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.