"Sir, there is a communication for you from the Jedi Temple," Lazira, Chancellor Palpatine's personal secretary, announced.

"I will take it in my office," the Chancellor replied, keeping his voice calmly modulated, though he felt an ecstatic wave of elation. His plans were already falling into place, years earlier than he had predicted they would. Moving swiftly, yet evenly, the dark-cloaked man entered his private offices and sealed the door. Sitting stiffly behind his Appleton desk, he activated the comm. unit within and silently viewed the message. There was no visual, no sound and it was merely two lines of text, but it was enough to strongly pique his curiosity.

Leaning back in his chair, in a casual pose he would never have affected in front of any of his subordinates, legal or no, he peaked his hands in front of him and considered the cryptic communication. Although he knew who the message was not from, and was relatively certain of whom it was from, he was not one to normally take risks, but in this case he was willing to make an exception. The communication was too intriguing, and possibly too dangerous, to ignore. Studying the message once more, the Chancellor leaned forward and responded to the non-visual, non-audio message in kind, with a one-word response. "Agreed."

*********************************************

"I'm really not certain how to go about this," Obi-Wan admitted with a rueful grin that was quickly replaced with a more sober expression. "I guess the best place to begin would be with the battle on Naboo."

"Padawan," Qui-Gon interrupted, leaning forward toward his apprentice, "I think it might be best if you start before Naboo. It is apparent that you received training from someone besides me, and I wish to know who it is."

"Master, I know this is going to be difficult," Obi-Wan sighed, " but I would appreciate it if you would simply reserve judgment and hear me out."

"Obi-Wan, I have allowed you much latitude in your training," Master Jinn replied, his blue eyes fixed on his Padawan's own sober gaze, "but you are still my apprentice. You will answer me when I ask you who trained you to fight a Sith."

"Master Jinn," the younger Jedi stated, knowing that the more formal address was sure to get Qui-Gon's attention, "as a Padawan I would be expected to answer you in a forthright manner, but I am afraid that I cannot explain unless you are willing to suspend your disbelief and simply listen."

"Obi-Wan…" Qui-Gon began, before hesitating and beginning again. "Padawan, I will listen to whatever it is you wish to tell me, but there is much you do not know. The Council fears that you have been training with the Sith, and might be contaminated by the Darkside."

To Qui-Gon's surprise, Obi-Wan laughed at his Master's declaration. "I assure you, Master, the Council could not be closer to the truth, yet so far away at the same time."

Leaning back on the sofa and bringing a hand up to rub at the bridge of his nose, Qui-Gon sighed. "Very well, perhaps you should simply explain to me as best you can then."

Accepting his Master's capitulation with a mere nod, Obi-Wan began his tale of tragedy, despair and, finally, hope.

*********************************************

The story was too incredible not to believe, and he had witnessed the evidence of it himself, yet Qui-Gon's first thought was to take his Padawan to the Healer's ward for a psych evaluation. It was impossible that the young man who sat before him had lived such a life of hardship and sorrow, and yet the shadows that danced in the stormy eyes convinced him. The boy who sat before him was not the one he had trained for the past decade, but instead was a Jedi Master in his own right. Although he was confused, and saddened by his own part in Obi-Wan's horrible previous existence, Master Jinn found he could not be more proud of his Padawan's actions and determination.

"Obi-Wan," Qui-Gon began at the end of the long and tragic tale, "or should I call you Master Kenobi?" he added, wishing to again see the sparkle of humor within the eyes that had seen too much. When Obi-Wan responded with a slight smile, he continued. "We must take this information to the Council at once. They need to know of the Sith uprising."

"And Anakin?" Obi-Wan asked, though he already knew the answer. The choked expression on his Master's face spoke quite elegantly.

"Anakin is the Chosen One," Qui-Gon stated, missing the slight flinch his words brought to the other man. "He must be trained, he is too dangerous otherwise."

"Anakin is dangerous whether he is trained or not!" Obi-Wan erupted, jumping to his feet and moving to pace the small apartment. Though he enjoyed the benefits of his return to youth, he found the excess energy somewhat trying to deal with. "You must see that. I watched as he destroyed everything and everyone I ever loved, leaving the Galaxy a dangerous and deadly pit of despair."

"But he did bring balance to the Force," Qui-Gon replied calmly, as he watched Obi-Wan pace in front of him. "He did what he was required to do, and you cannot fault him for that. It is his duty, his place within prophecy, to do so."

"You are defending his actions?" the younger Jedi exclaimed, his shock and amazement apparent in the sudden halting of all his movement. "You are honestly going to sit there and tell me that he was right to slaughter the Jedi Order, and to destroy the very Republic that you have sworn to protect!"

"The Jedi Order has become complacent, and the Senate is more and more inefficient each day," Master Jinn explained. "There is a great need for change, and entropy is a fact of all systems, whether they are the government or the Jedi Order. Anakin Skywalker is merely the agent of such change."

Shutting his eyes briefly and releasing his anger and frustration to the Force, Obi-Wan sighed. "All of those years on Tatooine, I used to dream of the day when I could finally see you again, and explain to you all that had happened in my life. I used to pretend that you were with me, and I'd talk to you each and every day during my exile. I knew, I knew, that you would understand and that you would admit you had been wrong to cause the one person who had loved you unconditionally so much pain."

Opening his eyes again, and revealing the haunted gaze, Obi-Wan continued. "I know that it was selfish to wish you would ever apologize for what you had done to me, to the Order, and to the galaxy at large, but I could not help it. I needed to forgive you, and that was the only way that I could do so."

Rising to his feet, Qui-Gon attempted to reach for his apprentice. He could feel the agony and desolation that rolled off of the young man before him, and his compassionate nature could not allow him to let it pass without an attempt to console. Instead, Obi-Wan stepped back and turned his back on him.

"Padawan, I…" Qui-Gon started, only to be cut off by the curt voice of a Master Jedi that issued forth from the young man before him.

"I am not your Padawan, and you will not address me as such," Obi-Wan replied coldly. "I can see that my efforts here are wasted, and I still have much work to do." Moving toward the doorway, without even turning to face his former Master, the younger Jedi exited the room.