Long halls of dull greyish walls stretched their seemingly endless branches in every direction possible. Undistinguishable from one another, they were more suited for a nightmare, Obi-Wan decided, than reality. Or [i]was[/i] it a nightmare? Just a twisted substitute for real world, created by his muddled brain? He couldn't really tell.
An echo of distant terror besieged Obi-Wan's mind as he stumbled through the corridors in an attempt to find a way out. Yet he was only dimply aware of someone's - Anakin's? - horror carried to him through the Force. The faint whisper of a voice cried out to him desperately, but Obi-Wan could find no strength to answer, to grasp the thin strand connecting him to his apprentice so clogged was the connection.
~He must be sleeping,~ the Jedi thought. ~Must be having one of those nightmares.~
Anakin's nightmares were of great concern to his Master during this first year they spent together. Rare as those nightmares were they carried an almost excruciating power in them, reducing the boy to a quivering ball of fear each time they happened upon him. And now Obi-Wan wasn't even there to offer a word of comfort and encouragement to his Padawan.
"Some Master am I!"
His angry whisper dissipated into the polished grey of the walls never reaching anyone. With a new strength borne of stubborn disinclination to surrender the Jedi started to walk again, determined to get out of this place - and fast. Although, some part of his mind - the reasonable one, he supposed - told him that he most likely would never leave this building unless the Sith decided otherwise. Obi-Wan could almost sense the Sith jerk invisible strings, making the Jedi move obediently. Foul feeling of being a toy in a twisted creature's hands permeated Obi-Wan's thoughts, choking them, filling him with unreasonable desire to bolt and run - no matter where, just run - away. Still, he kept his pace even. The Sith would not have a pleasure of seeing him panic - as long as Obi-Wan could help it.
The young man prowled narrow corridors for what seemed like hours on end while his perfectly honed sense of time told him it had been mere minutes. And the longer he walked the more he felt like a lab rat locked in a maze by some unknown scientist. The passages turned and twisted and split and dispersed and looped back in an endless labyrinth.
Force was of little help to him on this occasion. From the powerful ally that had been supporting him his entire life it had turned into a pale shimmer somewhere at the back of his mind. Too weak and elusive to draw upon.
A sick sense of being manipulated didn't leave Obi-Wan even as he picked turns at random at the same time trying to stick to one general direction. IT wouldn't do to walk circles around the building, he thought. Gazes. They followed him everywhere. Burned his back. But when he would turn there was no one there. As if the walls themselves had eyes - trained on him, watching his every move with hungry curiosity.
"Calm down now, Obi-Wan," he told himself with a small joyless grin tugging at the corners of his lips. "You are slowly going mad, man. Take it easy. Don't spoil the fun to the spectators."
For a second he thought he heard a chuckle coming from somewhere down the corridor, but no, he must have imagined it. Still, imagined or not, that might be a lead. He would go in that direction since it wasn't worse than any other.
Straightening slightly he picked up his stroll. Turning a corner he blinked in surprise. Was that a door he just glimpsed at the dim end of the hall? Inadvertently he quickened his pace even more. Could it be this easy?
Reaching the door he fully expected it to be locked, but it slid open smoothly as soon as he reached out to touch it. Abruptly full of worst suspicions Obi-Wan inched his way out of the corridor and into a room. His eyes took in the place instantly - high ceiling, black metal walls with glowrods instilled in them at regular intervals, no windows - before they came to rest on the only living form in the room. A person was standing precisely in the center of the round black dimly glittering metal floor.
It was a man, judging from the tall powerful built not even a voluminous dark cloak could hide. The stranger stood with his back to Obi-Wan, raised hood covering his head, yet there was something painfully familiar in the man's posture. There was something - and Obi-Wan couldn't put his finger on it - something that practically screamed at the knight: you know him!
Suddenly very self-conscious for no apparent reason the young Jedi stepped forward and called out to the stranger. "Who are you?"
The man whipped around, lightning quick. Obi-Wan's world went colourless, and he staggered. Hair standing on his neck, blood running cold, Kenobi stared wide-mouthed, speechless. The stranger stared back at him with a steadfast gaze. There was no hostility in that look but no warmth either. Like a mask was that face.
Silence was deafening. The only sound Obi-Wan could hear was the thunderous throbbing sound of his own blood echoing in his ears.
Minutes trickled by before Obi-Wan managed to gather his wits about to utter a single broken word: "Qui-Gon?!"
Sheer disbelief, tentative reckless hope, question and statement - all mixed in those two syllables. The man in front of him inclined his head, agreeing.
Abruptly, as though something had torn inside him, words burst from Obi-Wan's mouth, and tears welled up in his eyes - blinding, burning.
"B-but how?! You. How did you?!. How is it. possible?" He gestured at Qui-Gon, unable to find words to carry his feelings. He suddenly wanted to be a reckless little boy again, to just throw himself at his true father and hold on to him like a beacon in a sea. Yet he stayed rooted to the spot.
The formerly dead Jedi Master smiled slightly, watching his ex-apprentice struggle with tumbling speech. Finally he held up a hand, and Obi-Wan ceased his attempts to ask all questions at once.
"I think I owe you an explanation," Qui-Gon said softly, his speech measured, and Obi-Wan's heart lurched at the so familiar sound of his voice - the voice he never dreamed to hear again. "The truth is I was rescued from the Generator Core room on Naboo."
"But I saw you die there! I held you in my arms when you [i]died[/i]!" interrupted the younger man impatiently.
"In a way you have." Qui-Gon watched with an almost satisfied look a puzzled expression spreading on Obi-Wan's face. "But it wasn't me, strictly, who has died there."
"How so?"
"While you
fought Darth Maul I was taken away from there. You didn't see them. You were
otherwise occupied. And as I later learned they had replaced me with a clone."
"A clone? But."
The world was coming down around Obi-Wan in splinters. He tried wildly to hold its pieces, to scavenger something of what he had known as truth, but fragment kept slipping through his fingers like sand. He made a step backward and half-leaned half-fell against the wall.
"All this time I thought you dead, and it was only a trick?! A fake?! YOU were a fake!"
Not a muscle moved on Qui-Gon's face.
"I needed time to heal. Lord Sidious kindly offered me his help."
[i]"What?!"[/i] Obi-Wan's knees went weak, and he nearly collapsed to the floor, hands roaming the wall for something to provide desperately needed support. "You took help from a Sith?!"
A nonchalant shrug from Qui-Gon filled Obi-Wan with bitter disgust.
"Lord Sidious was able to provide means the Jedi could not. Are you not happy that I survived?"
"How can you."
"Oh come on, Obi-Wan."
"He is a Sith!" With a panic the young Jedi noted hysteric edge to his shouted words.
"Sith," Qui-Gon rolled the word in his mouth as though tasting it, then added briskly, "It's only an appellation."
"He's evil."
"Evil?" The older man laughed - a barking, uncharacteristic sound. "Now, what a bright conception! Quit that childish behavior, Obi-Wan, it doesn't suit you. Or do you really still divide world into black and white, into good and evil? Have I taught you nothing?"
Obi-Wan shook his head. Something in his eyes changed, shadows appeared that hadn't been there a moment before.
"You are not the Qui-Gon I used to know."
"I have become wiser." Qui-Gon was serious again.
"Uglier."
"And you think you will get away with this, my very silly Padawan? Telling me that. I think you need to get a good spanking."
To his growing horror Obi-Wan saw Qui-Gon draw from inside his cloak a metal cylinder - a lightsaber. His breath quickening, Kenobi shifted his gaze to the Master's eyes and with a sinking feeling saw ice-cold determination in their midnight blue depth and not a flicker of humour.
"You will."
A snap-hiss of activating lightsaber cut him short. Green blade cast ghastly brilliance over Qui-Gon's face, sharpening his features, deepening shadows. Obi-Wan stared at this suddenly alien face, mesmerized. He had never ever seen this face distorted with such contempt.
"Master? What are you going to do?" It couldn't be. It simply couldn't!
"Teach you a lesson." Qui-Gon stepped forward.
Unable to move away from him, back pressed against the wall, Obi-Wan edged to the side instead. His mind was racing, searching frantically for escape.
Qui-Gon made another step.
By chance Obi-Wan's eyes fell onto a small one-legged table now not obscured by Qui-Gon's bulking form. There, on the table's polished round surface, was lying the one thing that could save him - his own lightsaber.
Without a thought Obi-Wan darted to the side and away from the wall. Qui-Gon moved to intercept him but was an instant too late. Obi-Wan's fingers closed around the hilt - the familiarity of it's carvings lending him a bit of security. Radiant azure bar sprang to life and instantly moved to intercept the crushing blow of the green blade. Still the blow sent him reeling. Obi-Wan recoiled and brought his 'saber up just in time to block another blow.
What followed next was a blur, a phantasmagoric, twisted variation of sparring matches they were once used to have.
Two lightsabers sizzled, caught in a sharp lock. Their owners' eyes met over the blades, and Obi-Wan flinched. He had never imagined seeing such malice twisting noble leonine features of his former mentor.
"What happened to you?" he asked almost breathlessly, almost pleadingly. "How did Sidious poison you to make you this?"
A crooked, slightly lopsided smile twisted Qui-Gon's features, and Obi-Wan had a feeling of something dark and ancient and absolutely, primordially evil glancing through. Unable to watch it the young Jedi shoved the green blade away, breaking the lock.
They faced each other again, lightsabers in front of them gripped tightly. Then suddenly Qui-Gon was upon Obi-Wan, attacking with incredible speed, lashing out, crushing like a hurricane. Obi-Wan was holding back, fearful to inflict harm. All thoughts left him as he struggled to stay alive under the onslaught.
And again they stepped apart, Obi-Wan trying to catch his breath. Qui-Gon tilted his head as though studying the man in front of him.
"Pathetic, aren't you?"
Obi-Wan jerked as if slapped in the face.
"A weakling," Qui-Gon continued mercilessly. "You call yourself a Jedi but you could never be anything close to what a real Jedi should be. Even that scum - Chun - was better than you. Maybe I should have taken him instead?"
Obi-Wan's eyes grew wider, and he opened his mouth as if to say something yet nothing came out.
"You were never worth the effort I put in you. And now you're trying to make yourself a teacher to Skywalker - a poor try really. Or are you going to make of him the same weakling as yourself?" Qui-Gon paused with a faraway look as though thinking over the possibilities. Obi-Wan stood frozen before him, rage slowly starting to boil in his soul, clouding all thought.
"No," the tormentor continued. "Skywalker would never be such weakling. He would first run away from you - to the Dark Side."
That did it. Without a warning Obi-Wan charged forward with enraged cry. He attacked furiously, all watchfulness lost. The surprised Jedi Master had barely had time to block the first blow. But he recovered quickly. A swing and another, and another were blocked swiftly. Obi-Wan twisted, feinted a high blow then jerked his blade down in a short powerful arc. The humming blade delved into flesh, tearing it, burning.
Suddenly motionless the younger man lifted his eyes to look in the glazing midnight blue orbs of his opponent.
"No," a whisper fell from Obi-Wan's lips.
With a loud clank echoing in deathly silence Qui-Gon's lightsaber fell to the floor, the blade extinguishing automatically. Without a notion Obi-Wan turned his 'saber off and watched, stunned, as the tall form of his former mentor crumpled to the floor. Obi-Wan's knees gave way, and he sank down next to the fallen Master.
His fury evaporated, leaving a gaping abyss in his heart. Tears welled up in his eyes as a chilling realization dawned in his mind. His Master had just died - the second time. And he, Obi-Wan, was the one who killed him.
He stood up abruptly. White fingers clutched the lightsaber's grip absently.
He had just killed. Killed Qui-Gon. Killed. Qui-Gon. Dead - again.
Obi-Wan looked down at his hands as if seeing them for the first time.
These very hands killed Qui-Gon.
There was utter finality in this thought. Finality that tore open the barely healed wound of Qui-Gon's first death.
~I had one more chance. Something barely anyone ever has. And I threw it away. Just like that.~
Everything seemed colourless, veiled by thin mist of unreality yet so very sharp, cutting in intensity.
"I - killed - him."
One finger found the activation button on lightsaber's hilt, and deadly blade sprang forth, humming angrily. Slowly, as though in a trance, he brought it up. Then his hand moved to plunge it into his chest.
Darkness accepted him into velvety embrace.
*********** ***********
