First chap = disclaimers
Ugh, I really shouldn't be up this time of night writing. I'll answer the specific review in the nest post, but let me see if I can remember some questions. First: The Vader thing is a touch better described below (I hope). Second: Yes Kyp's already gone to the darkside once. I'm not changing that. All Obi-Wan was pointing out was that there were some tendencies in Kyp that could tilt him back and that Luke needed to address the issue before it went out of control (Again).
Thanks for all your wonderful reviews!!!
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Anakin stared glumly out the window as torrential rains beat down upon the greenery surrounding the academy. The week and a half after Luke's announcement had brought incredible turmoil. First, there was the incident with Kyp which, thankfully, Luke seemed to be handling well. At least, Kyp had been a touch more considerate once he got his ego clipped by the Head Master.
More troubling were the protests and political moves. One story seemed to be tugging at the seams of the New Republic. Only, it wasn't a story to Anakin; it was his life, and the press was tearing it apart. Some said to follow Obi-Wan fearlessly into Hutt space and destroy Callista. Others claimed he was merely a fake sent to mislead. Still others said that it didn't matter whether they were genuine or not. The galaxy shouldn't jump at a Jedi's call.
It didn't help that the Hutts were denying access to their space and more specifically to the sector that Callista occupied. They couldn't even verify their story. Now they were faced with commentaries that portrayed his "family" as the villains and Callista as the poor scapegoat.
The one theme that hurt the most was the tirades that went on about Ani. The Republic had been oh so politically correct about him when he was already dead. Now, they were out for blood. Day after day there appeared to me more people joining the protests against Ani. They wanted him tried for his crime. They said the blood of Alderaan screamed for vengeance. They claimed justice. What they wanted was murder.
Luke had had to put the Academy on alert to ward against any attacks. Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon sat up late assisting Leia with the political maneuvers the Jedi should take. Ani merely made himself scarce. He said that the only thing he'd ever succeeded at diplomatically was to secure Palpatine's dictatorship.
"You okay?" A soft voice asked behind him.
Anakin turned to see Tahiri staring pensively at him.
"Yeah, I'm okay. My Master just passed along his nasty habit of becoming gloomy to me."
"It will work out Anakin. I'm sure of it. The Force did not bring the four of you this far to see you fail."
"That's what Uncle Luke said this morning." Instead of a reply, Anakin got a short but gleaming smile from Tahiri.
"What?"
"That's the first time I've heard you call him Uncle Luke."
"Hanging around nature boy must be rubbing off on me."
"I don't think your brother would be fond of that nickname."
"I don't think Jacen would approve of most of the things I say."
"Anakin, have you ever thought about the future?"
"That's a bit redundant isn't it? We were just talking about it."
"Dunce, I meant after this is all over. What are you going to do?"
"Be a Jedi, I guess. Protect the innocent, help Master Luke rebuild the Jedi Order to the place it should be."
"What about your personal life?"
"Well, hopefully, I'll eventually get knighted. After a while I'll probably take an apprentice."
"What about women?"
"They are forbidden."
"That was a serious question."
"It was a serious answer. The code forbids attachment."
"It is an old code."
"It is still valid."
"The interpretation of it was old. It was too strict."
"You sound like Qui-Gon."
"I like Qui-Gon, and I like you. Do me a favor. If you ever decide that you'd like to explore your options as a member of the New Jedi, call me first."
Tahiri stood quickly on her tiptoes and kissed Anakin's cheek, then sped away before he could regain his senses enough to speak.
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Half way across the Academy, Obi-Wan was providing his own storm cloud. Glumly, he stared down at the saber practice going on below him. Many of the Knights were at the Academy to discuss what should be done. In response to the influx of Jedi, the saber training room was full with both participants and viewers, arrange by a penitent Kyp trying to get back in the good graces of Luke. Obi-wan snorted as he saw a knight blatantly falter in his footwork. If one could call it footwork, it looked more like a drunken swagger. Qui-Gon would have hid him away in mortification if he'd ever done that in practice. Yet the human below had actually been Knighted.
"Now that is not a particularly generous thought in your head Padawan." Instinct caused Obi-Wan's head to whip around at Qui-Gon's voice.
"I didn't think you could still read my mind. At least you can't without great effort."
"I always thought you were so thick skulled that I had to use great effort when we were bonded. However, I learned your facial expressions well, and as you are watching the fight below, I assume you were thinking a nasty thought about the sparring Jedi?"
"Their footwork is atrocious. I don't think I've seen a good example since Mara finished and hour ago. And I thought Ani was bad at it."
Qui-Gon glanced indifferently down at the match and held back a wince as he saw one knight leave her side completely un-guarded.
"SEE, you're just as bad as I am."
"They cannot practice what they have not been taught."
"Well, I didn't exactly have time to teach Luke the finer points of gracefulness, and neither did Yoda. We were more concerned about keeping him alive."
"It was not a criticism, merely an observation. It does bring up an interesting point though."
"What point would that be?"
"All they really know us as are good diplomats. Well… they also know you as the crusty old man that drug Luke into his destiny…"
"I get the picture. You don't need to remind me that you were dueling your twenty-four year old apprentice when you were sixty and I was hobbling around when I was fifty-three. What is in that conniving brain of yours?"
"Obi-Wan, why don't we give them an example of how it should be done?"
A grin split Obi-Wan's face as he quickly followed Qui-Gon down to the fighting floor. Kyp glanced up as they entered near the back. Doddering old style Jedi. They're probably amazed at all the swirling colors from our superior fighting. Bet they never saw such quick fighting before. After all, Luke beat Vader, and he killed off all the Jedi.
Kyp leaned over and kissed Jaina on the cheek before swaggering over to Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon. "Why don't you two give us an example of your saber skills?"
"Oh, we wouldn't want to intrude." Qui-Gon said though the sparkle in his voice gave way the amusement that did not show on his calm face.
Kyp grinned. This was the perfect opportunity to embarrass them. "Don't be silly. Why don't you fight next? You can go warm up over there while those two finish."
A slight nod from both men was all he got in return.
Obi-Wan leaned over to Qui-Gong as they removed their outer robes. "The little snake thinks we're incompetent."
"We'll just have to prove him wrong then."
Luke looked up and saw that Kyp had placed Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon as the next to fight. Mara grinned. "Fifty credits on the short guy." Luke glared at her choice of describing Ben. Still, he remembered how slow Obi-Wan was when he fought Vader. Luke was nearing that age himself, and was nowhere near as sluggish. "Deal."
A short nod from Kyp indicated that they could begin. They faced each other and bowed. Then they ignited their lightsabers. Qui-Gon fought back a smile as he saw Obi-Wan habitually wait for him to make the first move. Obi-Wan always was the one for order in his life. Perhaps that was why he attracted so much that disrupted his routine.
Kyp was bored waiting for the fight to begin as they circled each other. Then Qui-Gon lunged quickly at Obi-Wan. The blow was easily blocked and the fight was on. Two minutes later, Kyp was very glad he hadn't challenged Kenobi to that duel he'd been plotting.
Obi-Wan, on the other hand, was trying to figure out what the heck Qui-Gon was doing. He'd sparred with Jinn for years, and he'd never had him make so many pointless strikes. Instead of taking advantageous strokes, he'd simply been scratching at his shoulder or grazing inconsequential parts of his tunic. Then, he seemed intent on making Obi-Wan run, twist, leap slide, and any other maneuver that Obi-Wan had developed over the years.
A quick slash brought him face to face with Jinn. Their sabers sizzled between them. "I thought we wanted to give them an example, not make them feel totally outclassed. What are you doing?" He hissed in Qui-Gon's ear.
A smile twinkled in Qui-Gon's blue eyes. Using his superior upper body strength, he pushed Obi-Wan off. "This." A quick stroke sizzled against Kenobi's tunic. Reflexively, he moved to block the blow only to feel his shirt fall off in the middle of the arena. His cuffs dangled at his wrists separated from the rest of his covering. "YOU…"
He didn't get to finish as Qui-Gon attacked again.
Five minutes later, it was all over. The great Qui-Gon Jinn was flat on his back staring at the blade of a humming blue lightsaber. Having been declared the victor, Obi-Wan pulled Qui-Gon off the floor. "I was going to let you win you know."
"I know, but I thought it better to prove you weren't an old tottering fool."
"By slicing my shirt off?"
"Well, I can't say that Luke noticed that, but I would say your muscles have earned you the appreciation of the female population."
Obi-Wan's eyes darted at the crowd to see a lot of pointing. "They could be talking about the fight."
"Oh, they probably are, but you can be certain that Miss Solo is seriously reconsidering her position on Kyp."
"QUI-GON!"
