"I don't understand," muttered Taun We for the fifteenth time. "He's supposed to be dead."
"And I really don't understand," complained Boba, sounding more and more like Anakin with each passing moment. "Who is 'he', and why's he such a problem?"
Everyone ignored him.
Obi-Wan stared out at the sunset from the balcony, only half listening to the conversation through the open door. When they had begun their search for the ship, he had never expected this. How could he? They had simply gone to Dex's Diner hoping that he would have some information as to who had attacked Taun We. They had asked him what ship was there that shouldn't be, and waited for an answer. He had never expected anything this horrible.
But what had he expected? Another bounty hunter? Or some terror he couldn't begin to guess at? Well that was what he'd gotten. Old enemies have a way of sneaking up on you, even years later. And Obi-Wan Kenobi had just met the worst of them.
After all the surprises that Obi-Wan had gotten that night, the least of them was hearing footsteps behind him and sensing his old master's presence. "Hello," he muttered, hoping Qui-Gon would take the hint in his tone and go away.
The older Jedi read his tone right, but took a different, subtle message in it that Obi-Wan hadn't even meant to send, and leaned on the railing besides him. "Five years ago," he said softly.
"What?"
"Five years ago, I stood on this balcony talking to Anakin and sensed something wrong in the Force. I turned around just in time to see you fall. But not in time to stop you from landing. What was that you were always saying as a boy? About falling and landing?"
Obi-Wan managed a tight smile, as false as it looked. "It's not the fall I'm against. It's the part about landing."
Qui-Gon laughed. "You always were a strange child, Obi-Wan. Always seemed older than you really were."
"Should I take that as a compliment?" teased his friend.
The tall man looked serious. "I certainly hope you do. But then, what we hope makes very little difference, does it not? Or our 'friend' would not have returned."
"I'm afraid," admitted Obi-Wan. To anyone but Qui-Gon, he would have denied it, but he trusted his mentor impeccably.
"You would be a fool not to be," Qui-Gon left it at that.
"What will we do?"
"That depends," The other Jedi turned to Obi-Wan, his eyes as solemn as they had ever been. "He seems to have found a way to disguise his Force signature, or I would not have thought him dead so many years ago. And from what I can tell, this time he'll have help."
"Master?"
"I had a vision, Obi-Wan," Qui-Gon said softly.
"Of what?" Obi-Wan was concerned. He was too attached, Qui-Gon reflected. The council wouldn't approve, and normally, Qui-Gon would have gone up against them, but he had seen Obi-Wan's pain after his master's death, and wondered how good this could be.
"Of my master, Dooku. He… he was fighting."
"Fighting who? Master, are you alright?"
Qui-Gon was leaning heavily against the railing, his eyes shadowed. "He was fighting you and Anakin. He had become a Sith."
Obi-Wan's silence was almost frightening. The younger man stared out at the buildings, his face expressionless, but Qui-Gon knew him too well to buy that. It didn't help the charade when Obi-Wan's voice cracked as he said "so now we have two to fight. A master and an apprentice."
But Qui-Gon shook his head. "No, I think it may be different. I believe that Dooku had become the apprentice after Maul's death. Now, he is not a Sith, but I believe that he will fight us anyway."
"But you were his Padawan! He can't hurt you!"
"He can, Obi-Wan. He can and he will. And even if he won't, we must remember, there are two."
"We must find the Sith lord." Obi-Wan straightened up, a clear purpose in his eyes. "Only then can this be stopped!"
"You cannot defeat all evil in the galaxy, Padawan," Qui-Gon said, looking amused.
Obi-Wan turned to his friend, smiling. "And you cannot rescue all the strays in the galaxy, Master."
"I know, Padawan," Qui-Gon whispered, all trace of amusement gone from his worn face. "I know."
"Master," began Obi-Wan hesitantly, feeling like a child, "Will we go after the Sith?"
"Yes, my friend. No matter who Dooku is, we cannot let him endanger those we are sworn to protect."
"You mean everyone in the universe?"
"Yes. The Sith Lord must be tracked down, and we cannot let Darth Maul escape again."
Okay, a bit short, but I have all weekend to build on this plot twist. And yes, I did plan this the entire time. Or at least, I think I did. Thank you, Ellenlome, who reviewed. Please review people! I'm almost to seventy. That would be nice… hint hint.
And to a suggestion I received in a review, I might bring Jar Jar back. Might. Hey, we'll need some humor what with the way it's going. Happy birthday, peoples whose birthday it is. That was random.