Thanks, ewan's girl, here's more.
Thank you, Athena. Yes, Yoda and puppets… :)))
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Danger?!
Alarming quivering of Force broke the serenity. Obi-Wan stared intently into the murky depth of an unknown building – a warehouse by the looks of it, abandoned though not yet fallen into decay. Knowing on some subconscious level that it was simply a dream Obi-Wan wasn't surprised to find himself in the building he was sure he had never seen before and didn't know how he had gotten to.
"You have nothing to fear from me."
Startled by the soft voice the knight spun around in search of its source. A figure standing before him was just slightly darker than the walls behind it, representing a shaded silhouette. It seemed to be woven from the very darkness surrounding it and concealing its contours. Black cloak seemed to grow from the floor to hug the figure in soft and flowing embrace. Lowered hood obscured the face.
"Who are you?"
He knew the answer, of course, how could he not? But he needed time. Time to come to terms with what was presented before him.
Eyes sparkled from under the midnight-black hood in laughter.
"I like your question, but you are not going to like my answer… my son."
"I am not your son. You being my biological father means nothing." Or did it? No, it did not!
"Oh, really? Then why are you so nervous about it?" The voice was insinuating and just barely ironic.
"I'm not…" Obi-Wan started defensively. Sidious raised a hand to silence him.
"My dear boy, lie to everyone else all you want but never lie to yourself. And don't try to lie to me because you're an open book for me."
"You read my mind like I'm nothing," exasperation leaked into Kenobi's cultured voice.
"There is nothing in your mind for you to be ashamed of – you are innocent and pure in your soul – as much as anyone can be at your age. But if you desire to preserve your privacy I won't violate you."
"Really? Why, thank you very much." Obi-Wan's voice was now dripping with sarcasm he cared not to hide.
The head under the voluminous hood lowered a little. The Jedi looked at his unlikely companion as though trying to peek behind the shadows surrounding the Sith.
"You don't trust me." It wasn't a question.
"Trust you?" Obi-Wan laughed, and there was no mirth or affection in this laugh. "You're a Sith."
"Never knew Jedi to be so inclined to prejudice. You judge me while you know nothing about me or my deeds, or my reasons. Where is your honor, oh Jedi Knight?"
"Of what honor do you speak? You are a murderer."
"Me? And whom exactly did I murder? Please, enlighten me."
Obi-Wan hesitated for just a moment, "Qui-Gon."
A small bitter pause was broken by the voice that had suddenly acquired a tint of kindness very in discord with the image of the Sith Lord.
"I am sorry for your loss." Obi-Wan shot Sidious a glare showing he did not believe the man could know anything about being sorry. "But as you are well aware Darth Maul was the one to deliver the death blow. If I were there I would have stopped him – I respect Qui-Gon Jinn too much. Though you must admit that his death was honorable…"
"You watched us then. You could stop him if you wanted."
"No, no. Unfortunately I could not. My power was enough to watch but not enough to intervene. Regrettably Maul was young and headstrong."
"He was a killing machine!"
"Not good enough, apparently." The image of a caring sympathizer wavered for a moment as a tinge of displeasure seeped into Sidious' voice. But it was gone almost before Kenobi could register it. "Your loss is great, but you robbed me of my apprentice."
Obi-Wan snorted, "Just don't tell me you loved him."
"In some way I did…"
"Lies again."
"He was a sentient being." The tone became almost reproachful. "I am too. We are not devoid of feelings. And unlike Jedi we do not strive to hide them."
"What feelings? Anger, hatred…"
"Love. I once loved your mother. And my son. I still love him and want to get to know him better. Think of it."
The pure darkness of the dream dissolved into the lighter, less heavy and oppressing darkness of the familiar bedroom in the Jedi Temple – Obi-Wan's own bedroom. The dream was gone, leaving muffled feelings and uncertainty behind. Blue-green eyes, dark with night's faint light of nocturnal Coruscant, glided habitually over the shelves, noting vague glistening of every metal edge and carve of holo-readers, data-chips and other things scattered there in artistic confusion to rest finally on the ceiling.
For several following hours Obi-Wan battled his own curiosity until the smoky veil of pre-dawn slumber covered his tired mind with peace.
*********** **********
"Master, can I go with you?"
Anakin, sitting on a sofa in the common room of their apartment with one leg tucked under him and another dangling – not yet long enough to touch the floor – presented an embodiment of child's innocence and plea. But Obi-Wan wasn't going to buy it this time.
"No, Padawan, I can't take you there."
"But why?" The boy was visibly trying to keep the wining notes out of his words, but with his voice being childishly thin these attempts failed almost completely.
Obi-Wan paused sifting through the data-pads on a shelf and turned to look at Anakin.
"It is too dangerous. You are not yet skillful enough to take care of yourself if the situation gets out of hands."
"And I think you don't want to take me because you don't want to have a kid around," Anakin stated matter-of-factly.
Obi-Wan hid a smile at the boy's exaggeratedly serious to the point of being comical look. Finally finding the data-pad he had been searching for the knight picked it from the shelf, walked to Anakin and squatted in front of him.
He was choosing what to say carefully. He could say it was the order from the Council. Surely the Padawan would be forced to comply if that was the case. But… There were always buts in using the Council's name. Firstly it would be an outward lie – something he hadn't done to Anakin before and had no real desire to start doing. He remembered how much he hated it when his own Master lied to him – when he knew it was a lie – and he had no doubt that Anakin would sense deception. Secondly the Council was already an opposing force for the boy and no matter how much Obi-Wan disliked them himself it would not do to raise Anakin's hostility towards them.
"Anakin, if something happens there I will be worrying about you…"
"But, Master, why are you so sure something will happen?"
Obi-Wan sighed inwardly. ~Another one. Am I condemned to always be the one sensing trouble ahead?~
"I sense something… And that note…"
Anakin made a disregarding grunt.
"It might be just a joke someone played on you."
"Perhaps…" Obi-Wan said thoughtfully. "But I rather take it as a warning. I can't let you go."
"Master Obi-Wan, please."
Crystal blue eyes framed with golden lashes looked pleadingly. Obi-Wan's resolve melted under this look..
"All right. But be careful and attentive." Obi-Wan ruffled Anakin's hair fondly, trying to mask a sudden unease that had taken hold of him.
"I will not take a step away from you," the boy promised happily.
"No," the Master said sharper than he intended, and Anakin jumped in surprise. "If something happens – anything – you will stay where is safe."
Anakin nodded in consent.
"And no bending the orders," Obi-Wan added half-sternly half-jokingly.
*********** ***********
Day was slowly molding into evening with colours becoming less bright and rich, more muted and pastel. This part of Coruscant – the part where magnificent building reserved for senatorial receptions pierced the sky with the single tall spire – was finishing the day's cycle, ready to make a slow, almost unnoticeable to busy citizens transfer from the blinding radiance of day to no less blinding luster of night, filled with artificial illumination. But the building sparkling with countless tall windows and glass galleries remained oblivious to the closing nightfall and to the peaceful quality of this one hour of transition when day died and night claimed its rights.
The insides of the building shone with light and buzzed with conversations – hushed and not. Various groups, consisting of all species found throughout the galaxy, littered the covered with precious carpets floors. People and aliens wove their meandering paths through the rooms and galleries, stopping here and there in their restless endeavour to be a part of the high society. Simple and somber dresses mingled with variegated and exotic ones.
All corners available were occupied by talking beings. One such corner held two cozily looking chairs, occupied at the time by a black-haired man in intricately embroidered suit and a woman in a less pretentious dress, which however looked fitting, giving her owner an air of fresh inartificial beauty. The man was known as Prince Bail Organa of Alderaan – the new senatorial representative of his homeworld after the untimely death of his predecessor and uncle – Tabil Organa. The woman was well-known as Palpatine's aide – Nais Kobierta.
"I see the Chancellor has started a crush here again," Bail quipped peevishly, stretching out in his chair and letting out puffs with a hookah – the substitute for pipe and cigars that had recently come into fashion. "As though there are not enough of senators around here each of them has a whole retinue of assistants…"
Nais, sitting next to him with her legs crossed, hemmed, "One might think you don't have assistants."
"Of course, I do." Bail was imperturbable. "And frankly speaking I don't know how to get away from them. But not only all these assistants rush about like rats in a cellar, not only heaps of security saunter through the house but a whole assembly of Jedi has gathered around."
Something in his tone made Nais look at him carefully.
"What it is about the Jedi that doesn't please you?"
"Those fanatics who think themselves better than everybody else because, you see, they have the Force and no one else does? They have locked themselves in that temple of theirs, shut the rest of the world out and perform some rites they think out."
"Yeah, right. Maybe you'll say they kidnap children and eat them?"
"No, of course, not." Bail smiled ironically, putting the hookah aside on a low table that was standing next to his chair. He took two goblets from the tray a passing waiter carried and handing one of them to Nais sipped the ruby-red wine from his. "Wonderful wine! No, I'm not so uneducated and liable to superstitions to believe in such nonsense. But you must admit that they with their behavior cause such rumors spread through the lowest layers of society – of which there is a majority. Unlike them, you and me, we belong to the highest standing of the upper crust."
With a hint of surprise Nais noticed how easily his hand lowered onto her shoulder, slightly brushing the soft velvety skin as though he was not aware of it. But, of course, he was. Politicians were always aware of their deeds. Her eyes shoot to the sides checking if Palpatine was around. She knew full well that the young careless prince would be very sorry if the Chancellor saw them. But he was nowhere to be seen and Nais heaved a sigh of relief.
"So what was I speaking about? Ah, yes, you and me belong to the highest caste of the society and we've got enough of education, sense of fashion, common sense after all to not believe the fallacies born in masses, but," he lifted a finger calling for attention. Nais noted that he had already clicked into his speech mode and would not stop any time soon. "the greater part of populace is prone to believing whatever they hear. And this places the Jedi into a rather vulnerable position."
"Perhaps you are right, but we were speaking about something else."
"Really? And what was it?"
"We were talking about your personal attitude toward the Jedi. You called them fanatics…"
"That's right. What else would you call their obstinate adherence to that mysterious Force if not fanaticism? From the early childhood they are a part of society that teaches them to think in a certain way, to act in different situations the way their Code dictates them. Their Council is a incontestable authority for them. The Council that relies in their judgment on the same mythical Force."
"So you think that the Force does not exist?"
Nais tried her best to say it impassibly, despite her efforts a bit of irony leaked into her voice. Bail as a true politician immediately picked up on the subtle hint.
"So you do believe in it?"
"I've seen its workings," she said, trying to sound as casual as her suddenly constricted throat would let her."
"Well then, I'm afraid I cannot take anything on trust until I get an incontestable proof."
Nais was about to object, but at that moment a person entered room – a person whom she both did not expect and waited for. She had been wondering all night if the recipient of her had gotten the note and what he would do if he had. And whether he had gotten it or not Obi-Wan Kenobi was here. A fleeting thought crossed her mind that he looked even better in life than he did in HoloNet's reports.
"Oh, and there goes one of the notorious Jedi," Bail quipped acidly.
Nais turned to him sharply.
"What exactly it is you so dislike Jedi for?" she asked.
"I don't concede with some of their politics, including taking children from their families," Organa replied smoothly. "But I think we now have a unique chance to hear the opinion of a Jedi on the matter."
"I don't think…" Nais started to say, but Bail was already waving at Kenobi, calling him over.
The Jedi approached. Bowed.
"Senator Organa, miss Kobierta."
Bail sent Nais a look that clearly said, He knows our names. Unimaginable! "And you would be…"
"Obi-Wan Kenobi."
Organa assumed a pose of an over-free and capricious prince, waving his hand slightly in a finical manner. Nais raised her brows at the act.
"So tell us, Master Kenobi, what do you think about Jedi taking children from their families."
"I beg your pardon."
"Oh, the lady and me were talking about Jedi and this particular aspect of their politics. We'd love to hear your opinion as a person intimately familiar with these affairs. Do you miss your family?"
The last sentence was spoken in a harsher voice as Bail let his true feelings show through the façade. Obi-Wan didn't seem to be rattled in a slightest however.
"The Order is our family."
"And you don't ever think about you father and mother, never try to guess what they're doing now?"
Unbidden an image of this young man thinking about Palpatine as his father came into Nais' mind, and she felt a cold touch of shiver run up her spine. They were too different. They could not possibly be relatives.
And yet they were.
"With all due respect, Senator, none of that is your concern," Kenobi stated coldly.
He sketched a shallow bow, turned on his heels and left.
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