###The Jedi Return to Tolan's Home
"Well I see we have two more Jedi. There must be a problem? Is the one missing so slippery and cunning that it takes all four of you to find him. If you have returned with questions on the whereabouts of the missing Jedi, I assume then it must be Vos' apprentice, I mean his ward and your apprentice Master Jinn. You know since both of you are here again."
You didn't have to assume the identity of the missing Jedi. You knew that didn't you Tolan? That is why we returned in the first place. You called Obi-Wan by name when we hadn't even mentioned which Jedi had gone missing. We have returned to find out just how you knew that information."
"As for calling the missing apprentice by his name, I suppose I may have, though I can't remember. I saw so much concern in your face and yours as well Knight Vos. I just assumed with both you so concerned it had to be the Kenobi boy. And see I was right."
"Yes, how convenient. I will ask you again Emperor Tolan, have you or your men seen or heard from my apprentice this evening."
Emperor Tolan put on his sternest face. It would have to do to cover the cowardly way he felt.
"Master Jinn, if you have come here to question me all over again, let me assure you my answers will not change. I have not seen your apprentice nor have any of men reported seeing him or hearing from him. If he is in someway upset with you or Vos, I hardly think he would choose my shoulder to come and cry on. Now, I really would like to catch a couple of hours sleep if I may."
Talon extended his arm toward the doorway; an unspoken request for the Jedi to leave. His men rallied around the four Jedi and it then became an unspoken demand.
"Master Jinn, since you seem so upset about your little apprentice, I will extend your stay here by two days. Two days Master and not a minute longer. If you haven't found the little "twit" by then, it's unlikely you will. Did you ever consider the possibility that maybe he doesn't want to be found?"
None of the Jedi in the group turned around. However Vos wanted too and actually started to respond to Tolan's remarks in a verbal and possibly physical way to the emperor's nickname for Obi-Wan, *twit*. The quick right arm of his former master darted out and prevented him from doing what he *wanted* to do. They left without another word to or glimpse of Emperor Tolan.
Qui-Gon left but he was even more convinced now that Emperor knew something about Obi-Wan's disappearance. It had been over five hours and nothing. Jinn had not been able to feel the boy's force signature but was convinced nothing mortally had happened to him.
//Maybe Tolan or his mysterious unnamed guest used some kind of force inhibitor on Obi-Wan. No one in his or her right mind would take a Jedi without the use of one. Not even a sith. //
Qui-Gon, at that time had no way of knowing how close to the truth he was. He had put some things together. The guest was of the dark side, how dark, Jinn was not ready to say. He certainly wasn't convinced yet that it was a sith. He suspected that the dark sided guest was the one who planned to help Tolan overthrow the government of Ceris and that was the same darkened aura person who in some way had Obi-Wan captive.
As the Jedi made their way back to Vos' cabin lived, Jinn spoke his thoughts.
"It has to be!"
Vos had been in his own thoughts but he was quickly drawn from them when Qui-Gon spoke.
"Has to be what Qui-Gon? Come up with something other than a dark sider lurking ever closer to us?"
Vos hoped a little humor would break the coldness around them. He soon found out Qui-Gon was far from being in a humorous mood.
Qui-Gon stopped, turned, and tilted his head to the side slightly.
Vos knew that stance. It was one of those "don't mess with me " moments.
"Listen, there *is* something going on, I know it, I can feel it and if none of you are convinced of that, you shouldn't even consider yourselves Jedi. Jedi learn how to use the force, to feel things not seen, to know without absolute knowledge what goes on around them. That is part of assessing a situation; any situation and none of you can denote any ripple in the force? Astounding, just astounding. That I trained the both of you is even more astounding!!!!!"
" Knock it off Jinn. Now is not the time to tell us, your former apprentices how inept in the force and being knights you think we are. If we are inept, I am sure you are going to find a way to place all the blame on Xanatos and me. The great Jinn can't accept blame for anything you might have done to thwart our training now can you?"
Vos was angered at first by the master's words. Xani said nothing. He had to be around Jinn more than Vos after this mission was over and he wasn't going to "rock the boat". Their relationship was rocky enough as it was and with Anakin to put more strain between them, it was likely to get worse.
//No matter what I think about Jinn's statement of our inability to feel through the force, as we should, I don't plan to say anything. Let Vos and Jinn argue it out. I have enough to do with this "Chosen One" that I can't trust from one minute to the next. //
Vos seemed to realize his words were too harsh, at least right now, for this master to hear. Not that they weren't true, just too harsh. //Sometimes the truth is always hard to hear, especially when it deals with one's own mistakes. //
"I am sorry Qui-Gon. I know there must be something Tolan is hiding. I mean any one could see that. Then he offered us another couple of days here on his planet. Now that I thought was odd. But if he had Obi-Wan for some reason why not tell us? He first wanted hostages. Another thing why was he so willing now to allow me to leave with you. Hostages would have been to his benefit, now he doesn't want them, why?"
"Yea, it would be to our benefit too Vos. Then you would be here and the rest of us gone."
Xanatos joked with Vos. He also knew something wasn't just quite right and although he didn't necessarily want anything to happen to Obi, he wasn't thrilled about a battle out here with some other force-powered entity.
"That's enough both of you. This is serious."
By now Quinlan's mind was clouded with hurt and confusion because of Jinn's quick ability to revert to being the master and he and Xani the *lowly* apprentice.
"First we are inept in the ways we use our force and now were are too carefree and not all acting like a Jedi. Is there anything you have found that Xanatos and I have done right throughout our life up to now? If you would just tell us how you want us to react to everything it might work out better."
Qui-Gon was frozen by Vos' words. Never had the young knight spoken up so defensively for himself or Xanatos. Qui-Gon only stood and stared at his first apprentice. Vos had left him virtually speechless to countermand Knight Vos' smarting reflection of how Jinn treated those trained by him….
Anakin didn't take notice of any of the arguments that went on. He was daydreaming, mesmerized with thoughts of doing a real battle with some one of the dark side or, //even the sith themselves.// reveled in the idea of doing battle with another who possessed the force and especially the dark force even if it was the sith. He reasoned that would be the only way he would know for sure how he really fought was if he could fight as aggressively as he was able, even to the death of his opponent.
################################ As if forgotten, maybe not worthy of a response, or just no retort for his former apprentice, Jinn said nothing in defense of himself.
Xanatos wondered if it was because Vos had struck home with his remark and Jinn was unwilling to admit it. Vos was too dumbstruck over his own intestinal fortitude. He never dreamt he would tell Jinn what he felt went wrong in their relationship.
//I suppose he certainly didn't need to hear it now with one of his apprentices; one that he was about to make the same mistake with, is missing. It needed said but I am not sure I was right on the timing. However it certainly needs said before he gets Ob-Wan, if he does.//
Vos started to say *something*. He wasn't sure if he planned to apologize. //Shouldn't have to apologize for a statement of truth,// he argued with himself. Nevertheless, he wanted to say something, anything. He made a silent commitment to himself that he would not take the words back.
Jinn slung his hand up to stop Vos from speaking. Quinlan, always and ever a dutiful padawan, no matter how he was as a knight, stopped with the unspoken command for silence by his former master. Years of training under Qui-Gon had taught him, if nothing else to heed his master's every command right or wrong.
"Don't……. this doesn't need to be discussed now. I have to find my padawan. But when this is over Vos, when this is all over and Obi-Wan is back with me safely, you and I *will* discuss this further. A hell of a lot further, *Padawan*."
###At the emperor's palace.###
"What do you mean; you plan to leave the planet? Leave me with the Jedi, leave me to explain to an irate Jedi master already convinced I had something to do with his lost apprentice. I don't think so."
The emperor stood with his hands of his hips. He actually challenged the sith lord to defy his words.
"Do you really think I intend to listen to you Emperor Tolan? I told you what my immediate plan of action is. Now it is up to you to decide what you want to do."
"Do.... what can I do? The Federation will be here like a swarm of bees on honey without your help. Not only will your departure keep me from my plans to invade Ceris, I myself may end up incarcerated if I can't produce the Jedi boy. Yes, that is it. If you are too afraid the Jedi will learn of you and you do intend to leave, you cannot take the boy. No way. He may be my only way out of this; my bargaining chip with Jinn to keep Valorum and the Republic Federation from taking actions against me for the disappearance of Master Jinn's apprentice. No Sidious! If you abandon me, you do so without Kenobi."
"You know Emperor Tolan you are much smaller in the scope of things than you realize. I don't need you, you need me. I don't really care if you invade Ceris or not. I have more important things to dwell on now. One is that there was a Jedi down here t his evening that bordered on the dark side. I have to know which one."
"Well I can tell you it isn't Vos. The others I can't vouch for. From what Quinlan said about his former master, I don't' think it is the head master Qui-Gon Jinn, either. Now have you considered my ultimatum?" If you leave you leave without the boy."
" Yes, Yes I am thinking."
Sidious wasn't even considering the emperor. He wouldn't be around long enough to consider. The sith wanted desperately to figure out which Jedi had the dark side potential.
####Back with the Jedi####
Qui-Gon, tell me again why are we going back to Emperor Tolan's home. He may have us thrown in irons and escorted off the planet tonight. Or worse yet, he may have his men kill us all. Want that?"
"Of course I don't. Now I suppose you are going to accuse me of trying to have my former apprentices killed, all of them? That is not what I am doing. I am making every attempt to save the littlest one, the one I haven't screwed up yet. Is that better? Yes, I have made mistakes, lots of them. I can't and won't go into it now. However, as a former padawan and hope, still somewhat of a friend, I ask you to do this, both of you, Xanatos as well. If you don't want to risk your life and you feel you are, then don't come with me. I however have to find out what is going on."
Vos remained silent for only minutes. There was no doubt in his mind what he would do, no matter how absurd Jinn's idea to return was.
"You know I will go. I just hope you have a plan for when we get there."
Jinn looked over at Xanatos for an answer to his question from him.
"Count me in too Master. We haven't seen eye to eye in a long time but in this, I will help. Contrary to what Vos believes, I know you would have done no less had he or I been in the same position Padawan Kenobi is ."
"If you both will keep quiet awhile and let me think as we walk, I hope to have a plan when we arrive. I myself don't' want to be on the other end of one of the emperor's guards' blaster."
##############With Sidious and Tolan#####
"Look the only thing I know about the other two Jedi is that the one named Xanatos, Knight Crion was also a former apprentice to Master Jinn. He came right after Vos finished his apprenticeship. Until all this happened, Vos and I were quite friendly. He told me a little and what little I know is that this Knight Crion has problems with his temper and authority. He and Jinn had some falling out over something but as you see, they work together now. Now you know as much as I."
"You said there was another boy, one older or younger, which is it?"
"How would I know? He is bigger than the Kenobi kid, yet I get the impression he is about the same age. Vos said he was some hotshot apprentice. That is all I know about all of them. Absolutely!!"
"Very well if you are sure."
Sidious smiled evilly at the Emperor who in turn waited to see what Sidious planned to do; leave without the Jedi as Tolan demanded or stay and help him.
How naïve the emperor was.
"Well, do you have an answer for me?"
"Yes, but I just want to make sure I do *this* right."
Tolan thought he had made an impression on the dark lord and that he might decide to stay if it meant the only way he could keep the Jedi apprentice, Kenobi.
"Oh while you are thinking, I have thought of something else."
"Good, tell me maybe it will be useful enough to sway my decision on whether to go or stay. What exactly have you remembered?"
I said the other apprentice was a hotshot... well that is what Knight Vos first called him. But later when we discussed the Kenobi boy's master abandoning him, Quinlan said it was to help the other Knight, Crion train the "Chosen One."
"ONE" was just gotten out of the emperor's mouth when Sidious whirled around; saber in hand, one powerful swing, and Tolan no longer existed.
The excited and very pleased Dark Lord had more than enough information to know what he planned to do. He walked up the spiral staircase to get Padawan Kenobi and allowed his men to "finish off" the emperor's guards that stood around, still stunned by the violent and swiftness of their leader's death… Their demise was about to come just as quickly and violent. Darth Sidious was very familiar with who the "Chosen One" was in name and now, possibly in identity, Padawan Anakin Skywalker.
################################
Vos and Crion went to the back entrance and waited for another command from Qui-Gon. Master Jinn took Anakin with him to the front door. First, though they tried to see into some of the main front windows, but the blinds were tightly pulled together. Jinn had already gotten a bad feeling about their return. Not because of what Quinlan said about the emperor taking his wrath out on them for a third interruption. His concern focused on the stillness of the Emperor's private home, the lack of front guards that were posted there at the previous two visits, and the darkness of the palace itself, inside and out. He even voiced his concern to Anakin, although he didn't expect the boy to know any more than he, a Jedi master did.
"Maybe because of the late hour the emperor pulled his men off duty, you know so they can sleep."
"Yes Anakin, good speculation, except wouldn't you assume he would replace those guards with others that *were* rested. Emperor Tolan was on high alert, with the city crawling with his men earlier at dusk, and now? Now there isn't even one sentry guard at the front or back door. No something is going on. We just have to figure out how to get in and see what it is."
"Why not through the front door? Just barrel in there and demand to know what's up."
Jinn shot the inexperienced apprentice a look of astonishment after Ani voiced his easy but wrong idea.
"I can see Xanatos has not taught you about diplomacy or how to keep alive on a mission. Come to think of it, aside from the defensive aspect of your training, I don't think Xani has worked with you on anything else. I failed to see that how lopsided your training really was; how it only focused on the battle techniques, and I was even there, closely monitoring your training."
Jinn shook his head, not over Anakin's wrong idea but over his own stupidity for abandoning his apprentice to train Anakin.
//And I was so wrapped up by what I thought was such an honored prospect of training the *Chosen One*, I failed to see he wasn't being trained as he should be in the first place. I left Obi-Wan for nothing. I failed as much as Xanatos did, maybe more because I should have known better. //
Anakin wasn't sure if he should be more offended by Jinn's words about his master's lack of training or his inability to do anything remotely Jedi unless he was armed with a light saber in hand.
"My master has done the best he could. Had you not decided you need to have your own apprentice back, I might have benefited greatly from your training on diplomacy. Now however, I suppose I will have to be content with what Master Crion teaches me."
"Yes, I suppose that is true. Once I have Obi back, he and I will be gone from the temple and on more missions. Your time however will be spent at the temple, in classes."
"What makes you think that? I am Obi-Wan's age. Maybe the council will elect to send my master and me on our own mission. //Especially if I show you and the council my abilities in battle, while on this mission.//
Oh how Anakin wanted to blurt his very boastful thoughts of himself out to Master Jinn. The knowledge that Master Jinn would be angry if he heard them kept Anakin silent.
Nevertheless, *Ani* hoped Jinn would say something in the line of an agreement about Anakin and his master going on missions. He hated the thought of being tied down at the temple while wimpy little Kenobi would be out conquering the galaxy.
"Master Jinn, how are you so sure that my master and I won't be permitted our own missing once we have completed this one. I mean… well …ugh… if I do well here and…"
"You can't do *well* here, as you put it. Diplomacy is included as part of your training during your apprenticeship. I plan to see to it the council understands that you have quite a bit to learn about diplomacy. I will recommend you work on that and not the defensive aspects of your Jedi apprenticeship. No Anakin, you and your master have a long way to go before you are as prepared as my apprentice in all aspects of being a *true* Jedi."
That said, Anakin could only huff up and remain silent. He had too or reveal his true thoughts which would only acerbate he and Master Jinn's relationship that already tittered on the brink of non-existence.
Anakin regretted saying what he did about the Kenobi to the master earlier. Not that he didn't mean it, but he realized it showed Master Jinn his bad side. Come to think of it he wasn't sure he had a *good side* to show.
//At least Master Jinn probably sees me that way. Master Crion understands me far better than any other Jedi master at the temple does. However, If only I had a master who didn't think of the darkness in me as a hindrance. If only I had a master that reveled at the idea, I was powerful and that power came from the touch of rebelliousness in me. That added bit of evil I feel inside makes me excellent with my saber. //
#################
Jinn felt it before he entered the palace. He wasn't sure if it was a trap or if the home really was abandoned as it appeared to be. He soon found out when the Jedi finally rushed through the back and front door. Master Jinn had tried to do it the conventional way. He rang the doorbell and waited, waited, and waited, no answer. After what he deemed an appropriate time to wait for someone to answer the door at three in the morning, he gave the order to Xanatos and Vos at the back door to enter. It took just a little of their force powers to enter. It didn't' require knocking the door down, as one would think .
Once inside, they found an eerily darkened palace, every light turned off.
"I suppose it is a good thing no one is here. We could be shot on sight for breaking and entering the home of the ruler. Wouldn't look good on our mission report, that someone *else* would have had to write *for us*."
"Calm down Xani. No damage done. No one is here and on one will know we have been here."
"It was too easy!!!"
Jinn interrupted his two former apprentices as they bantered back and forth of the right and wrong of their entrance to Emperor Tolan's home without permission.
"We had to get in, no one's here, so we had very little options other than just entering without permission. I must find Obi-Wan. Let's go to the main common room."
"Master, wile you and Quinlan check down here, maybe it would be wise for Ani and I to go upstairs and have a look. If someone has been up there and had Kenobi there, could be something left behind to give us some clues."
No Xani, wait!!!! There was a definite touch of anxiousness even fear in the his former master's voice when Jinn responded to Xani's suggestion they split up..
"I think it would be wiser for our safety to remain together. See if what we think, that the palace is empty, is truly that way. Then we can check upstairs *together*. Let's *all* go to the main common room. Maybe we can find some clues there. After that, we will check upstairs. I don't think it is a good idea to separate just yet. I am more anxious than anyone to find Obi-Wan, but I don't want to make any mistakes, especially one that might end up being a fatal one."
###Obi and the dark lord####
"Master, we are ready to take off. You have only to give your word and I will set course and lift off."
The red guard thought if his master, Lord Sidious had them prepare the ship for take off, take off was imminent. He assumed once he notified his master that everything was a go, they would do just that, *GO*. However, Sidious had other plans.
"Oh Diablo you have started to think for yourself. Maybe that is why I chose you to be the commander of my elite personal red guard. Nevertheless, I don't want you to think for yourself when I am here to direct you other wise. I wanted the ship prepared for take off. But I am not sure we will take off. It was precaution, only a precaution. Just in case we ran into problems."
The commander of the red guard bowed far enough down to touch his master's shiny black boots. An error like the one he just made often times left the person who made that error beheaded just as the emperor had been.
"Sorry my lord. Yes, you are wise, far wiser than I. Of course we can't leave yet."
Diablo knew his master enjoyed bathing in compliments. It was the only thing that might keep him from being reprimanded by his dark master. Sidious tapped the commander on this shoulder.
"As much as I enjoy watching you grovel for your life and you do it so well, we have better things to do. No, you are not a dead man today. I have much need of you on this trip. I need an envoy, a small one of two or three red guard to go back to the palace and snoop around. Find out if the Jedi have returned and see if they can learn what Master Jinn and his Jedi companions plan to do. If he is there then he has found the headless emperor and hopefully the *other things* I left for him."
Sidious chanced a quick look over his shoulder.
There in the corner lay and battered beaten and unconscious Kenobi, a Jedi padawan minus his Jedi braid……………….
#### At the palace.####
The four Jedi met in the main hall when they first entered the palace; Vos and Crion from the back door and Jinn and Skywalker from the front.
Jinn led the way through the hall to the main common room. Nothing that they could see was amiss in the palace. There were no lights on as they made their way to the main room.
Even before he reached the ornate craved double doors, Jinn knew there something wrong. He didn't' feel it through the force. From experience, he smelled it. Yes, smelled it and he didn't need the force for that either. Many times after a battle and there had been many for the seasoned Jedi, the smell of death had permeated his nostrils. It was the sickening pungent odor that signaled freshly drawn blood and a lot of it.
No one else seemed to notice it. Jinn took into consideration his former apprentices were several years younger and numerous battles behind him. He did not mention what he suspected they would find behind the double doors but he hastened his pace to reach the room where the smell floated through the air from.
He hadn't felt the death of his apprentice, but with their bond being practically non-existent and the force inhibitor on him, Jinn knew Obi-Wan could have passed through the force and not been noticed by him.
The Jedi master was actually relieved when he finally opened the door and found the bloody headless body of Emperor Tolan along with his few personal body guards. What he found next actually shocked him more than the heinousness of the way the dead had been slaughtered.
As Qui-Gon made a visual sweep of the room, he focused on a large side shellacked mahogany table where the emperor's cup still sat. There beside Tolan's last cup of tea, was a note. A knife through the note held it there along with his padawan's symbol of apprenticeship, Obi-Wan Kenobi's rust and golden haired braid, blood soaked at its roots.
The braid had been violently jerked out of Obi-Wan's head.
Jinn physically cringed with the thought of how Obi's braid was removed to be left behind on the table. Knight Vos came up beside his former master and tenderly took the letter from his hand. His attempt to take the braid was thwarted by the teary-eyed Jedi master. The *unread note* had been willingly given to Knight Vos.
However, Qui-Gon would not relinquish Obi-Wan's braid. He gripped tighter the precious symbol of an apprentice's hope for a future as a Jedi knight. The braid held together and adorned with green and blue beads, still dripped blood, Obi's blood……….
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PEACE ewen
"Well I see we have two more Jedi. There must be a problem? Is the one missing so slippery and cunning that it takes all four of you to find him. If you have returned with questions on the whereabouts of the missing Jedi, I assume then it must be Vos' apprentice, I mean his ward and your apprentice Master Jinn. You know since both of you are here again."
You didn't have to assume the identity of the missing Jedi. You knew that didn't you Tolan? That is why we returned in the first place. You called Obi-Wan by name when we hadn't even mentioned which Jedi had gone missing. We have returned to find out just how you knew that information."
"As for calling the missing apprentice by his name, I suppose I may have, though I can't remember. I saw so much concern in your face and yours as well Knight Vos. I just assumed with both you so concerned it had to be the Kenobi boy. And see I was right."
"Yes, how convenient. I will ask you again Emperor Tolan, have you or your men seen or heard from my apprentice this evening."
Emperor Tolan put on his sternest face. It would have to do to cover the cowardly way he felt.
"Master Jinn, if you have come here to question me all over again, let me assure you my answers will not change. I have not seen your apprentice nor have any of men reported seeing him or hearing from him. If he is in someway upset with you or Vos, I hardly think he would choose my shoulder to come and cry on. Now, I really would like to catch a couple of hours sleep if I may."
Talon extended his arm toward the doorway; an unspoken request for the Jedi to leave. His men rallied around the four Jedi and it then became an unspoken demand.
"Master Jinn, since you seem so upset about your little apprentice, I will extend your stay here by two days. Two days Master and not a minute longer. If you haven't found the little "twit" by then, it's unlikely you will. Did you ever consider the possibility that maybe he doesn't want to be found?"
None of the Jedi in the group turned around. However Vos wanted too and actually started to respond to Tolan's remarks in a verbal and possibly physical way to the emperor's nickname for Obi-Wan, *twit*. The quick right arm of his former master darted out and prevented him from doing what he *wanted* to do. They left without another word to or glimpse of Emperor Tolan.
Qui-Gon left but he was even more convinced now that Emperor knew something about Obi-Wan's disappearance. It had been over five hours and nothing. Jinn had not been able to feel the boy's force signature but was convinced nothing mortally had happened to him.
//Maybe Tolan or his mysterious unnamed guest used some kind of force inhibitor on Obi-Wan. No one in his or her right mind would take a Jedi without the use of one. Not even a sith. //
Qui-Gon, at that time had no way of knowing how close to the truth he was. He had put some things together. The guest was of the dark side, how dark, Jinn was not ready to say. He certainly wasn't convinced yet that it was a sith. He suspected that the dark sided guest was the one who planned to help Tolan overthrow the government of Ceris and that was the same darkened aura person who in some way had Obi-Wan captive.
As the Jedi made their way back to Vos' cabin lived, Jinn spoke his thoughts.
"It has to be!"
Vos had been in his own thoughts but he was quickly drawn from them when Qui-Gon spoke.
"Has to be what Qui-Gon? Come up with something other than a dark sider lurking ever closer to us?"
Vos hoped a little humor would break the coldness around them. He soon found out Qui-Gon was far from being in a humorous mood.
Qui-Gon stopped, turned, and tilted his head to the side slightly.
Vos knew that stance. It was one of those "don't mess with me " moments.
"Listen, there *is* something going on, I know it, I can feel it and if none of you are convinced of that, you shouldn't even consider yourselves Jedi. Jedi learn how to use the force, to feel things not seen, to know without absolute knowledge what goes on around them. That is part of assessing a situation; any situation and none of you can denote any ripple in the force? Astounding, just astounding. That I trained the both of you is even more astounding!!!!!"
" Knock it off Jinn. Now is not the time to tell us, your former apprentices how inept in the force and being knights you think we are. If we are inept, I am sure you are going to find a way to place all the blame on Xanatos and me. The great Jinn can't accept blame for anything you might have done to thwart our training now can you?"
Vos was angered at first by the master's words. Xani said nothing. He had to be around Jinn more than Vos after this mission was over and he wasn't going to "rock the boat". Their relationship was rocky enough as it was and with Anakin to put more strain between them, it was likely to get worse.
//No matter what I think about Jinn's statement of our inability to feel through the force, as we should, I don't plan to say anything. Let Vos and Jinn argue it out. I have enough to do with this "Chosen One" that I can't trust from one minute to the next. //
Vos seemed to realize his words were too harsh, at least right now, for this master to hear. Not that they weren't true, just too harsh. //Sometimes the truth is always hard to hear, especially when it deals with one's own mistakes. //
"I am sorry Qui-Gon. I know there must be something Tolan is hiding. I mean any one could see that. Then he offered us another couple of days here on his planet. Now that I thought was odd. But if he had Obi-Wan for some reason why not tell us? He first wanted hostages. Another thing why was he so willing now to allow me to leave with you. Hostages would have been to his benefit, now he doesn't want them, why?"
"Yea, it would be to our benefit too Vos. Then you would be here and the rest of us gone."
Xanatos joked with Vos. He also knew something wasn't just quite right and although he didn't necessarily want anything to happen to Obi, he wasn't thrilled about a battle out here with some other force-powered entity.
"That's enough both of you. This is serious."
By now Quinlan's mind was clouded with hurt and confusion because of Jinn's quick ability to revert to being the master and he and Xani the *lowly* apprentice.
"First we are inept in the ways we use our force and now were are too carefree and not all acting like a Jedi. Is there anything you have found that Xanatos and I have done right throughout our life up to now? If you would just tell us how you want us to react to everything it might work out better."
Qui-Gon was frozen by Vos' words. Never had the young knight spoken up so defensively for himself or Xanatos. Qui-Gon only stood and stared at his first apprentice. Vos had left him virtually speechless to countermand Knight Vos' smarting reflection of how Jinn treated those trained by him….
Anakin didn't take notice of any of the arguments that went on. He was daydreaming, mesmerized with thoughts of doing a real battle with some one of the dark side or, //even the sith themselves.// reveled in the idea of doing battle with another who possessed the force and especially the dark force even if it was the sith. He reasoned that would be the only way he would know for sure how he really fought was if he could fight as aggressively as he was able, even to the death of his opponent.
################################ As if forgotten, maybe not worthy of a response, or just no retort for his former apprentice, Jinn said nothing in defense of himself.
Xanatos wondered if it was because Vos had struck home with his remark and Jinn was unwilling to admit it. Vos was too dumbstruck over his own intestinal fortitude. He never dreamt he would tell Jinn what he felt went wrong in their relationship.
//I suppose he certainly didn't need to hear it now with one of his apprentices; one that he was about to make the same mistake with, is missing. It needed said but I am not sure I was right on the timing. However it certainly needs said before he gets Ob-Wan, if he does.//
Vos started to say *something*. He wasn't sure if he planned to apologize. //Shouldn't have to apologize for a statement of truth,// he argued with himself. Nevertheless, he wanted to say something, anything. He made a silent commitment to himself that he would not take the words back.
Jinn slung his hand up to stop Vos from speaking. Quinlan, always and ever a dutiful padawan, no matter how he was as a knight, stopped with the unspoken command for silence by his former master. Years of training under Qui-Gon had taught him, if nothing else to heed his master's every command right or wrong.
"Don't……. this doesn't need to be discussed now. I have to find my padawan. But when this is over Vos, when this is all over and Obi-Wan is back with me safely, you and I *will* discuss this further. A hell of a lot further, *Padawan*."
###At the emperor's palace.###
"What do you mean; you plan to leave the planet? Leave me with the Jedi, leave me to explain to an irate Jedi master already convinced I had something to do with his lost apprentice. I don't think so."
The emperor stood with his hands of his hips. He actually challenged the sith lord to defy his words.
"Do you really think I intend to listen to you Emperor Tolan? I told you what my immediate plan of action is. Now it is up to you to decide what you want to do."
"Do.... what can I do? The Federation will be here like a swarm of bees on honey without your help. Not only will your departure keep me from my plans to invade Ceris, I myself may end up incarcerated if I can't produce the Jedi boy. Yes, that is it. If you are too afraid the Jedi will learn of you and you do intend to leave, you cannot take the boy. No way. He may be my only way out of this; my bargaining chip with Jinn to keep Valorum and the Republic Federation from taking actions against me for the disappearance of Master Jinn's apprentice. No Sidious! If you abandon me, you do so without Kenobi."
"You know Emperor Tolan you are much smaller in the scope of things than you realize. I don't need you, you need me. I don't really care if you invade Ceris or not. I have more important things to dwell on now. One is that there was a Jedi down here t his evening that bordered on the dark side. I have to know which one."
"Well I can tell you it isn't Vos. The others I can't vouch for. From what Quinlan said about his former master, I don't' think it is the head master Qui-Gon Jinn, either. Now have you considered my ultimatum?" If you leave you leave without the boy."
" Yes, Yes I am thinking."
Sidious wasn't even considering the emperor. He wouldn't be around long enough to consider. The sith wanted desperately to figure out which Jedi had the dark side potential.
####Back with the Jedi####
Qui-Gon, tell me again why are we going back to Emperor Tolan's home. He may have us thrown in irons and escorted off the planet tonight. Or worse yet, he may have his men kill us all. Want that?"
"Of course I don't. Now I suppose you are going to accuse me of trying to have my former apprentices killed, all of them? That is not what I am doing. I am making every attempt to save the littlest one, the one I haven't screwed up yet. Is that better? Yes, I have made mistakes, lots of them. I can't and won't go into it now. However, as a former padawan and hope, still somewhat of a friend, I ask you to do this, both of you, Xanatos as well. If you don't want to risk your life and you feel you are, then don't come with me. I however have to find out what is going on."
Vos remained silent for only minutes. There was no doubt in his mind what he would do, no matter how absurd Jinn's idea to return was.
"You know I will go. I just hope you have a plan for when we get there."
Jinn looked over at Xanatos for an answer to his question from him.
"Count me in too Master. We haven't seen eye to eye in a long time but in this, I will help. Contrary to what Vos believes, I know you would have done no less had he or I been in the same position Padawan Kenobi is ."
"If you both will keep quiet awhile and let me think as we walk, I hope to have a plan when we arrive. I myself don't' want to be on the other end of one of the emperor's guards' blaster."
##############With Sidious and Tolan#####
"Look the only thing I know about the other two Jedi is that the one named Xanatos, Knight Crion was also a former apprentice to Master Jinn. He came right after Vos finished his apprenticeship. Until all this happened, Vos and I were quite friendly. He told me a little and what little I know is that this Knight Crion has problems with his temper and authority. He and Jinn had some falling out over something but as you see, they work together now. Now you know as much as I."
"You said there was another boy, one older or younger, which is it?"
"How would I know? He is bigger than the Kenobi kid, yet I get the impression he is about the same age. Vos said he was some hotshot apprentice. That is all I know about all of them. Absolutely!!"
"Very well if you are sure."
Sidious smiled evilly at the Emperor who in turn waited to see what Sidious planned to do; leave without the Jedi as Tolan demanded or stay and help him.
How naïve the emperor was.
"Well, do you have an answer for me?"
"Yes, but I just want to make sure I do *this* right."
Tolan thought he had made an impression on the dark lord and that he might decide to stay if it meant the only way he could keep the Jedi apprentice, Kenobi.
"Oh while you are thinking, I have thought of something else."
"Good, tell me maybe it will be useful enough to sway my decision on whether to go or stay. What exactly have you remembered?"
I said the other apprentice was a hotshot... well that is what Knight Vos first called him. But later when we discussed the Kenobi boy's master abandoning him, Quinlan said it was to help the other Knight, Crion train the "Chosen One."
"ONE" was just gotten out of the emperor's mouth when Sidious whirled around; saber in hand, one powerful swing, and Tolan no longer existed.
The excited and very pleased Dark Lord had more than enough information to know what he planned to do. He walked up the spiral staircase to get Padawan Kenobi and allowed his men to "finish off" the emperor's guards that stood around, still stunned by the violent and swiftness of their leader's death… Their demise was about to come just as quickly and violent. Darth Sidious was very familiar with who the "Chosen One" was in name and now, possibly in identity, Padawan Anakin Skywalker.
################################
Vos and Crion went to the back entrance and waited for another command from Qui-Gon. Master Jinn took Anakin with him to the front door. First, though they tried to see into some of the main front windows, but the blinds were tightly pulled together. Jinn had already gotten a bad feeling about their return. Not because of what Quinlan said about the emperor taking his wrath out on them for a third interruption. His concern focused on the stillness of the Emperor's private home, the lack of front guards that were posted there at the previous two visits, and the darkness of the palace itself, inside and out. He even voiced his concern to Anakin, although he didn't expect the boy to know any more than he, a Jedi master did.
"Maybe because of the late hour the emperor pulled his men off duty, you know so they can sleep."
"Yes Anakin, good speculation, except wouldn't you assume he would replace those guards with others that *were* rested. Emperor Tolan was on high alert, with the city crawling with his men earlier at dusk, and now? Now there isn't even one sentry guard at the front or back door. No something is going on. We just have to figure out how to get in and see what it is."
"Why not through the front door? Just barrel in there and demand to know what's up."
Jinn shot the inexperienced apprentice a look of astonishment after Ani voiced his easy but wrong idea.
"I can see Xanatos has not taught you about diplomacy or how to keep alive on a mission. Come to think of it, aside from the defensive aspect of your training, I don't think Xani has worked with you on anything else. I failed to see that how lopsided your training really was; how it only focused on the battle techniques, and I was even there, closely monitoring your training."
Jinn shook his head, not over Anakin's wrong idea but over his own stupidity for abandoning his apprentice to train Anakin.
//And I was so wrapped up by what I thought was such an honored prospect of training the *Chosen One*, I failed to see he wasn't being trained as he should be in the first place. I left Obi-Wan for nothing. I failed as much as Xanatos did, maybe more because I should have known better. //
Anakin wasn't sure if he should be more offended by Jinn's words about his master's lack of training or his inability to do anything remotely Jedi unless he was armed with a light saber in hand.
"My master has done the best he could. Had you not decided you need to have your own apprentice back, I might have benefited greatly from your training on diplomacy. Now however, I suppose I will have to be content with what Master Crion teaches me."
"Yes, I suppose that is true. Once I have Obi back, he and I will be gone from the temple and on more missions. Your time however will be spent at the temple, in classes."
"What makes you think that? I am Obi-Wan's age. Maybe the council will elect to send my master and me on our own mission. //Especially if I show you and the council my abilities in battle, while on this mission.//
Oh how Anakin wanted to blurt his very boastful thoughts of himself out to Master Jinn. The knowledge that Master Jinn would be angry if he heard them kept Anakin silent.
Nevertheless, *Ani* hoped Jinn would say something in the line of an agreement about Anakin and his master going on missions. He hated the thought of being tied down at the temple while wimpy little Kenobi would be out conquering the galaxy.
"Master Jinn, how are you so sure that my master and I won't be permitted our own missing once we have completed this one. I mean… well …ugh… if I do well here and…"
"You can't do *well* here, as you put it. Diplomacy is included as part of your training during your apprenticeship. I plan to see to it the council understands that you have quite a bit to learn about diplomacy. I will recommend you work on that and not the defensive aspects of your Jedi apprenticeship. No Anakin, you and your master have a long way to go before you are as prepared as my apprentice in all aspects of being a *true* Jedi."
That said, Anakin could only huff up and remain silent. He had too or reveal his true thoughts which would only acerbate he and Master Jinn's relationship that already tittered on the brink of non-existence.
Anakin regretted saying what he did about the Kenobi to the master earlier. Not that he didn't mean it, but he realized it showed Master Jinn his bad side. Come to think of it he wasn't sure he had a *good side* to show.
//At least Master Jinn probably sees me that way. Master Crion understands me far better than any other Jedi master at the temple does. However, If only I had a master who didn't think of the darkness in me as a hindrance. If only I had a master that reveled at the idea, I was powerful and that power came from the touch of rebelliousness in me. That added bit of evil I feel inside makes me excellent with my saber. //
#################
Jinn felt it before he entered the palace. He wasn't sure if it was a trap or if the home really was abandoned as it appeared to be. He soon found out when the Jedi finally rushed through the back and front door. Master Jinn had tried to do it the conventional way. He rang the doorbell and waited, waited, and waited, no answer. After what he deemed an appropriate time to wait for someone to answer the door at three in the morning, he gave the order to Xanatos and Vos at the back door to enter. It took just a little of their force powers to enter. It didn't' require knocking the door down, as one would think .
Once inside, they found an eerily darkened palace, every light turned off.
"I suppose it is a good thing no one is here. We could be shot on sight for breaking and entering the home of the ruler. Wouldn't look good on our mission report, that someone *else* would have had to write *for us*."
"Calm down Xani. No damage done. No one is here and on one will know we have been here."
"It was too easy!!!"
Jinn interrupted his two former apprentices as they bantered back and forth of the right and wrong of their entrance to Emperor Tolan's home without permission.
"We had to get in, no one's here, so we had very little options other than just entering without permission. I must find Obi-Wan. Let's go to the main common room."
"Master, wile you and Quinlan check down here, maybe it would be wise for Ani and I to go upstairs and have a look. If someone has been up there and had Kenobi there, could be something left behind to give us some clues."
No Xani, wait!!!! There was a definite touch of anxiousness even fear in the his former master's voice when Jinn responded to Xani's suggestion they split up..
"I think it would be wiser for our safety to remain together. See if what we think, that the palace is empty, is truly that way. Then we can check upstairs *together*. Let's *all* go to the main common room. Maybe we can find some clues there. After that, we will check upstairs. I don't think it is a good idea to separate just yet. I am more anxious than anyone to find Obi-Wan, but I don't want to make any mistakes, especially one that might end up being a fatal one."
###Obi and the dark lord####
"Master, we are ready to take off. You have only to give your word and I will set course and lift off."
The red guard thought if his master, Lord Sidious had them prepare the ship for take off, take off was imminent. He assumed once he notified his master that everything was a go, they would do just that, *GO*. However, Sidious had other plans.
"Oh Diablo you have started to think for yourself. Maybe that is why I chose you to be the commander of my elite personal red guard. Nevertheless, I don't want you to think for yourself when I am here to direct you other wise. I wanted the ship prepared for take off. But I am not sure we will take off. It was precaution, only a precaution. Just in case we ran into problems."
The commander of the red guard bowed far enough down to touch his master's shiny black boots. An error like the one he just made often times left the person who made that error beheaded just as the emperor had been.
"Sorry my lord. Yes, you are wise, far wiser than I. Of course we can't leave yet."
Diablo knew his master enjoyed bathing in compliments. It was the only thing that might keep him from being reprimanded by his dark master. Sidious tapped the commander on this shoulder.
"As much as I enjoy watching you grovel for your life and you do it so well, we have better things to do. No, you are not a dead man today. I have much need of you on this trip. I need an envoy, a small one of two or three red guard to go back to the palace and snoop around. Find out if the Jedi have returned and see if they can learn what Master Jinn and his Jedi companions plan to do. If he is there then he has found the headless emperor and hopefully the *other things* I left for him."
Sidious chanced a quick look over his shoulder.
There in the corner lay and battered beaten and unconscious Kenobi, a Jedi padawan minus his Jedi braid……………….
#### At the palace.####
The four Jedi met in the main hall when they first entered the palace; Vos and Crion from the back door and Jinn and Skywalker from the front.
Jinn led the way through the hall to the main common room. Nothing that they could see was amiss in the palace. There were no lights on as they made their way to the main room.
Even before he reached the ornate craved double doors, Jinn knew there something wrong. He didn't' feel it through the force. From experience, he smelled it. Yes, smelled it and he didn't need the force for that either. Many times after a battle and there had been many for the seasoned Jedi, the smell of death had permeated his nostrils. It was the sickening pungent odor that signaled freshly drawn blood and a lot of it.
No one else seemed to notice it. Jinn took into consideration his former apprentices were several years younger and numerous battles behind him. He did not mention what he suspected they would find behind the double doors but he hastened his pace to reach the room where the smell floated through the air from.
He hadn't felt the death of his apprentice, but with their bond being practically non-existent and the force inhibitor on him, Jinn knew Obi-Wan could have passed through the force and not been noticed by him.
The Jedi master was actually relieved when he finally opened the door and found the bloody headless body of Emperor Tolan along with his few personal body guards. What he found next actually shocked him more than the heinousness of the way the dead had been slaughtered.
As Qui-Gon made a visual sweep of the room, he focused on a large side shellacked mahogany table where the emperor's cup still sat. There beside Tolan's last cup of tea, was a note. A knife through the note held it there along with his padawan's symbol of apprenticeship, Obi-Wan Kenobi's rust and golden haired braid, blood soaked at its roots.
The braid had been violently jerked out of Obi-Wan's head.
Jinn physically cringed with the thought of how Obi's braid was removed to be left behind on the table. Knight Vos came up beside his former master and tenderly took the letter from his hand. His attempt to take the braid was thwarted by the teary-eyed Jedi master. The *unread note* had been willingly given to Knight Vos.
However, Qui-Gon would not relinquish Obi-Wan's braid. He gripped tighter the precious symbol of an apprentice's hope for a future as a Jedi knight. The braid held together and adorned with green and blue beads, still dripped blood, Obi's blood……….
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