Title: Promise me you'll train the boy

Author: ewan's girl

*Author's note: Thank you all for your reviews! I'm so glad you're enjoying this story. Once again I'm sorry about 'Children of the Sith', I will get to it I promise. Also, this isn't a romance between Siri and Obi (just some fun flirting and sexy banter) therefore this isn't a prequel to my other stories. This story is about to take a turn so hang on.

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Chapter 3: Screw protocol!

Obi Wan watched as Siri took one last look his way, he could read the fear and yet understanding in her eyes as she left the room. His first instinct was to go after her, to make sure that she didn't fear him, he instead decided to keep a mask of certainty and he wouldn't have to relieve his experience for his other friends.

"Hey." He turned and looked at Bant, her eyes etched with concern. "Are you ok?" She asked.

He glanced back at the door, the turned to his salmon colored friend. "I'm fine, never better."

"What was that all about?" Garren asked, plopping down on the couch.

Obi Wan shook his head. "Oh you know women. . .can't live with 'em. . ."

Bant smacked Obi Wan on the arm. "I swear, sometimes I wonder why I put up with you boys." She said, giving Garren a stern look. She then softened her features for Obi Wan. "Are you sure you're ok?"

"Yes, I'm fine." He said with one of his infectious smiles. "Now let's celebrate." He said as he led Bant to the couch. He stole one last glance at the door before committing to a location on the end of the couch.

******************

Siri sat in a meditative stance, she was trying to find her center and trying to forget about the disturbing images she had seen through Obi Wan's memory. She opened her eyes for the millionth time.

"Oh come on." She huffed in frustration. "What are you 11 again Tachi? Come on meditate." She reprimanded herself then closed her eyes and tried to calm herself. She inhaled slowly, then exhaled she attempted to release her emotions into the force.

She then slouched and held her head in her hands. "Oh forget it." She said, getting to her feet. "I hate meditating anyways." She then walked towards the freshener. "I'll just shower instead."

***********

10 year old Anakin Skywalker tried to suppress a yawn. He was the most bored he had ever been in his entire life. He would rather count every grain of sand on Tatooine than be in the glactical museum.

The museum was host to various exhibits of history, art, plant and animal life from all the systems in the Republic. It was a huge building, and every corner of it was boring according to the anxious boy. He stood in the back of the group, his teacher's words becoming a low hum of back round noise. He was trying to find something, anything entertaining.

It's not like he had any friends he could whisper to, all the other children avoided him whenever possible, they almost seemed frightened of him. His master Obi Wan assured him that it would pass, and the others would see him for the amazing person that he was. He had been looked down upon all of his short life, but he didn't understand why now when no longer a slave he still felt unworthy.

He found himself straying farther and farther away from the group until he was on his own. He then began to wander around and take a self guided tour. He wandered into a huge room filled with various creatures that had been stuffed and posed in "natural" positions. The largest of the animals in the room was at the back, facing him. Anakin walked up to it. The creature was green, and very tall. It had 6 legs that appeared to have very sharp points that it would walk on. It also had a menacing grin, filled with rows of razor sharp teeth. Anakin stared at the creature, and felt a shiver go up his spine.

"Acklay." He read the plaque that explained the history of the creature. "Wow, I would never want to meet up with something like that."

"You know you're not supposed to be in here."

Anakin heard a voice call from behind him. He turned around and saw a boy a couple of years older than himself walking towards him. The boy had dark hair, with gold streaks running through it in various places. Anakin frowned. He secretly hated this boy. . . 'no, Jedi don't hate.' He reminded himself.

"Aw Ferus I wasn't hurting anything." Anakin met the other boy half way into the room. "I just wanted to see the animals." He said lamely.

"Well we will, if you'd just have patience." Ferus sternly stated, crossing his arms across his chest. "This is very disrespectful to master Si Iris."

"Well you left too, you're being just as disrespectful." Anakin was going to drag the other boy down with him if he had to.

"I came to take you back to the group, I've been watching you all day and you haven't been paying attention at all." Ferus began to walk back towards the door. "Now come on."

"Wait, you've been watching me?" Anakin asked, appalled. "Who are you to watch me?"

"Everyone in the Temple knows about you Skywalker, they know you're dangerous." Ferus stated.

"I'm not dangerous!" Anakin protested. He then remembered his master saying those exact words once before.

/The boy is dangerous, they all sense it why can't you?/

Anakin swallowed hard. He glared at Ferus. He knew Ferus was a student who the others looked up too, he seemed to be perfect at everything and that drove Anakin nuts. He knew even though he was younger and hadn't had as much training that he was better than Ferus.

"Let's go." Ferus commanded. "Before they miss us."

"You know what Ferus. . ." Anakin began to walk with him. "I will prove to all of you that I am not dangerous, and I will be the greatest Jedi ever!"

"A Jedi does not strive for greatness."

"Oh yeah cause I'm sure you don't strive for anything." Anakin scoffed. "How does your ego fit through doors Ferus?" Ferus glared at Anakin. "Also question for you. If you're so great then why haven't you been chosen as a padawan yet? Aren't you almost 13?" Anakin couldn't hide the smile when he saw the pain in Ferus' eyes. He knew he shouldn't think like this, but it felt so good to bring him down a notch. "I mean, I already have a master."

Ferus snapped out of his trance. "Yeah, because he promised to train you, he really didn't choose you."

Anakin was ready to throw a rebuttal, but then couldn't come up with one. He then realized at that moment that Obi Wan hadn't chosen him of his own free will. He wondered if his master wanted him at all.

He knew Obi Wan had become the topic of a lot of gossip in the Temple over the past year. He also knew he was part of the gossip as well. Even though people tried to hide it from him Anakin could sense through the force that they felt Obi Wan was wasting his time training someone so old when he himself was so young. He remembered the hard stares he received from Obi Wan a year ago when Qui Gon had offered to take him as his apprentice, throwing Obi Wan out of the circle. 'He hated me.' Anakin thought to himself. 'He must've really loved Qui Gon to put up with me now.'

Anakin turned his eyes away from Ferus who seemed to not care that he had caused Anakin emotional distress. Suddenly the room went dark. Anakin waited for a moment to let his eyes adjust to the lack of light before he said anything.

"I have a bad feeling about this."

**************************

Siri looked at herself in the mirror as she began to style her short hair. She still couldn't shake the visions she had witnessed from her friend, but wasn't sure what to do about it. She examined her image and remembered how it had morphed into the dark sith's, she then realized how close Obi Wan must've been to the dark side when he killed the Sith. As much as she hated to admit it, she knew that Obi Wan needed to go and talk to Yoda. He was the only one that could help Obi Wan come to terms with what happened, if he could ever come to terms with it.

She also understood Obi Wan's need to train Skywalker. She hadn't been Qui Gon's apprentice, therefore didn't love him like a father but after seeing him die she was wanting to train Anakin herself. She still couldn't shake the feeling that Obi Wan wasn't ready. It could be dangerous to both him and the boy if Obi Wan wasn't sure on his choice to take on a padawan.

She walked back into her room and turned on the hollovid as she began to get dressed. As she was zipping up her unisuit something on the hollovid caught her attention.

"This is a special report." A voice interrupted her program. "For the last hour there has been a hostage situation at the galatical museum." The humanoid reporter began. "Authorities believe it involves a school of children, one fatality has been reported also. . . more on this story as it evolves."

Siri was out the door before the reporter finished his report. She ran with force enhanced speed across the temple, she didn't even notice that she was barefoot. She ignored stares from other knights and masters as she tried to quicken her pace towards the turbo lift. She almost slide on the polished floor as she stopped at the lift, waiting for one to take her back to the 6th floor.

******

Obi Wan felt a faint sound inside his head. He suddenly realized that it wasn't his voice. He closed his eyes, trying to listen harder. Bant looked at him, puzzled.

"Obi? What is it?" She asked, concerned.

It was such a strange feeling to have someone inside his head again, it had been a year since the training bond with Qui Gon had been severed. He tried to call out to where the disturbance came from.

Bant continued to look at him, and then his other two friends also looked at him worried.

Obi Wan shook his head. "It's nothing, I just I thought for a moment there I had sensed Anakin." He looked down at the floor. "But we have yet to form a training bond."

"That's impossible." Garren stated, turning his attention back to their film. "There is no way you could've sensed him with no bond in place. You must be losing it Kenobi."

Obi Wan chuckled. "Sometimes I wonder." He stated under his breath.

"What?" Bant asked.

"Nothing." He smiled at his friend. Then pretended to turn his attention back to what they were watching. "Explain to me again why I had to see this film Garren." He tried to ignore Bant's stares.

"This film is a classic Obi, it's so bad that it's good." He smiled as he turned up the volume.

"No Garren it's just bad." Bant finally was distracted from her curiosity of Obi Wan. "It has no plot what so ever."

"That's the beauty of it." Garren stated, and tried to quiet them down.

Obi Wan found himself staring out the window. His body tensed when he heard it again. He closed his eyes to try to focus on the disturbance.

The group was disturbed however by the door chiming frantically. Reeft who saw no one make a move to get up, went to let the visitor in. He was almost trampled by a barefoot Siri.

"Turn on the news." She commanded, walking into the living room.

"What?" Bant asked, turning towards her. "Siri, what's. . ."

Siri grabbed the remote from Garren's hands. "Turn on the news." She commanded again.

"Hey!" Garren was offended that she ripped the remote from him and turned off his movie. "Hey, you know your beauty will only get you so far." He pointed a finger at her, but put it back on his lap when he saw the daggers in her eyes.

"Don't make me punch you."

Garren decided not to press his luck and turned his attention to the hollovid which was playing a special report of the news.

"Authorities report that the terrorist group that has taken a school group hostage here in the museum have yet to give any demands." The female reporter held a thin microphone as she spoke.

Obi Wan snapped to attention.

"Any word on the fatality?" The male newscaster asked.

"Not as yet." The female answered. "It could be an employee of the museum, a teacher, or perhaps even a student."

Siri turned down the hollovid. The five friends took a moment to release their anxieties into the force. Bant cleared her throat. Obi Wan went to his room and returned, putting on his belt and carrying his cloak.

"Where are you going?" Bant asked.

"Anakin tried to call for me, I have to get down there." He simply stated, putting on his cloak.

"Hey man, we don't even know if these students being held hostage are Jedi." Garren stated, trying to help.

"It appears that the group being held hostage is a group of young Jedi students who were on a trip from the Jedi Temple today." The female reporter stated as if on cue.

Garren nodded. "Of course." He remarked sarcastically.

"Obi, you don't know if Anakin is even there." Bant moved towards him.

"Of course I do, he wouldn't stop complaining about going to the museum since yesterday." He looked Bant in the eyes. "I'm going."

"We should contact the council." Bant argued. "That's the first step in protocol."

"I don't care about protocol right now Bant. The council is light-years away, I don't have time to argue." He grabbed Qui Gon's light saber and clipped it to his belt.

Bant shook her head. "Ok Qui Gon." She remarked harshly, making the knight stop in his tracks. He looked back at her. "I know you're worried, but as Jedi we have to do things a certain way."

"Bant no offense, but I am a knight now, and I can make some choices on my own." He looked at each of them. "Now, that is my padawan in there, and I know no one belives that I actually care about him, but I do." He started for the door again. "Oh and think about this, your future apprentices might be in there as well."

"Never say such a thing." Garren tried to lighten the mood, but received a harsh look from everyone in the group.

"I'm not asking any of you to come with me. . ."

"I'm going with you." Siri spoke up for the first time. She looked down at her feet. "I just need to stop at my quarters first."

Bant and Garren exchanged glances. "Well master Baabreu is attending the funeral for master Syfo-dias, and I hate just sitting around here anyways so I'll go." Garren stated, and jumped to his feet.

Bant sighed. "Master Fisto is also away." She said under her breath, clearly fighting with her emotions. "Ok fine I'll go too." She walked up towards Obi Wan. "But we still should contact the council.

"I'll do that." Reeft stated. "I really would feel uncomfortable going without my master's authorization." He bowed his head in humiliation.

Obi Wan clasped him on the shoulder. "Never be ashamed of that Reeft. At least one of us is smart."

The four friends gathered their light sabers and met in the Temple's hanger. Siri picked out a speeder. "You wanna fly or should I?" She asked Obi Wan as Garren and Bant settled in the back.

"Go ahead, I really don't like flying anyways." He said, getting in the passenger seat.

"Since when?" She asked, taking her palce behind the wheel.

"I don't know, I guess when you've got a pod racer for an apprentice you tend to lose your appetite for speed." A far away look suddenly overcame his features, his eyes filled with worry.

Siri put a hand on his shoulder. "Don't fear. Fear leads to the dark side."

He looked at her suddenly. Then slowly nodded.

TBC! (Review please)