AUTHOR'S NOTE: Thanks for all the reviews guys! Keep them coming. I'm
glad to know most of you are enjoying it so far and I also appreciate the
criticism. It makes me a better writer.
I hope this chapter answers some questions and clears things up. You may have noticed it took me a while to get this one. I had some trouble and am still not 100% satisfied with it. Anyway, I hope it's at least readable.
CHAPTER 7: THE PAST REVEALED
"I've got a bad feeling about this." A nervous Xanatos said as he paced the floor of a Naboo hanger. He still held Obi-Wan's lightsaber, the one he confiscated at the edge of the melting pit, the one he used to injure the Sith.
"I don't sense anything." A contrastly calm Qui-Gon said, Anakin by his side.
"It's not something I sense. It's what I anticipate." Xanatos explained. "I don't believe the council will take the news well."
"Which news?" Qui-Gon said, his calm tone making him seem oblivious.
"The news that we can confirm the existence of the Sith." Xanatos said with frustration in his voice. Remaining calm in these situations was one thing, but playing dumb to make yourself seem more calm than you were?. It always frustrated Xanatos when his master did this.
"Oh, that news." Qui-Gon said with fake surprise in his voice.
"Yes, that news. Of course there's also the news about Obi-Wan and how the boy we thought was dead, was actually working for the Sith lord."
"No one thought he was dead. it was only presumed by a few." Qui-Gon reminded. "Why do you think that the council will not take this well? They know all too well that any one of us is capable of turning to the Darkside."
"You're right," Xanatos confessed, "I guess I'm just not taking it well."
Anakin looked between the two Jedi. He noted the fear in Xanatos' eyes. Jedi were not supposed to be afraid. In Anakin's short whirlwind of experience with Jedi Knights, he had only seen them as pillars of strength. They had all been so rigid and regal. Seeing Xanatos afraid made Anakin see him not as less of a Jedi, but as more of a human being.
Yoda told Anakin that fear led to the Darkside, but what if the thing a Jedi feared was the Darkside. It was quite a paradox to think about. Could one's fear of the Darkside, make one turn to it? Anakin didn't fear the Darkside. Even after the few brief encounters with the Sith, he didn't fear it. In fact it almost fascinated him.
"Relax Xanatos," Qui-Gon's words jolted Anakin out of his thought, "If your nerves are calm, it will help the council to be calm as well."
Xanatos took a deep breath and nodded. Anakin was amazed at how he instantly composed himself. "What do you think they'll do with Obi-Wan?" The now calm Jedi asked.
"Question him, most likely." Qui-Gon said, mater-of-factly.
"Well, yes. But after that?" Xanatos rolled his eyes. His master was still tip-toeing around the issue.
"I'm not sure. You can ask as soon as they arrive." Qui-Gon said gazing out the hanger bay and out into the sky as if he expected them to arrive at that moment. "I'll wager that the council will deal with him when the time comes. The council is very wise. They are in tune with the here and the now."
"Qui-Gon, sir?" Anakin who had been silent up to this point, spoke up. "Who is Obi-Wan?"
Qui-Gon and Xanatos shot one another a concerned look. It made Anakin nervous that there was a great deal of hesitation to their answer.
"Well," Qui-Gon said after a long pause, "I'm not going to lie to you, Anakin."
"Good, I'd hope you wouldn't." Anakin said after another long pause, he was trying to get Qui-Gon to spit it out.
"Obi-Wan Kenobi was a student at the temple several years ago. He was one of the most promising students I had ever seen. Much to my dismay, he was going to have to leave the temple for a future in agriculture."
"Agriculture?!" Anakin exclaimed with a bit of a smirk. The last place he'd expect to look for someone with the force was on a farm. Just the thought of a Jedi Knight, or someone who had the potential to be one, anywhere near a moisture vaporator was laughable to Anakin.
"Yes," Qui-Gon continued, "You see, Anakin, when a temple student turns thirteen years old, if they have not been selected by a Jedi master to be a padawan learner, they are relocated to an occupation where their skills can be used."
"I know several students who lead happy lives this way. Not everyone who has the force is meant to be a Jedi Knight." Xanatos chimed in.
"True, however the force was telling me that Obi-Wan was meant to be a Jedi. I felt so strongly about it that I convinced a dear friend of mine, Jedi Master Tahl, to take Obi-Wan as her padawan. I would have taken him myself but I had Xanatos." Qui-Gon explained.
"And you can't have two?" Anakin asked, still trying to figure out all the minute rules the Jedi seemed to have.
"Somehow, I don't think the council would approve of a team of three Jedi." Xanatos said with a chuckle.
Anakin was a bit embarrassed that such an obvious answer was oblivious to him. He spoke quickly to take the focus off his ignorance: "So what happened with his Master, Tahl?"
"Well, Tahl had a bad habit of leaving him behind when she went on missions. She was always a bit of a loner, I think the only reason she took a padawan at all was because of my pestering. Well, Obi-Wan didn't take it well when he was left behind. Many times he'd sneak out of the temple and try to follow her."
"Not very Jedi-like." Anakin scoffed.
"Indeed, he should have stayed out of trouble as his master had instructed him." Xanatos said with a hint of sarcasm in his tone.
Anakin's face turned red, he realized Xanatos' comment was actually meant to scold him for his joy-ride in the starfighter during yesterday's battle.
"Xanatos and I were sent to rescue Tahl once." Qui-Gon continued, simply ignoring the snide comments made by both. "It was a system called Melida/Daan. Melida/Daan was a war-torn planet, where the Melida and the Daan fought one another for many generations. Tahl was sent to try and negotiate peace."
"And Obi-Wan followed." Xanatos added.
"What happened?" Anakin asked, his curiosity had not lessened.
"When Xanatos and I arrived, we found Tahl fairly quickly. She was already dead, lying in the street, along with nearly a thousand of the Melida. A battle had taken place. A battle for her liberation. The Melida had apparently taken her hostage. Tahl was killed in the battle."
"What happened to Obi-Wan?!" Anakin blurted out. Common sense tells you not to yell at a Jedi Knight, but Anakin was tired of only hearing half the story.
Qui-Gon looked down at the ground and closed his eyes, it was as if he didn't have the heart to say the rest.
"We didn't have much time to look for him." Xanatos continued the story, sensing his Master's unease, "We had to get Tahl's body back to Coorascant. The council didn't want her funeral on a war-torn planet. We found a survivor of the battle, an old man, who was only injured. We asked if he had seen anyone matching Obi-Wan's description, he had. He said that a boy like that was leading the Young."
"The Young?" Anakin wondered.
"A third group on Melida/Daan," Qui-Gon chimed in. "They were committed to bringing peace to the planet. We figured that it must have been Obi-Wan the man spoke of. A Jedi would instinctively look for a way to restore peace."
"Sure," Xanatos scoffed, "Obi-Wan wasn't looking to restore peace if you ask me. The man said that he and the Young had attempted to free Tahl. When we asked what happened after Tahl was killed, the old man told us that the boy matching Obi-Wan's description went berserk, started killing the Melida left and right. He referred to him as the devil with the laser- sword. Every time he mentioned Obi-Wan I could sense fear. After all, from his story, Obi-wan had apparently slaughtered hundreds of Melida single-handedly. Do you know what the old man's last words were?"
"No, what?" Anakin said and then swallowed the lump in his throat.
"I'll never forget the look in his eyes. With fear he looked up at me and said: 'That kid. he's been sent from Hell to kill us all!'"
I hope this chapter answers some questions and clears things up. You may have noticed it took me a while to get this one. I had some trouble and am still not 100% satisfied with it. Anyway, I hope it's at least readable.
CHAPTER 7: THE PAST REVEALED
"I've got a bad feeling about this." A nervous Xanatos said as he paced the floor of a Naboo hanger. He still held Obi-Wan's lightsaber, the one he confiscated at the edge of the melting pit, the one he used to injure the Sith.
"I don't sense anything." A contrastly calm Qui-Gon said, Anakin by his side.
"It's not something I sense. It's what I anticipate." Xanatos explained. "I don't believe the council will take the news well."
"Which news?" Qui-Gon said, his calm tone making him seem oblivious.
"The news that we can confirm the existence of the Sith." Xanatos said with frustration in his voice. Remaining calm in these situations was one thing, but playing dumb to make yourself seem more calm than you were?. It always frustrated Xanatos when his master did this.
"Oh, that news." Qui-Gon said with fake surprise in his voice.
"Yes, that news. Of course there's also the news about Obi-Wan and how the boy we thought was dead, was actually working for the Sith lord."
"No one thought he was dead. it was only presumed by a few." Qui-Gon reminded. "Why do you think that the council will not take this well? They know all too well that any one of us is capable of turning to the Darkside."
"You're right," Xanatos confessed, "I guess I'm just not taking it well."
Anakin looked between the two Jedi. He noted the fear in Xanatos' eyes. Jedi were not supposed to be afraid. In Anakin's short whirlwind of experience with Jedi Knights, he had only seen them as pillars of strength. They had all been so rigid and regal. Seeing Xanatos afraid made Anakin see him not as less of a Jedi, but as more of a human being.
Yoda told Anakin that fear led to the Darkside, but what if the thing a Jedi feared was the Darkside. It was quite a paradox to think about. Could one's fear of the Darkside, make one turn to it? Anakin didn't fear the Darkside. Even after the few brief encounters with the Sith, he didn't fear it. In fact it almost fascinated him.
"Relax Xanatos," Qui-Gon's words jolted Anakin out of his thought, "If your nerves are calm, it will help the council to be calm as well."
Xanatos took a deep breath and nodded. Anakin was amazed at how he instantly composed himself. "What do you think they'll do with Obi-Wan?" The now calm Jedi asked.
"Question him, most likely." Qui-Gon said, mater-of-factly.
"Well, yes. But after that?" Xanatos rolled his eyes. His master was still tip-toeing around the issue.
"I'm not sure. You can ask as soon as they arrive." Qui-Gon said gazing out the hanger bay and out into the sky as if he expected them to arrive at that moment. "I'll wager that the council will deal with him when the time comes. The council is very wise. They are in tune with the here and the now."
"Qui-Gon, sir?" Anakin who had been silent up to this point, spoke up. "Who is Obi-Wan?"
Qui-Gon and Xanatos shot one another a concerned look. It made Anakin nervous that there was a great deal of hesitation to their answer.
"Well," Qui-Gon said after a long pause, "I'm not going to lie to you, Anakin."
"Good, I'd hope you wouldn't." Anakin said after another long pause, he was trying to get Qui-Gon to spit it out.
"Obi-Wan Kenobi was a student at the temple several years ago. He was one of the most promising students I had ever seen. Much to my dismay, he was going to have to leave the temple for a future in agriculture."
"Agriculture?!" Anakin exclaimed with a bit of a smirk. The last place he'd expect to look for someone with the force was on a farm. Just the thought of a Jedi Knight, or someone who had the potential to be one, anywhere near a moisture vaporator was laughable to Anakin.
"Yes," Qui-Gon continued, "You see, Anakin, when a temple student turns thirteen years old, if they have not been selected by a Jedi master to be a padawan learner, they are relocated to an occupation where their skills can be used."
"I know several students who lead happy lives this way. Not everyone who has the force is meant to be a Jedi Knight." Xanatos chimed in.
"True, however the force was telling me that Obi-Wan was meant to be a Jedi. I felt so strongly about it that I convinced a dear friend of mine, Jedi Master Tahl, to take Obi-Wan as her padawan. I would have taken him myself but I had Xanatos." Qui-Gon explained.
"And you can't have two?" Anakin asked, still trying to figure out all the minute rules the Jedi seemed to have.
"Somehow, I don't think the council would approve of a team of three Jedi." Xanatos said with a chuckle.
Anakin was a bit embarrassed that such an obvious answer was oblivious to him. He spoke quickly to take the focus off his ignorance: "So what happened with his Master, Tahl?"
"Well, Tahl had a bad habit of leaving him behind when she went on missions. She was always a bit of a loner, I think the only reason she took a padawan at all was because of my pestering. Well, Obi-Wan didn't take it well when he was left behind. Many times he'd sneak out of the temple and try to follow her."
"Not very Jedi-like." Anakin scoffed.
"Indeed, he should have stayed out of trouble as his master had instructed him." Xanatos said with a hint of sarcasm in his tone.
Anakin's face turned red, he realized Xanatos' comment was actually meant to scold him for his joy-ride in the starfighter during yesterday's battle.
"Xanatos and I were sent to rescue Tahl once." Qui-Gon continued, simply ignoring the snide comments made by both. "It was a system called Melida/Daan. Melida/Daan was a war-torn planet, where the Melida and the Daan fought one another for many generations. Tahl was sent to try and negotiate peace."
"And Obi-Wan followed." Xanatos added.
"What happened?" Anakin asked, his curiosity had not lessened.
"When Xanatos and I arrived, we found Tahl fairly quickly. She was already dead, lying in the street, along with nearly a thousand of the Melida. A battle had taken place. A battle for her liberation. The Melida had apparently taken her hostage. Tahl was killed in the battle."
"What happened to Obi-Wan?!" Anakin blurted out. Common sense tells you not to yell at a Jedi Knight, but Anakin was tired of only hearing half the story.
Qui-Gon looked down at the ground and closed his eyes, it was as if he didn't have the heart to say the rest.
"We didn't have much time to look for him." Xanatos continued the story, sensing his Master's unease, "We had to get Tahl's body back to Coorascant. The council didn't want her funeral on a war-torn planet. We found a survivor of the battle, an old man, who was only injured. We asked if he had seen anyone matching Obi-Wan's description, he had. He said that a boy like that was leading the Young."
"The Young?" Anakin wondered.
"A third group on Melida/Daan," Qui-Gon chimed in. "They were committed to bringing peace to the planet. We figured that it must have been Obi-Wan the man spoke of. A Jedi would instinctively look for a way to restore peace."
"Sure," Xanatos scoffed, "Obi-Wan wasn't looking to restore peace if you ask me. The man said that he and the Young had attempted to free Tahl. When we asked what happened after Tahl was killed, the old man told us that the boy matching Obi-Wan's description went berserk, started killing the Melida left and right. He referred to him as the devil with the laser- sword. Every time he mentioned Obi-Wan I could sense fear. After all, from his story, Obi-wan had apparently slaughtered hundreds of Melida single-handedly. Do you know what the old man's last words were?"
"No, what?" Anakin said and then swallowed the lump in his throat.
"I'll never forget the look in his eyes. With fear he looked up at me and said: 'That kid. he's been sent from Hell to kill us all!'"