Disclaimer- Obi-Wan, Qui-Gon, Luke, Owen, and Beru belong to the Bearded, Flannelled One. I am just borrowing them.
A/N- I had the idea for this after seeing Revenge of the Sith. After crying through most of the second half of the movie, there were exactly three things that made me smile: baby Luke, baby Leia, and Yoda's line: "To commune with him Qui-Gon, I will teach you." Before seeing the movie I had read the novel, but that line was not in there, and it made me very happy. This is short and I hope sweet. My first story without all three essential elements of mush::bows: Slightly AU for those who have read the Last of the Jedi series by Jude Watson; I wrote this before I read The Desperate Mission (in the book, Qui-Gon tells Obi-Wan he is not yet ready for the training). Title is from the song in Lord of the Rings.
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"talking"
'private thoughts'
/speaking through Force/
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In Dreams
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Careful not to jostle him, Obi-Wan Kenobi handed the sleeping Luke Skywalker to Beru Whitesun-Lars. Enchanted, she smiled down at the baby, then at him. "Thank you," she said softly, cradling her nephew close.
"I am grateful to you for taking him. If you ever need anything, I'll be around."
"I will remember..." she waited for a name.
"Obi-Wan Kenobi," he told her, a shadow crossing his face. "But that is a name that must be left behind. Please call me Ben."
"Thank you, Ben."
He bowed. "May the Force be with you and your family."
Beru walked over to where Owen was watching the suns set. "Owen, look."
He turned, surprised, and gently placed his hand on Luke's forehead. "Who is he? Where did he come from?"
"This is Luke, Anakin's son. Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi brought him here."
"But Anakin was a Jedi..." Owen was confused. He walked over to where Obi-Wan was standing by his eopie. "I don't understand."
The Jedi sighed. "Luke is the child of Anakin Skywalker and Senator Padme Amidala. Senator Amidala died in childbirth, and Anakin turned to the Dark Side after her death. He took the name Darth Vader. Vader does not know about Luke; he needs to remain hidden," he paused. "I contacted your wife shortly before I arrived, and--"
"Of course, we would be happy to raise Luke in secret. I haven't see Beru since this morning, but we both will make sure that our nephew stays safe. We have no children of our own."
"Thank you. I would ask that you do not tell Luke about his father. Anakin Skywalker is dead, and in his place a monster that calls itself Darth Vader. Luke does not need to know that Vader was once his father."
Owen nodded, understanding. The good person who had been Luke's father was gone; there was no need to trouble the boy with the knowledge of who he had become.
"If you ever need anything, I will do what is within my power to help you. May the Force be with you."
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Obi-Wan looked around the small cave to which the Force had led him. It would be adequate for his needs. One of his many learnings as a Jedi was to exist in the minimum for survival.
He allowed himself a small smile. 'Speaking of lessons...'
Cleaning out a small area, he knelt and cast his mind outward, using the white light of the ever-present Force, touching a consciousness he had never thought to feel again.
/Obi-Wan/ came a familiar mind-voice, and immediately it was as though the past thirteen years were gone.
/Master./ He fought down the surge of emotion that filled him. /It— It is good to have you in my head again./
He heard the deep chuckle, and rejoiced in the sound of Qui-Gon's laugh. /It is good to be back in your head. I have missed you, my young one./
/I have missed you too, Master./ He felt as though it was the understatement of the century. /I still do./
His Master's compassion and understanding hit him like a wave, and the thirty-eight-year-old relaxed, letting it wash over him.
Taking a deep breath, he steeled himself for what he had known he had to say ever since Yoda had taught him how to communicate with Qui-Gon.
/Master, please forgive me. I failed with Anakin, and because of it all the Jedi are gone except for Master Yoda and me. Even the younglings—/ a violent mental shudder prevailed on his mind speech, and he could not continue.
/Obi-Wan, I have been watching you for thirteen years/ Qui-Gon's mind-voice was kind, but firm. /It was no failing of yours that caused Anakin to Turn to the Dark Side. If you recall, I have also had a Padawan Turn. Was that my fault?./
/No!./ Obi-Wan's reply was immediate and vehement. /That was his choice, Master. He was a fool to throw everything away./
/Then how is this any different?./
The younger man did not reply for a moment. /You trusted me to train Anakin, Master. He was the Chosen One, and the Chosen One was supposed to bring Balance. Anakin strayed from this Path, and brought Darkness instead. It must have been my fault that this happened. Somewhere, I must have failed in training him./
/Let me tell you exactly what caused Anakin to Turn. He had a vision of Padme dying in childbirth, and was so desperate to prevent it that he joined the Sith when Sidious claimed he could stop people from dying./
/How did I miss it?./
/You were fighting General Grievous. That was the brilliance of Sidious's plot. He let Grievous's whereabouts be known to the Jedi Council, knowing they would send you. Then, while you were gone and Anakin had no one he trusted to turn to for guidance, Sidious seduced him to the Dark Side. He had been planting suspicions about the Jedi in Anakin's mind since he was very young./
Obi-Wan dropped his face into his hands. /How is that not my failure? Somewhere in my teaching I must have neglected to stress that the Dark cannot preserve life, only destroy it./
/Anakin never fully understood the Jedi ways. You observed yourself that his loyalty was to people instead of ideas. It was this failing which led to his destruction./ Each word of the next sentence was burned emphatically into Obi-Wan's brain. /It was his failing, not yours./
/But I failed you./ Obi-Wan seemed stuck on that idea.
/You did no such thing./
/Don't you understand, Master? That promise was all I had left of you; for thirteen years, that was it! Then when Anakin Turned, it was gone, and I had nothing, and no one but myself to blame for it./
/If anyone should be asking for forgiveness here, it's me. I was wrong to force you like that./ The deceased Jedi Master admitted regretfully. /You were certainly ready for Knighthood, but no one can transition from being a Padawan to having a Padawan in three days. Not even you, my Obi-Wan./
/You did what you had to, Master. You always do. It was one of things I admired most about you./ He smiled faintly. /Anakin needed someone to train him, and I was it./ The next words were spoken bitterly aloud. "Our places should have been exchanged."
/Excuse me?./
It was a tone that had made him cringe as a Padawan, but Obi-Wan was beyond caring. /I should have died that day on Naboo. Then you could have trained Anakin, and none of this ever would have happened. All I did was muddle things up./
/Don't you ever let me hear you say that again./ He paused to regain his composure. /You are the best Jedi there ever was, Obi-Wan Kenobi. Don't you doubt it./
/That's very kind of you to say, Master, but…/
/But nothing. No one is perfect. I thought that since Anakin was the Chosen One, he could overcome the impediment of having been raised outside of the Jedi Temple, but he could never get over his attachments to those whom he loved. He would have Turned under my tutelage, or yours, or Yoda's/
/Then his failing is mine/ There was great defeat in Obi-Wan's mind-voice. /because I could not kill him./
/Perhaps it was not your task./
/Master Yoda said—/
/It was the will of Yoda, but not necessarily the will of the Force. I have suspected that Anakin may still bring Balance./
/Padme said there was still good in him.../
/If there is, it is buried very deep. Do not count on it showing if you see him again./
/Don't worry, Master/ his reply was tinged with grim humor. //I take it very seriously when someone says they hate me./
/Padawan—/
Obi-Wan grabbed onto the word like a lifeline. /It is good to hear you call me that again./
His anguish lessened as his Master poured waves of the Force into his mind. He took a deep breath. /I feel it too, Master. Anakin may yet bring Balance./ he pushed his consciousness out further. /Padme was right. There is still good in him, but I will not be the one to find it. That is Luke's task./
/The Fate of the universe lies in Luke's ability to reach his father/ Qui-Gon agreed. /But he will need your help./
/I am ready for what you will teach me, Master/ Qui-Gon was pleased to note that Obi-Wan's confidence had returned. /It is good to learn from you again. I hope I can make you proud./
/There is never a time when you do not, my Padawan. Now let us begin./
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A/N- Not to brag, but I'm pretty proud of my Qui-Gon characterization. He still has all those residual Masterly tendencies, and I had a good time writing his lines. Especially the "Excuse me?" that every child fears hearing from a parental unit.
The scene in the beginning is there because I thought it rather silly that Obi-Wan just pops off the eopie, hands the kid over, Beru smiles, takes the baby over to the rock, and they watch the suns set. Obviously, since she was waiting for him, there had to be some sort of communication there, but I joked with my sister about what she said, "Hey, Owen, a random guy just gave us this random baby. Let's raise him, randomly!" :sheepish grin:
I hope everyone enjoyed. Both comments and constructive criticism are welcome.
As of April 17, 2006, I have reformatted this because our new computer has Word and I can use bold. While I was at it, I revised it, too. A lot of the conversation between Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan is new.