Obi-Wan Kenobi woke to silence, save for soft breathing below him. He blinked – Sunlight streamed in through the open window, its warm breeze gently stirring his senses. He knitted his brow, stretching luxuriously. He found himself stretched out upon a soft, comfortable couch, the light dancing over it in bizarre patterns as the curtains blew.
Rolling over, the boy dangled off the edge of the cushions, almost falling upon the man below him. Rynic lay beside him on the floor, a pillow scrunched behind his head, an arm tossed over his eyes. Obi-Wan felt a surge of affection for his new friend – the man had stayed with him all night.
It was morning – whatever the time cycle on Ghan. He was not always a morning person, but Qui-Gon had seen to it that the boy rose at a reasonable hour. It seemed that the habit had formed regardless of his master's presence. Cautious of the sleeping man beneath him, Obi-Wan slid silently from the couch with the grace of a feline, draping his blanket over the man who snored softly beside him.
The boy padded out into to corridors. He was starting to learn the layout of the Temple, Castle, whatever the building was. Feeling overly small in the massive hallway, he stayed close to the wall, listening to the sound of many footsteps echoing from down the way.
He hurried, listening to the rustle of people moving. Pausing behind a massive stone column, flashes of gold and red, black and tan rushed past. Many, many people, dressed in less advanced clothing, robes like himself, rushed through a huge doorway that Obi-Wan recognized was the first room he'd been in, the throne room, the room where the Scion held audience. He sniffed, rubbing his nose with his sleeve.
"Obi-Wan!"
The boy skittered, spinning. Galliya stood, arms crossed behind him, her expression stern, but her eyes gentle.
"What's going on?" He asked.
She frowned, and took him by the shoulder, leading them away from the massing of people.
"It is of no importance, young one. Come – let us have a walk in the garden."
Obi-Wan frowned, finding he did not like being left out of the loop. Then again, this wasn't even his world. He nodded, allowing himself to be prodded by the seemingly over-protective woman.
"I wonder if I may also spend some time alone in the gardens Lord Khas showed me – I would like to meditate on my thoughts."
"Of course young sir. But first – breakfast!"
Obi-Wan sighed.
0ooooooooooooooooo0Spire came to slowly, her body pleasantly heavy against the mattress.
Not a mattress.
Blinking slowly but not moving a muscle, she found herself lain across the sofa, with her back and head supported by a snoring Ardemis. She swallowed a groan, she hadn't even remembered falling asleep. The young woman silently glowered at the man beside her. This was not the first time she'd woken like this, and she felt a twinge of embarrassment. And she also felt blessed to be cared about. Wincing at stiff muscles, the young woman turned herself slightly. To her chagrin, Ardemis murmured something illegible and tightened the arm he had on her. Spire sighed.
Eyelids falling closed, she allowed herself the wander, her mind ticking away at things of ill importance as she dozed. People, their faces blurred across her conscious, and as her cheek sank deeper into Ardemis's shoulder, one Jedi Master's face in particular stood out to her, a face she hadn't seen or thought of in many long months. Before she could fight it, she was pulled into a memory.
"Master?"
Arkken Palamin turned, and regarded his Padawan learner with a small smile, but it did not reach his eyes.
"Padawan," he said with a soft sigh, and motioned for the teenager to come forward. Karin nodded and soon stood beside him, overlooking the vast city world of Corescant. The sun was just setting and the gleaming metal was cast with a fiery orange glow that bathed their faces with warmth. Arkken placed a warm hand on his padawan's back, without taking his eyes from the scene before him.
"It's true, then."
The Jedi master sighed. Karin looked down.
"Poor Master Jinn."
Arkken nodded, thickly swallowing. "Indeed."
She looked up at him, his face lined with worry. A small hand grabbed a handful of robe in the gentlest of manners.
"You do know that you will never loose me, right master? I will be everything you make me – the strongest Jedi Sentinel this order has seen in millennia. But I will not be overcome by my pride – And you will be proud of me, master." She paused, looking to the red sky. "And I will serve the order until the day I join with the force."
Arkken felt a lump in is throat, and gave a brilliant smile to his padawan.
"And there will never be a master more proud, than I."
But her attention was else ware, her eyes narrowed to the back of the residence. Arkken then felt it as well – a brief, but intense flair of pain. Karin turned, eyes bright.
"May I go to him, master?"
Master Arkken hesitated, eyebrows drawn together. After a beat, he looked down.
"Yes, but be wary of the force, and his feelings."
The padawan bowed and swiftly exited. Her master looked after, sighing.
She stood stiffly outside of the Jinn residence, both her bare palms on the smooth metal door. She realized it was not his shields failing him, stirring the force around her, but rather the rupture of his training bond, for it was open and leaking, ripped and broken. She turned to the comlink a few feet from his door and hastily contacted the healers.
"When is Master Jinn scheduled for repair of his training bond?"
"Master Yoda himself will be up in a hour or so, after his meeting with the chancellor."
Karin frowned. She again returned to the doorframe, and hesitated requested it open. As expected, he refused.
/Master-/ she sent warily over her bond.
/Yes, Karin/
/…Can I ask a favor/
/Depends on the favor./
/Do you think I might… steal, erm, borrow the all access code for residency from you? For like, two seconds/
/…../
/… 483-21-0087./
/Thank you, Master Min'./
She entered the code quickly and swept into the pitch-black apartment. She closed her eyes, seeing the world in blue, through the eyes of the force. There, in his padawan's room…
She dropped to the floor, holding her robes close. Even slumped over, the Jedi Master towered over her. His hands were wrapped around himself, and he was deathly still. Karin could feel it now, his disappointment and guilt dripping out of him like a deep cut, oozing. His training bond was ripped apart, and the vacancy of his padawan learner had to be devastating. A whole hour? Another hour of this would be agony for the man.
"Your master send you?" He asked quietly, belaying none of his inner turmoil.
"No."
"You don't look like a healer to me."
"Master Yoda is coming soon, Qui-Gon," the seventeen year old comforted, scooting next to him, also leaning her back on the discomfort of the lower mattress of a bed that was once Xanatos's.
"He will never sleep here again," he murmured. "Now, he sleeps with whispers of power in his ears and revenge in his mind."
The big jedi shook his head. "I will never take another padawan again."
Karin stayed silent, frustrated at not knowing what to say to comfort the wounded man.
"Your being here is enough."
She gaped at him and berated herself – Qui-Gon Jinn was extremely adept at picking up on the moods of others. She wondered, then how had he endured Xanatos for so long? It was a question she could not ask, especially right now. She searched her memories blindly-
"You s-said once, that the most soothing thing in this universe is the sound of a heart beat- you said it signifies life and survival, the living force."
He frowned. "Yes…?"
She reached a shaking hand to his cheek, touching it gently. Qui-Gon could sense her nervousness as she stretched and moved her hand to his shoulder, pulling gently. He was touched that she cared so, and attempted to help him even though she feared his response. Despite his agony he did not wish her any hurt, so he went along with her.
Shocked, Karin pulled the huge weight against her, and soon she was all but flattened by the large mass. His head, soft brown hair, was cradled against her chest, his ear above her heart. Qui-Gon listened to it, the rhythmic thudding. Oh, how he wished his padawan was strong, had passed the trials… Oh, to change the past-
"It was /not/ your fault, Qui-Gon," Karin murmured, rocking gently. "I have known you, and Xanatos since my childhood here. You were the perfect master, the perfect master," she murmured, "He was blessed with you and you did more than any other could to make him the best he could be."
"Correct, she is."
Yoda stood silently in the doorframe, his short height bringing him to eye level with the two on the floor. He hobbled over to Qui-Gon, and without another word, placed a cool clawed hand on the large forehead. Karin felt him stiffen, then relax. He suddenly got a lot heavier, his head quickly becoming a huge weight on her small body.
"Rest easier, he will now. Done well to be with him, you did young padawan Karin." She nodded, both pleased and disheartened at the same time. She looked down at him, his face relaxed in sleep, his breaths slow and even…
She opened her eyes blearily, blinking the last remnants of the dream away. She winced, throat feeling raw. Ardemis slept on, never a morning person, his breathing slow and steady. A low, thready beeping noise began to chime softly somewhere to her left.
As she lifted herself from the couch, she placed her palm on his forehead, maintaining his rest. Even now, she disliked being seen like this, so private, in the morning after sleep. It was a personal thing. She prefered to do such things alone, though in this case perhaps she cared, just a bit, for the man sprawled on her couch. She stood and moved to the small communications console that continued to chime.
"Spire."
"My lord. The Scion has named an emergency moot in the grand hall. All of the Vanguard are called."
A deep flood of concern raced through Spire's body.
"Understood."
A deep groove split her brow as she frowned to herself, disappearing into her sleeproom. The door hissed shit and she quickly opened her closet and pulled out a simple tunic, hers black and tan, decorated in red. She stripped quickly, removing her Jedi gear and placed her lightsaber aside.
0oooooooooooooooooooooo0
Obi-Wan was deep in mediation. In such a state, he felt most attuned to the force.
Even here, sith knew how many parsecs away from the Jedi of his kind, the force swirled with brilliant blue light, coloring his thoughts, soothing his mind.
/Obi-Wan…/
He started, almost out of meditation.
His master! That was his master's voice. Not possible! Too far away…
/Obi-Wan…./