment he had entered the medical bay, but when the he had tested the man with the mission question he had known.

Glancing down quickly at his young padawan, Qui-Gon checked the monitor once more before moving back up to the cockpit. He had to find Yoda and Adi first and then he had to find Obi-Wan, his Obi-Wan, the man who was counting on him to know the difference.

He smiled in spite of the gravity of the circumstances relieved that he had recognized the imposter. Thinking about it now it was as plain as the nose on his face. He didn't need to touch the man's mind to feel the difference. He had worked along side the boy, raised him, taught him, held him in good times and in bad. He knew him as a Father knows his own son and he was like a son. Like Father fighting for his son, Qui-Gon set his jaw. The sith would pay for what he had done not only to Obi-Wan but to Anakin as well. Two boys given to an imperfect Master sharing a fate that few could survive, but survive they would. The Force had asked him if he would die for Obi-Wan and he would, but not before he removed once and for all the sith who would always hang over his Chosen One's head waiting and watching.

He found both Yoda and Adi in the galley. He glanced back to insure that the sith had not followed him. Looking up he motioned for them both to follow him as he led the way to the cockpit. Sealing the door behind him he turned to face their expectant expressions.

"He isn't Obi-Wan." Adi furrowed her brow. It made sense. That was why she had felt so uncomfortable going with him but how could Qui-gon be so sure. She thought she knew the man, but looking up at Qui-Gon she realized that the time she had spent studying Kenobism was a far cry from the years that the Master had spent becoming an expert.

"Tested him you have?" Yoda asked. He too seemed to accept the other man's word without question.

"I have. He failed." He spoke in a whisper. The three Masters stood silently assessing the situation. Adi felt a panic rising up within her. If this was not her Obi-Wan then where was he? Had he been left behind? Why hadn't she been more thorough checking the ship? She chided herself for being so trusting. She had failed him when he had counted on her the most. Her sadness was palpable.

"Had reason to doubt you did not." Yoda spoke seemingly reading her thoughts. Adi shook her head in frustration. "Hidden in shadows the darkness is hard to feel, harder still it is to see." Qui-Gon felt for the woman he had known for so long. He had never seen her look so full of despair.

"That won't help him now." Qui-Gon's voice was determined and strong. Looking up she met Qui-Gon's eyes. She knew he too had felt as she did now. He knew what it felt like to let the knight down when Obi-Wan had been counting on his Master for help. He knew well the feelings of despair and failure as well as the overpowering desire to somehow set things right. Perhaps it was there that Adi needed to concentrate. She needed to focus not on her failings but on her desire to make it right. Noting Qui-Gon's resolve forced her to set aside her personal feelings and center once more on finding the Knight.

"Left him on the ship we did. Other's coming to get him I presume." Yoda considered. "Too late it is to go back. Nothing would we gain. Continue with the charade we must." Qui-Gon wanted to protest but knew that the other Master was right. It took every ounce of willpower that he had not to leave hyperspace, reset the calculations and rush back to defend his friend. He couldn't imagine what Obi-Wan had endured or what he would be asked to survive. Steeling himself against despair he took solace in the similar feelings of Adi and Yoda. They all wanted him back now but they had to be patient. It was their only hope. It was Obi-Wan's only hope.

"He will lead us to him. We must not tip him off." Adi's voice was soft. She cringed thinking of how he had touched her earlier. They had kissed. It had felt different and now she knew why. She felt bile creep up her throat and swallowed hard fighting the wave of nausea. She needed a shower. She needed to get clean. She wondered if she would ever feel clean again. She refused to consider how far she would have to take the charade in order to keep from tipping the evil one off.

The other Master's studied her for a moment. They could sense her revulsion knowing what contact she must have shared with the sith. Looking up she caught their concerned gazes. She knew what she must do. She had to continue on as if all's well Shuddering involuntarily she stared back determined. Her eyes showing a confidence that her body lacked. Satisfied both Masters turned their attention back to the task at hand.

"Send a transmission I will to Mace alone." Yoda announced.

"I don't think that that would be wise." Qui-Gon replied. "We have no idea who is involved in this. Someone knew we would be on Tiress and alerted the sith to our presence." Qui-Gon reminded.

"The mission wasn't classified. I see no harm-" Adi began.

"Classified or not they were there before we were. They had the Commander's daughter. It was a trap from the beginning. Laroon LaKol was merely the bait. I won't have us risk it. I won't allow it." Qui-Gon face grew red with emotion. Adi felt herself torn between anger at being addressed so harshly and relief at seeing the master's fierce protection of the Knight. She nodded.

"Very well." Yoda began, "Point you have. Up to us it is."

"Well the ship was heading to Coruscant so perhaps that is where Obi-Wan is still being taken." Adi offered. She really couldn't allow herself to fathom the other possibilities. The galaxy was a vast place. Once lost there people stayed lost.

"Follow him we must once we land." Yoda felt the conflict within him. He wanted to be the one to pursue the sith. He wanted to be the one to protect his precious padawan but knew that the Force was guiding him otherwise.

"Once we arrive take to boy to the infirmary I will. Pursue the sith you two must. Stay in contact if you can. Send help I will as soon as I am sure that compromise you it will not." Both Qui-Gon and Adi nodded.

"He will try to slip away quickly I would think especially if we make a point of having him remove the collar he is wearing." They all three now realized that it was the collar that was keeping the sith hidden. Yoda nodded impressed by Adi's insight.

"Return we must before he grows suspicious." They all paused listening for any sign of the dark master beyond the door. Feeling reasonable certain that he was still resting Yoda continued. " Once we land Obi-Wan's fate in your hands it is. May the Force be with you." The three shared a moment of solidarity united in their determination. Qui-Gon released the hatch and Adi and Yoda retreated down the corridor. He remained behind sinking into the pilot's seat. Staring out into the vastness of space he sent out a call through the Force to his friend.

/I know Obi-Wan. I know and I am coming for you./

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The sensor was still blaring over head as Obi-Wan raced frantically back to the cockpit. He reached out with his Force sense. He knew that the occupants of the other ship were not Jedi but were sith. He ran through his options. He could try to ambush them but being outnumbered he had to wonder what his chances would be. He had defeated a sith before but only with the help of Master Yoda. Checking the navigational coordinates he realized that their previous course had been set for Coruscant. There was no way for him to catch the other ship before it arrived. His only chance was to let these two lead him to the sith and be ready to protect and defend his friends when the time came.

In the distance he could hear the sound of the sith's ship docking where the air seal had been created. In a matter of moments the sith would be on board. Rushing back to the medical bay Obi-Wan quickly picked one of the collars still lying on the floor of the bay. He tucked it securing in right boot while he hid is lightsaber in the left. Once he was sure that they were secure he removed the collar from around his neck and tossed it aside.

Lying once more on the flooring he closed his eyes and sunk deeply into a meditative trance. He kept a portion of his mind on alert so that in the event that he needed to defend himself he could do so, but only in a life or death situation. Just as he let the last of his anxiety release he heard the medical bay door slide open once more.

He heard an evil laugh and all went black.

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Something about Obi-Wan. Something about him. He had to warn him. No he had to run from him. That wasn't right. Something wasn't right. He had to warn the others about him. Anakin tossed and turned mumbling nonsensically as he trashed about.

"Obi-Wan" He moaned. "Help. Must tell." He mumbled. Qui-Gon and Yoda exchanged a concerned look. Both were wondering what the sith had done to the boy. Qui-Gon felt his anger rise within him once more. He wanted to rush back to where the sith lay smugly in his bed. He wanted to punish the man, torture him as he had his two beloved padawans.

"Help him your anger will not. Example for him you must set. Anger is of the dark side. Too much anger has this boy felt." Yoda reached out touching the boy sending a wave of reassurance into his body. He calmed and fell silent.

Qui-Gon nodded. "You blame me for this don't you?"

"Blame you? Why think you that I would blame you?" He stared up at the man.

"Because I defied the council. Because I threw aside the Chosen One to train Anakin. Because I have obviously been oblivious to the warning signs that he was at the very least experimenting with the dark side." Qui-Gon answered his voice growing weaker with each omission.

"Hm." Yoda answered thoughtfully. Qui-Gon shifted uncomfortably under the older Master's gaze.

"Blame yourself enough for us all you do. Why add my blame to that which is already too heavy for you to bear? Blame you I will not if learn from this you will." He said turning back to consider the boy before him.

"I have learned." Qui-Gon said under his voice.

"Learned have you? What have you learned?" Yoda asked.

"To lean more upon the Force than my own imperfect understanding." Yoda nodded.

"It is a start." It was at that moment that Anakin chose to wake.

"Master?" He asked staring past Yoda. His gaze locked upon Qui-Gon He studied him intently.

"Yes Anakin it is really me." He caressed the boy's face lovingly. Anakin remained wary.

"Where is Obi-Wan?" He asked. Both Master's exchanged a look before either of them spoke. With the Sith accessing the boy's mind so readily it had been decided that they would not reveal what they had discovered concerning the knight. Instead they would deceive the boy. It went against everything that the Master had been taught but in this situation they had seen no alternative.

"He is resting." Qui-Gon offered.

"I have something I need to tell you about him." Anakin said urgently.

"Tell us you should." Yoda encouraged. Anakin's face went strangely blank as he searched through his mind for what it was that he had been about to reveal. He could find nothing. The urgency was there but the information was strangely missing.

'I.." He faltered. "I can't remember." He sighed in frustration. His head hurt as did his neck. He reached up and felt the collar.

"We will remove that as soon as we get you safely back to the Temple." Qui- Gon soothed him.

"What will happen to me then?" He asked innocently.

"Hard to see the future is. Meditate on this we must." Yoda commented confidently.

"You're going to throw me out of the Temple aren't you?" The boy's eyes filled with tears his despair cutting into Qui-Gon's heart.

"Anakin I would like to promise you that it won't happen but I can't. I won't make promises that I can't keep ever again for that is how I hurt Obi- Wan." He was quiet for a moment listening to the boy's sobs. "But I promise you that I will not abandon you. I will make sure that no matter what occurs that you are taken care of."

"But I have to finish my training. I have to." He pleaded. Yoda reached out to the boy trying to calm him once more.

"Calm yourself you will. Made the decision has not been. Wait for the Council we will." He knew it wasn't much comfort but he wanted the boy to know that there was still hope albeit small. Anakin took a deep breath and reigned in his emotions as much as he could.

Qui-Gon pulled the boy up into a sitting position and cradled him against his chest. Anakin allowed the other man to hold him. It felt good to be in his Master's arms. It felt good to think that someone was protecting him and watching over him. He hadn't felt that way in a while. He relaxed against the man trying not to think about what would happen once they arrived on Coruscant.

With a final check of the boy's vitals, Yoda turned and made his way out of the medical bay. Turning once before the door slid shut he found himself realizing that Qui-Gon Jinn had finally learned the lesson of loving his padawan for who he was and not what he had the potential to be.

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