See first chap for disclaimers.
Bekah K: Glad you joined Us!
ShortySC22: I'm glad you liked the chapter. I thought I should try to start moving the story along, ya know – introduce the danger more, delve into personalities. Hopefully this chapter will be as good.
Cammy: Let's see 1. Yah it kinda sucks that I put poor Obi through that again, but I needed to fulfill my angst quotient. 2. The mistake really should haunt Qui-Gon, but I won't be so mean as to clone Jar-Jar (I do have some standards—The category isn't angst/angst) 3. Hmmm. Hard to see this is. Couple chapters later Boy Baby angst he will feel. Vader he will face when family he sees. Sorry about that, sometimes I just have to talk like Yoda. 4. Favorite Character? Well I obviously have a thing for Jedi (Then again who doesn't), so I have a lot of good characters to choose from. But, I'd have to say my absolute fav has got to be Obi (He just kicks @$$, besides that, I like a guy that I can look in the eye instead of stare up at.), although my brother keeps trying to turn me to the Jinn side of the force.
I believe this will be the last time jump I do. Rejoice!
`````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````
Anakin Solo was enormously pleased with himself. He had landed his first contract for their group and they were going on the run tonight.
He held his nose as he added a shot of hot sauce to the vegetable juice cocktail he was mixing. The three eldest members of his "Family" had come home sloshed last night after celebrating Obi-Wan's eighty-fifth birthday. A quick check of his master's robe pockets had confirmed that he probably had the comm. number of every female in the bar. A few weeks away from his eighteenth birthday, he hadn't gone with them as they went…socializing.
He turned around at the sound of footsteps only to see his "puppy" coming into the kitchen. His master had been right, the dog had gotten large. He remembered how the young puppy had kept working on Obi-Wan for affection. Qui-Gon, of course, had become the dog's caregiver, but it still craved attention from Obi-Wan.
It had cried at night for a week when left alone in the living room in his bed. Qui-Gon had tried every trick he knew and eventually turned the sound barriers on so that they could get some sleep. In the morning, he had gone to feed the puppy only to find it gone. Its bed was cold. He had forgotten to lock down the sensors on the door the night before and the dog had gotten out.
Scouring the ship, he eventually found their new member snuggled up, in bed with Obi-Wan Kenobi. From then on, the dog refused to sleep anywhere else. After three arguments with Jinn over "HIS" dog, Obi-Wan had relented to let it stay in his room under one condition. He got to name the dog.
When Qui-Gon heard what Obi-Wan wanted to call him, he almost fainted.
"Binks, come get your breakfast boy," Anakin's voice sailed through the kitchen as he put a dish of food down on the floor. Making sure everything was set for three hung-over Jedi, Anakin went to prepare the equipment for the night.
``````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````
Anakin was not having a good time. Currently, he was being chased around in an industrial sector of the city. Apparently, the man they were to "liberate" information from had ticked off Callista, and she had sent some under flunkies to kill him. They were dragging out the dead body when Anakin's group walked in.
Now, he was running really fast. The cloned Plo' Koon (with two mechanical hands thanks to Qui-Gon) had elected to follow Anakin. Just barely, Anakin was able to ignite his saber and block Koon's swing. Honestly, you wouldn't think he could move that fast.
Without the Force, Anakin was running out of breath, and Koon was closing in to finish the job he had started almost ten years before. With a flick of the former master's wrist, Anakin went flying into an electric security gate.
The pain was terrible, yet he was quickly loosing any sensation in his body. His world was quickly melting away from him. His brain functions were numbing. His perceptions were so dull, he didn't see Ani hack Plo' Koon into quarters. He didn't hear his master's wail, or see Qui-Gon's tears. He didn't feel the gentle Force that pulled him from the gate nor the soft hands that carried him to the ship. Most importantly, he didn't hear the gentle pop that his neck made when the energy arced through his body.
``````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````
Anakin's eye cracked open slightly, everything seemed so bright? Bright wasn't the correct word as the room he was in was actually dimly lit. It just felt, so different, like when you run out into daylight after being in a dark cantina. Aside from the bright feeling, he felt awful. Like the time his master had taken him to eat at a greasy diner that sold some slimy lichens as delicacies.
Moaning, he reached up to grab a glass of water that was by his bed. It went crashing on to the floor. He swore he felt Binks bark before he actually did. Suddenly, he had three very happy Jedi piling into his room.
His master sat on the edge of his bed. "How do you feel?"
"Not too good."
"At least he's feeling something." Ani mumbled under his breath.
Anakin shot a questioning look at his master.
"You've been unconscious for four days. Force only knows how you survived all that electricity going through your system."
Anakin nodded. When he did, he swore his entire head went crazy. His master looked so old. Qui-Gon looked so vibrant. Ani looked odd, like he was glowing but had frayed around the edge, a small halo of gloom hugged his form.
Anakin what's wrong?
"Anakin what's wrong?"
Anakin blinked his eyes. Did he just hear his master before he spoke? Did that mean what he thought it did?
Master?
Had his head hurt any less than it did, he would have found Obi-Wan falling off the edge of his bed extremely humorous.
"Anakin?" Obi-Wan's voice was shaky, tears were forming at the edges of his eyes.
"Master?"
"Anakin!"
"Does anyone else find this conversation a bit redundant?" Qui-Gon's voice interrupted.
"I can feel you. I mean really feel you. Not just a shadowy presence."
````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````
Ani looked up from the scanner he had been running over his grandson's neck.
"Apparently, that electrical field shorted out the whole implant, fusing together the wires. I can only guess that the return of his total Force powers enabled him to survive."
"That's great! If we can find out how to do that, we can all be free!"
"You'll forgive me, Anakin, but I do not believe that I want to jump in an electric fence to see if I survive." Qui-Gon's voice answered.
Anakin's lips twitched in response to Qui-Gon's sarcasm; Obi-Wan was starting to wear off on his old master.
Obi-Wan spoke with a serious tone. "While we will do all that we can to replicate your experience, I believe it would be best if you went to the Jedi Academy on Yavin IV."
"NO!" Anakin hadn't meant for his voice to be so loud, but he hadn't been apart from his "Family" for almost ten years of his life.
His response shocked the other three into silence. Obi-Wan's face hardened. It wasn't often that his padawan so blatantly defied his wishes.
Ani knew that look. He'd caused it more times than he cared to admit to. The problem was, Obi-Wan only got that look when he absolutely knew he was right. Not wanting a confrontation to erupt, he was the first to speak.
"Why don't you two go wait outside. I'd like a moment alone with my grandson."
Anakin glanced at Ani. He only said "grandson" when he needed to usurp authority from Obi-Wan. In truth, Obi-Wan felt guilty for stealing Anakin's affections away from his real family. Deep down inside, they all knew that Anakin would side with his master if forced to choose. Saying "grandson" played off those feelings.
A short nod and a closed door later, two Anakin's faced each other.
Ani spoke quietly a surely. "You must do this Anakin. Do not betray your master as I did once. To be a Jedi means sacrifice, even when it means sacrificing your own physical and emotional safety."
"I don't fear for myself. I just cannot leave you and Qui-Gon and Master Kenobi alone here. You need my protection."
Ani shook his head. "We defended ourselves when you were only eight Anakin. We will survive without you. Who will not survive are hundreds of Politicians and Jedi that have no idea this threat exists."
Anakin shook his head vehemently. "Callista's Jedi are getting stronger, they attack more often. They will…"
"They will destroy more than the three of us if you do not leave. Time is of the essence. You cannot wait around until we find a way for the four of us to go together."
"I am not ready. I am not a worthy
Jedi. I could barely feel the Force until today."
"The Force enables a Jedi. It does not make him. You have been well trained. What you learned to do with so little capability still applies to the larger. It is a lesson I did not believe."
Anakin looked at him "I think you've been around Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan too long. You're starting to sound sagacious."
"Backwards talking at least I am not."
A smile crossed Anakin's lips. "You are right. I will, I must go."
As Ani went to get the other Jedi, Anakin fought down butterflies in his stomach.
He would be leaving home to go home soon, leaving family to go to family.
