Title: Promise me you'll train the boy

Author: ewan's girl

Author's note: Well here we go the last chapter, I know it's so sad. I have another story in the works that involves Obi, Siri, Garen and Bant, but I can't write it until I'm done writing "Strength over fear" but I just wanted to give you a tease about it so keep your eyes pealed.

*Chapter 10: Force help us

Siri ran a short distance ahead of the group of students, Garen ran behind the children in order to cover their backs. Siri tried to remember how to get out of the museum, but realized that they hadn't gone in a straight line and really had no idea where the exit was. She called upon the Force to guide her, she hated to admit it but they were lost. She suddenly felt a presence running next to her, she looked down and saw a boy with dark hair that held silver highlights in it. The boy held an aura around him that showed he was very skilled with the Force, but there was something else hidden deep beneath his Jedi mask. Siri felt worry and sorrow flowing through the young man and it wasn't connected to their current situation. She wondered why such a skilled student was worried about their future. She looked down at him and offered a smile.

"Everything will be alright." She assured him, taking on an uncharacteristic warm tone.

Ferus sighed. "I know Master Tachi."

Siri was surprised he knew who she was. "I didn't think any younglings would know who I am." She commented with a chuckle.

Ferus looked up at her. "Of course they do, you infiltrated a pirate slaver." Ferus commented, his voice raising in excitment. "Well, I think that would be an admirable mission." He tried to calm his voice.

Siri smiled, she had no idea anyone even knew about her mission. "Well, it's not a mission I'd reconmend for anyone." She then notice Ferus become uncomfortable. "What troubles you Padawan?"

Ferus hung his head. "That's just it master Tachi, I'm nearly thirteen and I have no prospects of a master." He then recovered. "I'm sorry, I don't mean to trouble you with this."

Siri kept up the pace, still trying to find an exit. "How could a student as talented as you not have a prospect for a master?" Siri asked, appalled.

Ferus shrugged. "I cannot answer that question." He admitted.

They ran in silence for a while longer, Siri getting frustrated that she couldn't find the way out.

"Do we need to stop for directions?" Garen teased from behind the students, although he was getting nervous as well.

Siri shot him a look that showed she wasn't pleased with his wit at the moment. She then tried to listen to the Force to guide them out.

"It's this way master." Ferus pointed to the right.

Siri smiled and led the group to the hallway to the right, the ran for several minutes before the two older Jedi felt the disturbance.

"Get down!" Garen shouted just as a blast bolt flew over their heads. Garen grabbed two children and was forced to roll under an exhibit as several large animal bones fell around them. He silenced the children and peeked under the glass case as Siri and the other children were rising to their feet, finding themselves surrounded by several battle droids.

Siri ignited her lightsaber and pushed Ferus behind her, she looked behind her for Garen, but didn't see him, she could feel his presence near and hoped that he had a plan. Siri tried to calm the children down as she waited for her enemy to make the first move, suddenly the droids parted and a portly man dressed in lavish robes approached them. Siri held her saber in front of her, waiting for the man to speak.

Xan Serrano smiled at the Jedi woman as he approached. "My dear, is that weapon really nessicarry?" He asked.

Siri glanced around at the droids. "You tell me." She challenged.

Xan Serrano chuckled. "I take it you are to blame for so many of my precious droids laying in pieces?" He asked.

Siri sensed Garen slowly moving, she decided to buy him time. "That would be me." She answered.

Xan Serrano placed his hands behind his back and rocked back and forth on his heels. "And what are you planning to do with these children?" He asked. "Take them back to live a life of servitude in the Jedi cult?"

Siri looked at the man, she knew he was trying to trick the children. "As opposed to what? Selling them on the black market for the highest bidder?"

The children gasped as the question left Siri's mouth. Xan Serrano stayed calm. "If you call giving the children back to their parents a crime, after they had been kidnapped by the Jedi masters then yes I'm commiting a crime."

Siri could feel her blood boiling, she couldn't believe she had gone through the hell she had gone through just to match wits with a man like this. Suddenly a large bird skelleton fell on top of several of the droids, pinning Xan Serrano's robe beneath it. Garen then jumped into the fray, cutting down battle droid after battle droid. Garen jumped into the air and kicked out with both legs, disarming two droids. Siri drove her saber into the chest plate of another droid as she walked up to Xan Serrano.

"I hope you're ready to spend some time in prison." Siri commented as she put her light saber back on her belt. "You are under arrest for the murder of a Jedi master and the kidnapping of Jedi students." She pulled out a pair of binders from her belt.

"You'll never be able to pin anything on me, I have the best lawyers in the galaxy." Xan Serrano sneered.

Garen walked up behind Siri, laughing at the man's audacity. "Boy, someone loves himself."

Xan Serrano smiled a wicked smile. "If there is no evidence, there is no court in the galaxy that can convict me."

Siri and Garen exchanged glances, they then felt a disturbance through the Force. "The place is wired." Siri whispered to Garen so that the children didn't over hear.

"Ten credits say it's my favorite kind of droids." Garen commented. "We better get the kids out of here, and fast."

"What about Obi Wan?" Siri asked.

"We'll worry about him once the kids are safe." Garen answered. "Don't worry he's a smart guy. . .most of the time."

The two friends turned towards the children, and began to explain the situation to them.

Xan Serrrano laughed. "Don't be fooled children, they want you to become mindless soldiers." Siri rolled her eyes and punched Xan Serrano in the face. "That isn't Jedi like behavior, I'll have you expelled for that!"

Garen chuckled. "Finally got to punch someone today did we?"

Siri smiled and shrugged. "Let's get out of here."

Siri and Ferus led the way, and Garen grabbed Xan Serrano and they headed for the exit.

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Obi Wan searched through the Force, trying to locate his young apprentice, he suddenly became aware of his presence above him. He headed for the turbo lift and found that it wasn't in operation, he sighed to himself. He then pulled out his cable launcher and headed for one of the few remaining windows that was still in tact. He Force pushed a peice of debris through the glass and he climbed out onto the ledge, the wind blew his ginger hair around his face and he aimed his launcher to the roof of the tall building. The cable tightened and carried the young master high above the ground. He then swung his body over the ledge and landed on the roof, the sight he found made the usually cool, collective knight very angry. He found a man with bleach blonde hair pulling his apprentice by the scruff of his neck. Obi Wan grabbed his light saber and headed towards them.

Anakin struggled under the grasp of the tall man, he didn't know what was going to happen, but he was worried. Suddenly he felt a familiar presence and he grew excited, he then saw his master walking towards them, his light saber in his hand. Aalto also felt Obi Wan's presence and turned towards the knight, his face held a wicked grin.

"I figured you'd come." Aalto sneered, holding his own light saber towards Anakin.

Obi Wan suddenly realized the man holding his apprentice was someone from his past. "Aalto." He stated calmly. "I haven't seen you in years."

"Since the Jedi cast me aside because I wasn't good enough for the order." Aalto stated, pulling Anakin towards him. Anakin looked between his master and his capture, confused.

"I can see you've made a life for yourself." Obi Wan commented sacastically, but then felt ashamed for getting dragged down to Aalto's level infront of Anakin. "Let the boy go."

Aalto tightened his grip on Anakin, holding the light saber up to his throat. "And if I don't, you'll do what exactly Kenobi?" Aalto smiled. "Kill me like you did Bruck?"

Obi Wan held a mask of calm, but his emotions inside betrayed him, he wasn't ready to have all of his skelletons brought out of the closet in front of his young apprentice yet. "Enough Aalto."

"Do you know what it was like seeing you walking the halls with a master after you not only were on probation but also murdered my best friend?" Aalto was steaming.

Anakin looked between his master and Aalto, he was confused as to what was being said. "Master?" He ventured to ask.

"Don't worry about it Anakin." Obi Wan told him.

Aalto smiled. "Your master never told you young one?" He asked Anakin who stared at Obi Wan. "He never told you how he left the Jedi once?" Anakin's eyes grew wide with shock, Obi Wan continued to not respond. "The Jedi train you children to be soldiers, but in Obi Wan's case they did such a great job that he even turned on a fellow student."

Anakin shook his head. "I don't believe you." He looked up at Aalto.

Aalto grabbed Anakin by the tunic and held him over the ledge, dangling above the ground. Obi Wan's heart seemed to stopped in that instant as he watched Anakin scared out of his mind. "Let him go Aalto!" Obi Wan demanded.

"Tell the boy Obi Wan, tell him what you did." Aalto smiled.

Obi Wan looked at Anakin, and noticed Anakin trying to keep calm and use the Force, Obi Wan was proud of him. He then noticed a familiar speeder heading towards them. "What do you want with him Aalto? Why are you kidnapping Jedi children?"

"To give them a better life, to keep them from going through what I went through." He explained.

"And there is nothing in it for you?" Obi Wan asked, inching towards them.

Aalto moved closer to the edge. "You're changing the subject." He loosened his grip on Anakin, making the boy drop alittle. "Answer the question."

Obi Wan looked into Anakin's frightened eyes. "Yes Anakin, I did kill another student." Anakin looked at Obi Wan with a look of shock. "He helped someone infiltrate the Temple, he was going kill my friend Bant." Obi Wan held his head.

"That was never proven!" Aalto screamed. Suddenlt he felt a presence quickly heading towards him, he looked up just in time to see Siri falling towards him; she had jumped out of the speeder. She kicked Aalto in the head, causing him to drop Anakin, Obi Wan was quick to react and jumped after his apprentice.

Obi Wan used the Force to fall faster so that he could catch up to Anakin, Obi Wan then grabbed the boy into his arms and turned his body so that he would land on his back. He called upon the Force to slow their descent, but before it did much good they landed with a bone crunching thud onto a ledge several stories below them. Anakin, who safely landed on his master's body sat up and noticed his master wasn't moving.

"Master?" He called frantically, cupping the older man's face in his chubby fingers. "Master Obi Wan please wake up!" Anakin didn't know what to do, his master continued to not show any signs of movement. The boy felt like crying. "You can't leave me, you're all I have." Anakin laid his head on Obi Wan's chest, and began to cry. He then heard a soft moan coming from the man beneath him.

"Anakin" Obi Wan groaned.

Anakin sniffled as he looked up at the blue/grey eyes he had grown to love. "Master?"

"Anakin, you have very pointy elbows, would you mind getting off of me?" Obi Wan smiled, and Anakin quickly got up and helped Obi Wan to his feet.

Obi Wan rubbed the sore spot on his back and glanced back up at the roof, he heard the sound of light sabers clashing and wanted to get back to Siri. He then noticed a speeder heading towards them, he waved down Garen who piloted the speeder skillfully and lined it up right next to the ledge, Anakin was impressed.

"Hey baby, heading my way?" Garen asked as Obi Wan put Anakin in the speeder with Garen. He looked up at Siri. "Should we go save the damsel in distress?"

Obi Wan cocked an eyebrow. "Yeah, but never let her hear you call her that." Obi Wan stated and Garen nodded in agreement. "Do you have your cable launcher?" Garen tossed the launcher to Obi Wan who aimed it towards the roof. "Anakin, stay with Garen." Obi Wan commanded and Anakin nodded. He then shot the cable and lifted up to the roof to help Siri.

He landed on the roof and watched as Siri deflected a blow from Aalto. Obi Wan noticed that Aalto was using a mixture of kata and probably a style all his own. Obi Wan ran to help just as Siri kicked Aalto in the stomach. Aalto recovered and pulled out a remote control, he smiled at the two Jedi. Siri grabbed Obi Wan and the two friends ran to the edge of the building just as Aalto pressed the button, activating the droids, causing them to explode. Obi Wan and Siri jumped, using the Force to stay away from the flames and the crumbling building.

As they fell they spotted a speeder below them, the two of them guided their bodies just right so they were able to land in the back seat of the speeder. Obi Wan then noticed that Garen let Anakin fly. "You know, I'm getting tired of saving you two." Garen joked, causing Anakin to laugh.

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Later that evening Obi Wan and Siri found themselves in front of the twelve illustrious council members, explaining why they were the cause of a historic building to collapse. Bant and Garen waited outside, hoping they weren't in too much trouble. Obi Wan glanced at Siri who was trying not to argue with the Council, as she was famous for always having to be right.

"Would you care to explain to us why you ignored protocol and risked not only your lives but the lives of Padawans Bant and Garen?" Mace Windu asked, leaning his chin on his hands.

Obi Wan stepped forward. "This is my doing masters, I was concerned for the safety of my apprentice and the other students so I asked the others to help me." Siri looked at him, shaking her head.

Yoda cleared his throat. "Saved the children you did, thankful for that we are, but disobeyed protocol you did."

"Yes master." The young knights said in unison.

"Speak about a fitting punishment we will." Yoda explained, silencing Mace who was about to speak up. "Hurt no one was permanatly, healed Padawan Erin is, worse it could've been." Yoda reminded the younger Jedi.

Obi Wan and Siri bowed their heads. "Yes master."

"Let it happen again, you will not." Yoda told them.

Obi Wan bowed and began to exit the room, he then noticed Siri still standing in the center of the circle, he stopped and waited for her to finish.

"Knight Siri, more to say have you?" Yoda asked.

Siri bowed her head in respect. "My masters, I wish to take on Ferus Olin as my Padawan learner." She stated.

The Council glanced at each other, and Obi Wan tried to hide his smile.

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Nightfall came to Courascant and Obi Wan found himself in the grand archives. He slowly approached a bronze bust of a familiar form. He gingerly ran a hand over the statue's face and felt a peace washed over him. He held Qui Gon's light saber in his hand.

"Sometimes I can't believe it's been an entire year, other times it feels like a lifetime since I last talked to you." Obi Wan spoke to the bust. "I'm not going to lie, I still do miss you terribly." Obi Wan aimlessly ran his fingers over the silver cylinder in his hands. He waited for a moment in silence before speaking. "I've thought a great deal about the last promise you asked of me, and I've come to the conclusion that you planned this whole thing because I've suddenly realized that Anakin and I were meant to train together for whatever reason." He sighed. "I tried master, but I couldn't do it, I actually care for the boy."

He suddenly felt a presence behind him, he turned and saw Anakin standing behind a curtain dressed in his night clothes. "Anakin? What are you doing out of bed?" Obi Wan asked.

Anakin slowly walked towards Obi Wan. "I sensed that you were sad, I wanted to make sure you were ok." Anakin admitted.

Obi Wan smiled, and dropped to his knees so he was eye level with the young boy. "I am ok my young apprentice, thank you."

Anakin looked past Obi Wan at the bust of Qui Gon. "It's been a year." He stated, looking into Obi Wan's eyes. Obi Wan nodded a sad nod. Anakin suddenly jumped into his master's arms, wrapping his arms around Obi Wan's shoulders. Obi Wan was taken by surprised and patted Anakin on the back. Anakin let Obi Wan go and held out a small trinket. "This is for you, for your knighting anniversary I carved it out of a japoor snippet." He said with an innocent smile.

Obi Wan took the small trinket out of Anakin's hands. "Thank you Anakin, I will treasure it always." Obi Wan patted Anakin on the head and rose to his feet. "It's time for bed padawan." He said and Anakin ran to the door, his bare feet patting along the tile floor. Obi Wan turned back to the bust of Qui Gon, he leaned down and kissed the forehead of the statue.

Anakin turned back, waiting for his master. "Master Obi Wan, you coming?" He asked.

"Yes Padawan." He said and turned away from the bust, leaving Qui Gon's light saber next to the statue.

Siri and Garen watched the master and apprentice head for the nearest turbo lift, they then turned their attention to the light saber left behind.

"He's going to be ok." Siri stated, folding her arms across her chest.

"Wow, he's got a padawan, you have a padawan just imagine in a year or so maybe I'll have a wee one of my own." Garen stated.

Siri looked over at her friend. "Force help us." She said, walking away.

Garen watched Siri leave. "Was it something I said Tachi?" He asked and Siri continued to walk away, he shrugged to himself. "Screw this, I'm going to go watch my movie."

*The End