Ok, please don't be disappointed if this chapter doesn't seem too good. I have a few other stories going too, so I have to work on those as well. : )
Anakin skidded around a corner, nearly running into an elderly Jedi, as he rushed to his Master's room. He apologized quickly and continued his run. He finally reached the room and immediatly slapped the button. He stepped inside and looked for Obi-Wan. He saw his Master leaning over a survival pack, trying to shove another tunic into it.
Anakin's face dropped. "You're leaving?"
Obi-Wan didn't look up. "Yes. The Council is sending me on a mission to retrieve a Padawan from a hostile planet."
Anakin scrunched up his face. "Geez, you can make the most exciting things sound boring."
Obi-Wan looked up at him and smiled wryly. "Boring? How so?"
"Well, instead of saying 'retrieve', you could have said save, or rescue. And the planet could be dangerous, Jedi-eating, or something like that."
The Jedi smirked. "Jedi-eating?"
"Hey, it was better than what you said."
Obi-Wan smiled and shook his head. "Whatever, Anakin. You have a very vivid imagination. You should be a writer for the HoloNet. I can see your headlines now, 'Man-eating Ewoks invade Coruscant; midget Jawa saves the day'."
Anakin smirked. "Uh, not quite." He watched Obi-Wan pack for a moment. "Where are you going?"
Obi-Wan frowned inwardly. He couldn't tell Anakin he was going to where his mother was, that could cause some major problems for the youth. "Somewhere in the Outer Rim."
"They didn't tell you?"
"They did, but it is confidential."
"You can't even tell your own Padawan?"
"No, because you are not coming with me."
Anakin leaned his head into his hands. "I wish I was." He sighed. "I wish Qui-Gon were here."
Obi-Wan looked away for a moment. Then he turned back to Anakin and shouldered his bag. "So do I, Anakin. So do I. More than you'll ever know."
"But I do know, Master. You miss Qui-Gon like I miss my mom."
"But Qui-Gon was not my parent."
Anakin looked up at him, pure sympathy on his face. "But you thought of him as your father. Didn't you?"
Obi-Wan paused. "Yes," he said simply, and walked out of the door.
But Anakin wasn't about to let Obi-Wan get away that easily. "Don't worry, Obi-Wan," he shouted as Obi-Wan got further and further down the hall. "I'm your Padawan, and I'm not going anywhere!"
Obi-Wan stopped and turned back to Anakin. He smiled. "I know, Anakin."
Anakin smiled. "Good luck!" Then the boy turned and rushed back down the hall, towards the mess hall. Obi-Wan watched him run for a moment before continuing his walk. He trudged along, not even acknowledging the Jedi he passed. He caught one pair of boys staring at him. Judging by their age, they were wondering if he was looking for a Padawan. He avoided their faces and strode past them, not stopping until he reached the bay with the few Jedi-owned ships in it. He looked around for another Jedi, saw one in a flight suit, and headed toward him.
The whine of engines was overwhelming, and Obi-Wan had to shout to be heard. "Excuse me!"
The Jedi turned around and looked at Obi-Wan suspiciously. "What?" he shouted.
"I am Obi-Wan Kenobi! I was told to go to Tatooine on a mission!"
The man squinted, then looked at a datapad. "Oh! Kenobi! Yeah, we got the order from the Council! Follow me! Your ship is over here!" He took off towards the back of the hangar, and Obi-Wan reluctantly followed. The Jedi stopped in front of a freighter that was at least fifteen years old and opened the hatch. He stepped inside, waited until Obi-Wan was inside, then shut the hatch. Obi-Wan's ears were ringing from the noise.
"Sorry about that out there. We just got a couple of ships from donation, and we're trying to make sure they work perfectly."
"Since when does the Republic give the Jedi ships?"
The man shrugged. "I don't know. Goodwill gesture. Anywho." The Jedi walked to the front of the ship to the cockpit. Obi-Wan followed. The man turned to Obi-Wan as he walked up behind the pilot's seat. "By the way, I'm Kosk."
"Obi-Wan Kenobi."
"Yeah, I was told. Anyway, I assume you know how to fly a basic freighter." Obi-Wan nodded. "Good, saves me time. Now," he moved to a small closet in the corridor," this has all of the things you'll need to blend in on Tatooine. We've got tunics, boots, ponchos, and even some Tatooine currency. But just in case that doesn't work," he reached into the pocket of a cloak and pulled out a small bag," backup." he said as he handed it to Obi-Wan.
Obi-Wan dumped out some of the small bag onto his hand, and gaped at the small jewels in his hand. "Vertex! How did you get this?" Vertex was a very valuable jewel that was mined and used as currency for many planets. On a planet such as Tatooine, just a little vertex could get him pretty far.
"It's not how I got it, but how the Council got it. But, as lowly Knights, that is none of our business." Obi-Wan handed Kosk the bag of vertex, and he placed it back in the pocket of the cloak. Then Kosk reached into another pocket and pulled out a datapad and a few datacards. "These are your new ID's, just in case they are needed. I doubt it on Tatooine, but it never hurts to be prepared. This," he held up the datapad, "has everything you need to know about Tatooine in it. It also has basic information on Kyra and Yusuu so you can find them easier." He gave them to Obi-Wan and looked around, smacking his lips as he did.
"Well, Kenobi, I think that is about it. The galley is over that way, and the escape pod is further down that way. Your bunk is the large one at the very back of the ship. Got it?"
"Got it."
"Good. Go ahead and start up the ship and wait for clearance. You are to leave here as soon as possible. Every moment you dawdle is another moment that Kyra gets closer to death." He walked to the hatch and opened it. "May the Force be with you!" he shouted over the din of engines.
Obi-Wan nodded his thanks and settled into the pilot's seat. It was too big, and he kept sliding in it. He pulled the com headphones onto his head and keyed the ignition codes. The ship stalled at first, but finally started running smoothly. The com crackled and Obi-Wan winced at the volume. He turned it down enough to understand what was being said.
"Jedi Kenobi, this is Jedi flight commander. You are clear for take-off. Please do try not to hit any other ships."
"I'll keep that in mind."
"Remember, it will take a few days to get to Tatooine, so be prepared to get bored. May the Force be with you. Commander, out."
"Kenobi out." He moved a few switches on the control consol, gripped the stick, and eased the ship out of the hangar, narrowly missing a large fighter. "Now would be a good time to have Anakin," he said to himself. He managed to get it away from the Temple and into the crowded spacelanes of Coruscant. He had to wait for almost an hour before he was allowed to leave the atmosphere, and he was in a foul mood by then. He was cursing about everthing: the mission, the ship, Coruscant, Anakin, and many other things.
When he finally calmed down, the magnitude of his anger surprised him. He was cursing things that had nothing to do with anything. Anakin hadn't put him in this position, Anakin hadn't caused the traffic to go slow. Anakin didn't cause Qui-Gon to get killed. The thought came from nowhere and surprised him. He shook his head free of all thoughts and keyed in hyperspace coordinated, then pushed the lever. The stars blurred and became nothing but streaks in the viewport. And yet he still could not completely clear his head
Anakin skidded around a corner, nearly running into an elderly Jedi, as he rushed to his Master's room. He apologized quickly and continued his run. He finally reached the room and immediatly slapped the button. He stepped inside and looked for Obi-Wan. He saw his Master leaning over a survival pack, trying to shove another tunic into it.
Anakin's face dropped. "You're leaving?"
Obi-Wan didn't look up. "Yes. The Council is sending me on a mission to retrieve a Padawan from a hostile planet."
Anakin scrunched up his face. "Geez, you can make the most exciting things sound boring."
Obi-Wan looked up at him and smiled wryly. "Boring? How so?"
"Well, instead of saying 'retrieve', you could have said save, or rescue. And the planet could be dangerous, Jedi-eating, or something like that."
The Jedi smirked. "Jedi-eating?"
"Hey, it was better than what you said."
Obi-Wan smiled and shook his head. "Whatever, Anakin. You have a very vivid imagination. You should be a writer for the HoloNet. I can see your headlines now, 'Man-eating Ewoks invade Coruscant; midget Jawa saves the day'."
Anakin smirked. "Uh, not quite." He watched Obi-Wan pack for a moment. "Where are you going?"
Obi-Wan frowned inwardly. He couldn't tell Anakin he was going to where his mother was, that could cause some major problems for the youth. "Somewhere in the Outer Rim."
"They didn't tell you?"
"They did, but it is confidential."
"You can't even tell your own Padawan?"
"No, because you are not coming with me."
Anakin leaned his head into his hands. "I wish I was." He sighed. "I wish Qui-Gon were here."
Obi-Wan looked away for a moment. Then he turned back to Anakin and shouldered his bag. "So do I, Anakin. So do I. More than you'll ever know."
"But I do know, Master. You miss Qui-Gon like I miss my mom."
"But Qui-Gon was not my parent."
Anakin looked up at him, pure sympathy on his face. "But you thought of him as your father. Didn't you?"
Obi-Wan paused. "Yes," he said simply, and walked out of the door.
But Anakin wasn't about to let Obi-Wan get away that easily. "Don't worry, Obi-Wan," he shouted as Obi-Wan got further and further down the hall. "I'm your Padawan, and I'm not going anywhere!"
Obi-Wan stopped and turned back to Anakin. He smiled. "I know, Anakin."
Anakin smiled. "Good luck!" Then the boy turned and rushed back down the hall, towards the mess hall. Obi-Wan watched him run for a moment before continuing his walk. He trudged along, not even acknowledging the Jedi he passed. He caught one pair of boys staring at him. Judging by their age, they were wondering if he was looking for a Padawan. He avoided their faces and strode past them, not stopping until he reached the bay with the few Jedi-owned ships in it. He looked around for another Jedi, saw one in a flight suit, and headed toward him.
The whine of engines was overwhelming, and Obi-Wan had to shout to be heard. "Excuse me!"
The Jedi turned around and looked at Obi-Wan suspiciously. "What?" he shouted.
"I am Obi-Wan Kenobi! I was told to go to Tatooine on a mission!"
The man squinted, then looked at a datapad. "Oh! Kenobi! Yeah, we got the order from the Council! Follow me! Your ship is over here!" He took off towards the back of the hangar, and Obi-Wan reluctantly followed. The Jedi stopped in front of a freighter that was at least fifteen years old and opened the hatch. He stepped inside, waited until Obi-Wan was inside, then shut the hatch. Obi-Wan's ears were ringing from the noise.
"Sorry about that out there. We just got a couple of ships from donation, and we're trying to make sure they work perfectly."
"Since when does the Republic give the Jedi ships?"
The man shrugged. "I don't know. Goodwill gesture. Anywho." The Jedi walked to the front of the ship to the cockpit. Obi-Wan followed. The man turned to Obi-Wan as he walked up behind the pilot's seat. "By the way, I'm Kosk."
"Obi-Wan Kenobi."
"Yeah, I was told. Anyway, I assume you know how to fly a basic freighter." Obi-Wan nodded. "Good, saves me time. Now," he moved to a small closet in the corridor," this has all of the things you'll need to blend in on Tatooine. We've got tunics, boots, ponchos, and even some Tatooine currency. But just in case that doesn't work," he reached into the pocket of a cloak and pulled out a small bag," backup." he said as he handed it to Obi-Wan.
Obi-Wan dumped out some of the small bag onto his hand, and gaped at the small jewels in his hand. "Vertex! How did you get this?" Vertex was a very valuable jewel that was mined and used as currency for many planets. On a planet such as Tatooine, just a little vertex could get him pretty far.
"It's not how I got it, but how the Council got it. But, as lowly Knights, that is none of our business." Obi-Wan handed Kosk the bag of vertex, and he placed it back in the pocket of the cloak. Then Kosk reached into another pocket and pulled out a datapad and a few datacards. "These are your new ID's, just in case they are needed. I doubt it on Tatooine, but it never hurts to be prepared. This," he held up the datapad, "has everything you need to know about Tatooine in it. It also has basic information on Kyra and Yusuu so you can find them easier." He gave them to Obi-Wan and looked around, smacking his lips as he did.
"Well, Kenobi, I think that is about it. The galley is over that way, and the escape pod is further down that way. Your bunk is the large one at the very back of the ship. Got it?"
"Got it."
"Good. Go ahead and start up the ship and wait for clearance. You are to leave here as soon as possible. Every moment you dawdle is another moment that Kyra gets closer to death." He walked to the hatch and opened it. "May the Force be with you!" he shouted over the din of engines.
Obi-Wan nodded his thanks and settled into the pilot's seat. It was too big, and he kept sliding in it. He pulled the com headphones onto his head and keyed the ignition codes. The ship stalled at first, but finally started running smoothly. The com crackled and Obi-Wan winced at the volume. He turned it down enough to understand what was being said.
"Jedi Kenobi, this is Jedi flight commander. You are clear for take-off. Please do try not to hit any other ships."
"I'll keep that in mind."
"Remember, it will take a few days to get to Tatooine, so be prepared to get bored. May the Force be with you. Commander, out."
"Kenobi out." He moved a few switches on the control consol, gripped the stick, and eased the ship out of the hangar, narrowly missing a large fighter. "Now would be a good time to have Anakin," he said to himself. He managed to get it away from the Temple and into the crowded spacelanes of Coruscant. He had to wait for almost an hour before he was allowed to leave the atmosphere, and he was in a foul mood by then. He was cursing about everthing: the mission, the ship, Coruscant, Anakin, and many other things.
When he finally calmed down, the magnitude of his anger surprised him. He was cursing things that had nothing to do with anything. Anakin hadn't put him in this position, Anakin hadn't caused the traffic to go slow. Anakin didn't cause Qui-Gon to get killed. The thought came from nowhere and surprised him. He shook his head free of all thoughts and keyed in hyperspace coordinated, then pushed the lever. The stars blurred and became nothing but streaks in the viewport. And yet he still could not completely clear his head