AN: Wow. For anyone still waiting for this, I admire your determination. It has most definitely NOT left me, but I cannot promise regular updates given the state of my life right now. Anything written from this point on is un-beta-ed, because I simply feel guilty for making any beta wait for irregular updates. I do have one more chapter that should up soon, after that, it depends on inspiration and reviews. Again, for those who have been following and are willing to stick with it, I thank you. It means more than you know.

Recap: Anakin is recovering from almost fatal wounds received from defending the diplomatic envoy touring the provinces. Obi-Wan's efforts to deliver him to the skilled healers of the Quenya have endangered what the Quenya value most: the secrecy that is key to their survival. As a result, the Elders have judged that Obi-Wan be banished from Eldalye...

Thirteen

Somehow Anakin doubted that other Jedi's trials had been quite so...trying. It seemed that everything was destined to go wrong: from the inauspicious beginning on Coruscant to his second, and nearly fatal, injury. The assignment certainly looked much simpler when reading through the mission brief.

'Investigate Siesna's petition for admittance to the Republic. Should your recommendation be favorable, the Council will advise the Senate to grant Protectorate status.'

A recommendation with a fully detailed report. That was all he had to do. Yet there were so many other factors to consider it made Anakin's head spin.

"Beautiful view." The soft spoken comment jolted Anakin out of his reverie.

'How does he do that?' Anakin thought with a touch of exasperation. But when he turned to address Obi-Wan, any sarcastic comment about sneaking up on recovering padawans lay forgotten on his tongue.

They stood in a secluded area of the forest floor, the woodland city spread out before them, the great waterfall barely visible through the trees from this vantage point. Anakin had seen fascinating cultures in his apprenticeship, universally renowned architecture, breathtaking vistas on worlds both desolate and bountiful. He could scarcely recall ever seeing a more beautiful example of technological ecology; an amalgamation of the tree-grown cities in the forest canopy of Kashyyysk, the ancient majestic structures on Naboo, and the bustling technology of Coruscant. A captivating scene that ensnared Anakin's wandering eyes as he pondered his current dilemma.

And all of it ceased to exist; his world narrowed down to the mystified expression on Obi-Wan's face. He reminded Anakin of a lost child and a sudden surge of protectiveness prompted him to ask, "Are you alright?"

A feeble smile from Obi-Wan and Anakin's question was turned back to him. "Are you?"

Questions answered with questions were designed to teach patience, not irritate young padawans. Or so said Master Qui-Gon. "No, but you knew that already."

The smile had more of a hold now as Obi-Wan replied, "I don't know everything."

"I hope not. Where's the fun in that?" And the brilliant smile reached Obi-Wan's eyes while Anakin's stomach did a curious flip. "You should smile more often."

"Somehow, I don't think that will be a problem with you around."

Anakin marveled at how comfortable he was in Obi-Wan's presence. There was an honesty and openness about him, so different from the reserve and restraint of other Jedi, the suffocating atmosphere of the Temple. Anakin knew he should feel guilty for thinking that way, but he couldn't help but compare. Here in Eldalye, there was more than just the Living Force, there was...living: emotions, running freely, accepted and embraced by the whole community. What the Jedi could learn from them...the Quenya alone were enough to recommend Siesna.

Spying a convenient fallen tree, Anakin sat and gingerly stretched his limbs. "What do the Quenya have to hide? Why the secrecy?" Anakin immediately regretted asking when Obi-Wan flinched as if struck.

"Fear. Of repeating ancient history." Anakin sensed this topic struck a little too close to home and loath to lose the camaraderie he'd gained, swiftly changed the subject. "Why does Siesna want to become a member world?"

"Aside from the advancements in medical technology?" Obi-Wan asked, accompanied by a pointed look at Anakin's barely visible bandages.

'Well that's definitely one point in favor.' Anakin consciously relaxed his sore muscles, reminding himself to conserve his energy for healing. "True. But the machinations of government are more about who has what, who wants it, and how they can get it than any concept of freedom or democracy. Altruism is often a foreign concept in the Senate."

Teasing green eyes regarded him carefully. "A cynic already?"

Anakin shrugged. "I've inherited my master's disdain for galactic politics."

"Yet you will dedicate your life to mediating their disputes," Obi-Wan pointed out.

Something about that statement bothered Anakin, but he couldn't figure out what. So he settled for a neutral answer. "I am a Jedi."

"What does that mean?" Anakin's face must have shown some of his hostility because Obi-Wan hastened to add, "I don't mean to insult you. I'm just asking what being a Jedi means to you."

And wonder of wonders, Anakin couldn't find an answer. He'd always identified 'Jedi' as individuals. Master Gallia, Master Windu, Yoda, Tru, Qui-Gon. Each had their own quirks, mannerisms, likes, dislikes; they were people first and foremost to Anakin.

Since that first meeting with Master Qui-Gon, Anakin held up his master as an example of what it meant to be a Jedi. His sense of nobility and justice were as much a part of his personality as his tendency to pick up lost causes. But what made him Jedi? It was more than wielding a lightsaber, even more than training and mastery in using the Force, for it was clear the Jedi were not the only beings to do so.

The Jedi Code lurked ominously in the back of Anakin's mind. But reciting a set of words that had no meaning for him would constitute lying, to himself, and to Obi-Wan, something he found detestable. Obi-Wan's question remained, and Anakin knew he wasn't ready to see the answer. Perhaps if he didn't say it, it wouldn't be real.

Obi-Wan allowed him his silence. Anakin sighed. His personal dilemma was unlikely to be resolved soon, so he refocused on why he was here. "Admitting Siesna to the Republic would be an invitation for exploitation."

Obi-Wan looked away, watching the wind play in the leaves, his earlier melancholy tainting his reply. "But are they any better off hiding, isolated from the rest of the galaxy? Something else is already here, taking advantage of a 'naïve backwater planet' with no outside resources."

Something clicked in Anakin's mind. "The mines." In return, he received a curious look. "Before...on the balcony, the woman said she'd escaped from the mines. What the--Darkness--wants, has something to do with the mines."

"In Nemagi Province?" Certainty swiftly followed the suspicion on Obi-Wan's face.

"Yes. How far is that from here?" Anakin wished there was a way to contact Master Gallia, but he couldn't shake the sense of urgency that gripped him.

"Two days ride, and then the mountains. Are you sure you're up to it?"

Anakin looked up at him, determined to override any argument about his abilities. And saw nothing but open concern. It warmed his heart and made him wonder why his first instinct was always defensive. Did he really feel the need to prove himself so often? "I think so," he answered.

Obi-Wan's eyes assessed the truth of that, and after a moment, nodded to himself and said, "We leave tomorrow morning."

tbc

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