Dropping uneasily into a state of meditation, Obi-Wan tried to
soothe his conflicting emotions. He was grateful to have had the chance to save
his Master's life, and he was also surprisingly thrilled to still be a Padawan,
but he had not anticipated Qui-Gon's anger. Well, did you really expect
anything different? He doesn't know what would have happened otherwise, only
YOU do.
Sighing and giving up on his attempts at meditation until he could talk to his
Master again, Obi-Wan instead turned his attentions to the holo-terminal. He
had studied the theories of time travel and paradoxes as a senior Padawan, and
though many years had passed since that time, he still remembered enough to
realize that his impromptu changing of the timeline may have inadvertently
changed other key events. Logging onto the Coruscant network, he set to work
analyzing news sources from far and wide, trying to determine what, if
anything, he had changed.
Flipping through the sources, he drew in a tight breath as the image of Supreme
Chancellor Palpatine filled the monitor. I should have tried to come back
earlier and prevent him from ever being elected into office he admonished
himself, trying to release the anger he felt at just seeing the malignant politician.
Perhaps, though, it isn't too late to do something about him? He couldn't
have gained too much political clout yet, could he?
Leaning back in the desk chair and pondering the choices he had in regards to
the future Emperor and current Sith Lord, Obi-Wan meditated lightly as the
hours slipped away.
*********************************************
Sometimes he wondered exactly how it was that Yoda still managed to kneel in
meditation after 800 years. Although he was not nearly as old as the venerable
Master, Qui-Gon found that his knees and joints began to ache after only a few
hours. "You're losing your edge, old man," he scoffed softly, leaning back on
his heels in an attempt to relieve some of the pain.
His time in meditation had helped to release some of the anger he felt toward
his apprentice. Once he had acknowledged that the majority of the anger came
from his fear at losing the young man he held so dear, it was only a matter of
accepting that Obi-Wan had survived and that all was well. Well, maybe not
quite "well," he thought, as his mind again began to analyze the fight that
had occurred only a few days ago.
Although he had spent the last decade training his apprentice, he could've
sworn that the man he saw fighting in the generator room was not Obi-Wan
Kenobi, regardless of what his eyes and the Force told him. I know that he
is not capable of some of the maneuvers he performed, and beyond that, it was
almost as if he knew the Sith's moves before he even made them!
Trying to assimilate his knowledge of his Padawan's ability with the visions of
the battle that played through his head, Qui-Gon did not at first notice when
another joined him in his meditations. It was only as he opened his eyes in
defeat that he noticed the other Master kneeling across from him.
"Mace?" he asked quietly, unwilling to disturb the Councilor if he was in a
deep meditation.
"There is something about your report to the Council that disturbs me, old
friend," Master Windu answered, before even opening his eyes. "How is it that
your apprentice managed to best a Sith without your assistance, when you
yourself stressed how well trained the Sith was when you faced him on
Tatooine?" As the chocolate brown eyes flickered open, Qui-Gon drew in a deep
breath.
"I'm not sure," he admitted, "and that's what I am here trying to find out."
"You don't think that he may have called upon the Darkside in his attempts to
fight the Sith?" Mace questioned, eyeing Qui-Gon shrewdly.
"NO!" he answered vehemently, shifting his position so that he sat cross-legged
before the Councilor. "Obi-Wan would never have done that, and even if he had,
I would have known it. Our training bond was fully open and I didn't feel the
slightest twinge of Dark energy."
Adjusting his own stance to mirror Master Jinn's, Mace sighed. "Then how is it
possible that he fought with a Master's level of skill, when we all know that
he is merely an apprentice?"
"There was a tape of the encounter, wasn't there?" Qui-Gon asked rhetorically,
suddenly realizing that the entire Council was pondering the same questionable
leap in advancement that he was.
"Queen Amidala is not one to take her security measures lightly," Mace
answered, though he knew that the other Master had already come to the
realization that the Council had the same information that he, himself, was
privy to. "The Council would like to arrange another session with you and your
apprentice sometime to discuss what exactly happened. I don't need to tell you,
Qui-Gon, but there are some on the Council that are seriously concerned with
Obi-Wan's sudden leap in skill level. There are even some rumblings of whether
or not he may have been secretly training with the Sith sometime in the past to
know his moves so well."
"You cannot be serious!" Qui-Gon bellowed, rising to his feet in astonishment.
"Obi-Wan has not been anywhere near any Darksider, and you know it!"
Standing, and offering a sympathetic look to his once-best friend, Mace
grimaced. "Qui-Gon, need I remind you that you said almost the same exact words
several years ago about another apprentice of yours? Perhaps you are too close
to the situation yet again?"
"Xanatos is not the issue here," Qui-Gon growled, "and you know very well that
Obi-Wan has nothing in common with him. I will not stand here and allow you to
make such accusations against a man that we both know is purely of the Light."
Pulling his cloak tightly around him, Qui-Gon turned his back on his former
friend and exited hastily from the meditation gardens.
*********************************************
Watching silently until the dark-skinned Master had exited the gardens, Anakin
Skywalker rose to his feet from where he had sat hunched under one of the
low-hanging Garzana bushes. The sweet-smelling flowers had tickled his senses,
and he had to fight not to sneeze throughout the brief meeting between the two
Masters. He had followed Master Jinn in the hopes of convincing him to start
his training, but had instead found himself watching silently as the dignified
Master had settled into a private meditation.
The minutes had ticked by, but the young boy was too afraid of revealing his
presence to attempt to move to a more comfortable position. He had just decided
to sneak away when the other Master had made an appearance. Curiosity, and a
bit of fear, had kept him frozen in his place as the two had carried on their
short discussion. When the meeting had ended, and both Masters had gone their
separate ways, it was indecision and a burning sense of anger that kept Anakin
from moving.
How could he do that to Master Qui-Gon! Anakin fumed. He had spent the
long, boring hours aboard the transport from Naboo to Coruscant reviewing all
of the files he could find about Master Jinn and his erstwhile apprentice,
Obi-Wan Kenobi. Although he had wanted to spend more time in the cockpit, the
presence of the stern Master Windu had prevented him from doing so. Instead, he
had spent the time holed up in his small cabin, hacking into the computer
system and studying ever little bit of data he could get his hands on.
What he had found had only led to him hating Padawan Kenobi even more. From the
young Obi-Wan's escapades on Melida/Daan to the more recent argument before the
Council, Anakin found only more and more reason to despise the man. Master Qui-Gon
deserves better than Obi-Wan! And he certainly shouldn't have to deal with an
apprentice who has called upon the Darkside! Deciding that it was his duty,
and his obligation, to Master Jinn to do something about the Jedi-imposter who
called himself a Padawan, Anakin began to make plans.
