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
************************************************************
Kial pounded down the corridor. Surely the Jedi was awake now. He wanted to catch him before he had completely recovered from the dampening field. He knew that the man would be a little off his game for several hours. He had been patient and wanted to have a chance to play with Lord Sidious' toy before handing him over to the evil man.
He wondered for a moment what the consequences of such actions would be. He knew that Sidious was a hard and ruthless man. There would be consequences but thinking on how much fun it would be to damage the Jedi he decided that the pleasure was worth the pain.
The door slid open to reveal the Jedi lying prone on the bunk where he and Sador had deposited him. He reached out with the Force but felt very little. Keeping his hand on his saber he reached out to nudge the man. It was a blur and in that moment the Knight leapt to his feet, hands about the dark one's throat pinning him to the far wall. Kial reeled in shock. He had fought many men but none had moved with such speed and stealth. He reached for his saber but found it impossible to remove from his belt. The Knight leaned in pressing against him with all of his weight.
"Who are you and where are you taking me?" He hissed. Kial smiled knowing that it would take a lot more than a good choking and menacing look to get him to talk. Obi-Wan tried again. This time Kial merely smirked then spat in his face.
Thoroughly disgusted but not deterred, Obi-Wan pressed in on the other man's mind. He had never done this before to this extent. He had entered other being's minds but by consent only. He had never attempted to force himself in to another, let alone a sith. He could feel the man's shields failing. He knew that this was what the Force was calling him to do. He could feel it humming around him. Reaching from within he once again felt a sense of amazement at the balance he felt surrounding him. He could feel the darkness emanating from the being he had pinned against the bulkhead.
He reached within the other man's mind as Kial burst into a shuddering cry of frustration when his shields were finally breached. Obi-Wan frantically searched for the information he needed. Where were they headed and why had they taken him? Searching through bits and pieces of stored information he felt the darkness in the other man's mind reaching for him trying to pull him deeper. He fortified his own shields to keep any threat of the darkness from him.
Reaching further he saw it. He saw Anakin but no he wasn't the one that they wanted. He had been bait, but that made little sense. Anakin couldn't be bait. He was the Chosen One. He was the one that the dark lord desired. If the boy fell then all would be lost to the Jedi. Why would this being believe Anakin to only be bait? He reached deeper then suddenly like a scream in the night a warning flew through him in the Force. He immediately withdrew from Kial mind, but it was too late as Sador struck the Knight from behind leaving him unconscious in a heap on the floor.
"Nice work." Kial hissed staring down as he rubbed his neck. He gave the knight a solid kick to the ribs and reached for his light saber. He was stopped by Sador's hand on his arm.
"Don't be stupid Kial. I realize it means going against everything that you are, but try not to be a total idiot for once. This is the Chosen One. He will turn the balance in our favor. Once he turns the Jedi will one by one fall and we will rule with Lord Sidious throughout the galaxy. Is a moment of revenge worth losing all of that?" Sador asked his distaste for the being standing before him evident. "Use your head."
Kial released his saber and looked up at Sador. His gaze was hard and unreadable. He hated the Knight but hated his fellow sith as much if not more. Giving a begrudging nod he watched as Sador flicked the switch on the hidden wall panel to activate the dampening field.
Sador smiled down at Kial as he watched his fellow Sith fall to the floor as the wave of Force disruption ripped his connection to the dark side from him.
"Forgot to wear your collar again?" Sador laughed slowly reaching into his belt to retrieve one for the smaller heavier sith. Kial only managed to make a gasping noise as he nodded searching for the strength to grab the collar from the other man. Sador dropped it a few inches from Kial's hand then turned to leave. Let the foolish sith save himself. He had more important things to do. He had to get the Chosen One to the hidden lair on Coruscant. He had to convince Sidious that he was needed in order to turn the knight.
He needn't dismiss him as he would Kial. The other sith though physically strong did not possess the skill necessary to lead. The sith needed leaders if they had any chance of overtaking the Jedi. Once they had the Chosen One on their side it would take little time to overtake the Jedi Order. Once they had succeeded in eliminating the champions of truth and justice then they would start the long process of laying claim to the rest of the galaxy.
The brute strength of Kial would be necessary during the first stage but after that Sador's superior intellect would be in high demand. Everyone knew that Master Sidious had lost his favored apprentice. The student had fallen to the Chosen One no less. The man would be needing one he could trust to carry out his orders without question. Sador knew he was that being.
*************************
Of all the times that her romantic interludes with Obi-Wan had been interrupted this was the first time she felt grateful. As she heard Qui- Gon's voice outside the door she could have kissed the man. Disentangling herself from the sith she quickly righted her appearance. The Master had arrived not a moment too soon. Adi sighed with relief and hoped that the sith had not noticed. The irritation on the man's face did not escape her. She had no idea how far the man had intended to go but it was guaranteed that it was further than she would have been willing to.
The door swished open to reveal the graying blond hair and blue eyes of the tall Master.
"I hope I am not interrupting." He smiled moving past Obi-Wan and into the cabin giving the sith no time to respond.
"Qui-Gon, is everything alright? Anakin okay?" Adi asked moving closer to the other Master putting as much distance as she could between herself and the sith without it being obvious.
Qui-Gon picked up on Adi's movement and understood that she was subtly needing a way to get out of the room and away from the sith. He had realized from the moment that he had ascertained that the man was not Obi- Wan that Adi would be in the precarious position while they were forced to maintain the charade.
"He is but I could use your help if you would be willing to give it. I know that you and Obi-Wan have been apart and would like to have some time together but I was hoping that perhaps that could wait until we arrived on Coruscant." He looked over at the knight who was doing his best to hide his anger and contempt for the older master.
"Oh course Master Jinn." The knight's voice was tight and clipped. Adi caught herself staring for a moment and wondered once again at the amount of hatred contained in the imposter.
"Thank you Obi-Wan." Qui-Gon bowed and smiled seemingly unaware of the other man's displeasure. "This way Master Gallia." Adi turned quickly to the sith and rested her arm on the other man's sleeve.
"You get some more rest. We will have time together soon enough." He kissed him lightly on the cheek. She managed to hold off her shudder until the door was safely closed behind she and Qui-Gon. Looking up she was surprised to see a concerned look on the other Master's face.
"I'm fine." She stated firmly.
"You are not to be alone with him again." His voice was that of a man not to be questioned.
"I am a Master you know. I am perfectly capable of handling myself." She said defensively as the reached the medical bay.
Qui-Gon stopped and took the young woman by the arm staring down affectionately into her eyes. "You are important to him. He would expect me to watch out for you. I cannot fail him again." Adi was touched by the emotion in the man and his determination to protect that which Obi-Wan cared for. She gave him a small smile and a nod of concession.
****************************
Kial glanced at the unconscious Knight as he finally managed to breath once more. He hated the Knight but found himself hating Sador even more. The arrogance of the other being caused him to see red whenever he had to be in his presence. He would never understand why Sidious had teamed them up for this mission. He could have captured this pathetic Knight on his own without any help or interference from the other sith.
He sat for a moment longer upon the durasteel floor of the cabin thinking. He had never considered what the next step was once the Chosen One had been captured. Looking over at the man it was obvious that it would take a great deal to turn him. He had already managed to access a bit of the ability that legend claimed he had. He knew that Sador was no match for the Knight physically, but he was. Had the Knight not taken him by surprise Kial felt certain that the scrimmage would have been his. He relished the thought of hurting this man for legitimate reasons. Pain was a powerful weapon and one that he wielded with great skill.
He slowly rose to his feet. He wasn't at all sure why Sador was still a part of this mission. They had the Chosen One now. It was only a matter of time before the Knight was Force to accept his fate. He could either turn or die. Sighing as he left the room Kial hoped silently that Sidious would get rid of Sador once he arrived and put Kial in charge of the Knight. Looking back over his shoulder he visualized the various way he would use to either turn the Knight or end his pathetic life.
*************
Anakin lay awake in his bunk in the medical bay. His Master had just left but had assured him that he would return shortly. He wasn't sure what had happened so much of his memory was a blur. For some reason he couldn't quite understand what was dream and what had really occurred. Upon waking though he knew that he needed to warn someone. It was a feeling that he hadn't been able to shake. He had also felt that his mother was in immediate danger.
He heard the door open and watched as his Master and Master Gallia entered. He tried to sit up but felt a sudden spike of pain in the back of his head.
"Easy there Anakin. Rest easy my Padawan." Anakin lay back closing his eyes.
"I can't remember." Anakin muttered shaking his head from side to side as he lay on the bunk. Qui-Gon raised a concerned eye to Adi who gave him a sympathetic look in return.
"Anakin would you allow me to enter your mind and heal your memory?" Qui- Gon asked. Anakin was immediately nervous about allowing his Master into his mind. He opened his eyes and gave Master Gallia a wary look. Adi immediately understood and excused herself to go in search of Master Yoda.
"What is it?" Qui-Gon asked.
"I need to be able to feel that it is you before I can tell you Master." Qui-Gon nodded understanding. He knew that the boy needed his collar removed but also knew that if he removed it there as a chance that he would realize that Obi-Wan was truly the sith. He took a moment to debate then decided that he could temporarily remove the collar and then perhaps reattach it if needed.
Qui-Gon gently lifted Anakin off of the bed moving his fingers behind the boy's neck.
"There might be a detonation device." Anakin's voice warned. Qui-Gon pulled back and met the boy's eyes.
"Who told you that?" He asked softly seeing the real fear in the boy's gaze.
"You did..well I mean he did." Anakin looked away. He felt guilty that he had so easily been fooled by the sith.
Qui-Gon lifted the boy's chin until the boy had no choice but to look into his blue eyes.
"Anakin, there is no reason to feel shame. I have missed that which was right in front of my eyes, not disguised in the least, the dark side is devious. It lies to us. We must chosen to ignore its lies. You have learned a valuable lesson. It is now up to you to decide what you will do with your knowledge." Anakin nodded.
"Do you trust me not to hurt you?" Qui-Gon asked waiting for the boy to gaze into his eyes once more as the boy nodded. Qui-Gon smiled in response and once again set about removing the inhibitor collar. Once it was removed Anakin sighed in relief as he felt the Force fill him once more. He smiled at his Master as he felt it fill him. He had missed it so very much.
He reached out and touched his Master's signature. It sang true to him. He wrapped himself within its familiarity reveling in a sense of belonging. Qui-Gon wrapped his arms around the child and held him close. There was good in this boy. He felt. He believed in him. Even though now he knew that Anakin was not the Chosen One he had come into the Master's life for reason. Qui-Gon vowed not to leave him. Where ever his fate lay the Master would watch over him.
Anakin drew back he felt the acceptance and affection through the bond and it caused a blush to creep up his cheeks.
"I have missed you Master." He spoke tears shining in his eyes his voice thick with emotion.
"And I you my Padawan." Qui-Gon brushed a tear from Anakin's cheek then waited patiently the boy to reveal that which he had eluded to before.
Anakin took a deep breath knowing that this was his moment of truth.
******************************
I just wanted to give you all a heads up that I am starting to have a bit of a writer's block. I will continue to post chapters hopefully each week but they may be a day or two late. Don't give up because I will finish this story but rushing it is causing it to not feel like I want it to. Does that make sense? Probably not but aren't artist suppose to be eccentric? Hope you guys will hang with me and be patient if the post is a day or two late. I just want the story to be good and not pushed. Trust me I have started reading way too many fictions that I liked that were abandoned. It is the most frustrating thing to me, so be assured that I won't do that to my readers. Thanks.
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
************************************************************
Kial pounded down the corridor. Surely the Jedi was awake now. He wanted to catch him before he had completely recovered from the dampening field. He knew that the man would be a little off his game for several hours. He had been patient and wanted to have a chance to play with Lord Sidious' toy before handing him over to the evil man.
He wondered for a moment what the consequences of such actions would be. He knew that Sidious was a hard and ruthless man. There would be consequences but thinking on how much fun it would be to damage the Jedi he decided that the pleasure was worth the pain.
The door slid open to reveal the Jedi lying prone on the bunk where he and Sador had deposited him. He reached out with the Force but felt very little. Keeping his hand on his saber he reached out to nudge the man. It was a blur and in that moment the Knight leapt to his feet, hands about the dark one's throat pinning him to the far wall. Kial reeled in shock. He had fought many men but none had moved with such speed and stealth. He reached for his saber but found it impossible to remove from his belt. The Knight leaned in pressing against him with all of his weight.
"Who are you and where are you taking me?" He hissed. Kial smiled knowing that it would take a lot more than a good choking and menacing look to get him to talk. Obi-Wan tried again. This time Kial merely smirked then spat in his face.
Thoroughly disgusted but not deterred, Obi-Wan pressed in on the other man's mind. He had never done this before to this extent. He had entered other being's minds but by consent only. He had never attempted to force himself in to another, let alone a sith. He could feel the man's shields failing. He knew that this was what the Force was calling him to do. He could feel it humming around him. Reaching from within he once again felt a sense of amazement at the balance he felt surrounding him. He could feel the darkness emanating from the being he had pinned against the bulkhead.
He reached within the other man's mind as Kial burst into a shuddering cry of frustration when his shields were finally breached. Obi-Wan frantically searched for the information he needed. Where were they headed and why had they taken him? Searching through bits and pieces of stored information he felt the darkness in the other man's mind reaching for him trying to pull him deeper. He fortified his own shields to keep any threat of the darkness from him.
Reaching further he saw it. He saw Anakin but no he wasn't the one that they wanted. He had been bait, but that made little sense. Anakin couldn't be bait. He was the Chosen One. He was the one that the dark lord desired. If the boy fell then all would be lost to the Jedi. Why would this being believe Anakin to only be bait? He reached deeper then suddenly like a scream in the night a warning flew through him in the Force. He immediately withdrew from Kial mind, but it was too late as Sador struck the Knight from behind leaving him unconscious in a heap on the floor.
"Nice work." Kial hissed staring down as he rubbed his neck. He gave the knight a solid kick to the ribs and reached for his light saber. He was stopped by Sador's hand on his arm.
"Don't be stupid Kial. I realize it means going against everything that you are, but try not to be a total idiot for once. This is the Chosen One. He will turn the balance in our favor. Once he turns the Jedi will one by one fall and we will rule with Lord Sidious throughout the galaxy. Is a moment of revenge worth losing all of that?" Sador asked his distaste for the being standing before him evident. "Use your head."
Kial released his saber and looked up at Sador. His gaze was hard and unreadable. He hated the Knight but hated his fellow sith as much if not more. Giving a begrudging nod he watched as Sador flicked the switch on the hidden wall panel to activate the dampening field.
Sador smiled down at Kial as he watched his fellow Sith fall to the floor as the wave of Force disruption ripped his connection to the dark side from him.
"Forgot to wear your collar again?" Sador laughed slowly reaching into his belt to retrieve one for the smaller heavier sith. Kial only managed to make a gasping noise as he nodded searching for the strength to grab the collar from the other man. Sador dropped it a few inches from Kial's hand then turned to leave. Let the foolish sith save himself. He had more important things to do. He had to get the Chosen One to the hidden lair on Coruscant. He had to convince Sidious that he was needed in order to turn the knight.
He needn't dismiss him as he would Kial. The other sith though physically strong did not possess the skill necessary to lead. The sith needed leaders if they had any chance of overtaking the Jedi. Once they had the Chosen One on their side it would take little time to overtake the Jedi Order. Once they had succeeded in eliminating the champions of truth and justice then they would start the long process of laying claim to the rest of the galaxy.
The brute strength of Kial would be necessary during the first stage but after that Sador's superior intellect would be in high demand. Everyone knew that Master Sidious had lost his favored apprentice. The student had fallen to the Chosen One no less. The man would be needing one he could trust to carry out his orders without question. Sador knew he was that being.
*************************
Of all the times that her romantic interludes with Obi-Wan had been interrupted this was the first time she felt grateful. As she heard Qui- Gon's voice outside the door she could have kissed the man. Disentangling herself from the sith she quickly righted her appearance. The Master had arrived not a moment too soon. Adi sighed with relief and hoped that the sith had not noticed. The irritation on the man's face did not escape her. She had no idea how far the man had intended to go but it was guaranteed that it was further than she would have been willing to.
The door swished open to reveal the graying blond hair and blue eyes of the tall Master.
"I hope I am not interrupting." He smiled moving past Obi-Wan and into the cabin giving the sith no time to respond.
"Qui-Gon, is everything alright? Anakin okay?" Adi asked moving closer to the other Master putting as much distance as she could between herself and the sith without it being obvious.
Qui-Gon picked up on Adi's movement and understood that she was subtly needing a way to get out of the room and away from the sith. He had realized from the moment that he had ascertained that the man was not Obi- Wan that Adi would be in the precarious position while they were forced to maintain the charade.
"He is but I could use your help if you would be willing to give it. I know that you and Obi-Wan have been apart and would like to have some time together but I was hoping that perhaps that could wait until we arrived on Coruscant." He looked over at the knight who was doing his best to hide his anger and contempt for the older master.
"Oh course Master Jinn." The knight's voice was tight and clipped. Adi caught herself staring for a moment and wondered once again at the amount of hatred contained in the imposter.
"Thank you Obi-Wan." Qui-Gon bowed and smiled seemingly unaware of the other man's displeasure. "This way Master Gallia." Adi turned quickly to the sith and rested her arm on the other man's sleeve.
"You get some more rest. We will have time together soon enough." He kissed him lightly on the cheek. She managed to hold off her shudder until the door was safely closed behind she and Qui-Gon. Looking up she was surprised to see a concerned look on the other Master's face.
"I'm fine." She stated firmly.
"You are not to be alone with him again." His voice was that of a man not to be questioned.
"I am a Master you know. I am perfectly capable of handling myself." She said defensively as the reached the medical bay.
Qui-Gon stopped and took the young woman by the arm staring down affectionately into her eyes. "You are important to him. He would expect me to watch out for you. I cannot fail him again." Adi was touched by the emotion in the man and his determination to protect that which Obi-Wan cared for. She gave him a small smile and a nod of concession.
****************************
Kial glanced at the unconscious Knight as he finally managed to breath once more. He hated the Knight but found himself hating Sador even more. The arrogance of the other being caused him to see red whenever he had to be in his presence. He would never understand why Sidious had teamed them up for this mission. He could have captured this pathetic Knight on his own without any help or interference from the other sith.
He sat for a moment longer upon the durasteel floor of the cabin thinking. He had never considered what the next step was once the Chosen One had been captured. Looking over at the man it was obvious that it would take a great deal to turn him. He had already managed to access a bit of the ability that legend claimed he had. He knew that Sador was no match for the Knight physically, but he was. Had the Knight not taken him by surprise Kial felt certain that the scrimmage would have been his. He relished the thought of hurting this man for legitimate reasons. Pain was a powerful weapon and one that he wielded with great skill.
He slowly rose to his feet. He wasn't at all sure why Sador was still a part of this mission. They had the Chosen One now. It was only a matter of time before the Knight was Force to accept his fate. He could either turn or die. Sighing as he left the room Kial hoped silently that Sidious would get rid of Sador once he arrived and put Kial in charge of the Knight. Looking back over his shoulder he visualized the various way he would use to either turn the Knight or end his pathetic life.
*************
Anakin lay awake in his bunk in the medical bay. His Master had just left but had assured him that he would return shortly. He wasn't sure what had happened so much of his memory was a blur. For some reason he couldn't quite understand what was dream and what had really occurred. Upon waking though he knew that he needed to warn someone. It was a feeling that he hadn't been able to shake. He had also felt that his mother was in immediate danger.
He heard the door open and watched as his Master and Master Gallia entered. He tried to sit up but felt a sudden spike of pain in the back of his head.
"Easy there Anakin. Rest easy my Padawan." Anakin lay back closing his eyes.
"I can't remember." Anakin muttered shaking his head from side to side as he lay on the bunk. Qui-Gon raised a concerned eye to Adi who gave him a sympathetic look in return.
"Anakin would you allow me to enter your mind and heal your memory?" Qui- Gon asked. Anakin was immediately nervous about allowing his Master into his mind. He opened his eyes and gave Master Gallia a wary look. Adi immediately understood and excused herself to go in search of Master Yoda.
"What is it?" Qui-Gon asked.
"I need to be able to feel that it is you before I can tell you Master." Qui-Gon nodded understanding. He knew that the boy needed his collar removed but also knew that if he removed it there as a chance that he would realize that Obi-Wan was truly the sith. He took a moment to debate then decided that he could temporarily remove the collar and then perhaps reattach it if needed.
Qui-Gon gently lifted Anakin off of the bed moving his fingers behind the boy's neck.
"There might be a detonation device." Anakin's voice warned. Qui-Gon pulled back and met the boy's eyes.
"Who told you that?" He asked softly seeing the real fear in the boy's gaze.
"You did..well I mean he did." Anakin looked away. He felt guilty that he had so easily been fooled by the sith.
Qui-Gon lifted the boy's chin until the boy had no choice but to look into his blue eyes.
"Anakin, there is no reason to feel shame. I have missed that which was right in front of my eyes, not disguised in the least, the dark side is devious. It lies to us. We must chosen to ignore its lies. You have learned a valuable lesson. It is now up to you to decide what you will do with your knowledge." Anakin nodded.
"Do you trust me not to hurt you?" Qui-Gon asked waiting for the boy to gaze into his eyes once more as the boy nodded. Qui-Gon smiled in response and once again set about removing the inhibitor collar. Once it was removed Anakin sighed in relief as he felt the Force fill him once more. He smiled at his Master as he felt it fill him. He had missed it so very much.
He reached out and touched his Master's signature. It sang true to him. He wrapped himself within its familiarity reveling in a sense of belonging. Qui-Gon wrapped his arms around the child and held him close. There was good in this boy. He felt. He believed in him. Even though now he knew that Anakin was not the Chosen One he had come into the Master's life for reason. Qui-Gon vowed not to leave him. Where ever his fate lay the Master would watch over him.
Anakin drew back he felt the acceptance and affection through the bond and it caused a blush to creep up his cheeks.
"I have missed you Master." He spoke tears shining in his eyes his voice thick with emotion.
"And I you my Padawan." Qui-Gon brushed a tear from Anakin's cheek then waited patiently the boy to reveal that which he had eluded to before.
Anakin took a deep breath knowing that this was his moment of truth.
******************************
I just wanted to give you all a heads up that I am starting to have a bit of a writer's block. I will continue to post chapters hopefully each week but they may be a day or two late. Don't give up because I will finish this story but rushing it is causing it to not feel like I want it to. Does that make sense? Probably not but aren't artist suppose to be eccentric? Hope you guys will hang with me and be patient if the post is a day or two late. I just want the story to be good and not pushed. Trust me I have started reading way too many fictions that I liked that were abandoned. It is the most frustrating thing to me, so be assured that I won't do that to my readers. Thanks.
