Entry VII:

Worrisome Times

From all around the ship, Tusken Raiders emerged, their faces hidden by dark cloth with small tubes jutting out for sight and air. Two of them grunted, producing animal-like sounds as they conversed amongst one another. I used the Force to feel for their presences. There were eight in total, with all standing in front of me, making a semi-circle. I hated being cornered, but I retreated to the side of the ship. At least now I had a safe side. But what good would it do me if I was outnumbered?

Keep moving; use reversals; surprise them; change hands when you can; come at them from above and below; use your ground—

Of course! A small grin lit my face as I ignited my weapon. No matter what, Qui-Gon's lessons were always with me.

Four of the Raiders charged suddenly, with battle cries rolling off their tongues. I waited until the very last moment, then gathered the Force into my legs and jumped high over their heads as though my muscles were made of springs. A somersault set me down directly in front of one hunter. I quickly turned his gaffi stick into an unrecognizable heap of splinters. A warning surged through the Force and I dropped to one knee, slashing backward at the same time with my weapon before bringing it over my head horizontally. A Tusken Raider howled. Two gaffi sticks plummeted to the ground. One still had a hand attached to it.

Three down, five to go.

After a moment of hesitation, two seemed to gather the courage to come at me again, this time from each side with their sticks thrust forward in hope that they could catch me in a pincher movement and skewer me.

I'd been in too many battles to let that happen.

Once again I waited until the very last second. As I somersaulted backward, I heard the whoosh of the sticks slice through the air. Both Raiders took their comrade's weapon directly in the heart. They dropped immediately, the poison from the weapons seeping through their bloodstream and paralyzing them.

My somersault had put me half-way up the ship—but not high enough to be on top. When my feet hit the side, I rebounded off and came straight at a pair of Raiders below. They took the blow from my feet square in the chest and stumbled backward, gasping.

There was only one Raider left now who hadn't been bested by me, and he decided he would rather not share in his comrades' pain. He growled in anger, and the remaining Raiders who could still move hurried to the Banthas they had left in the distance. A cloud of dust was left in their wake.

Two dead hunters, multiple broken gaffi sticks, and a cloth-covered hand were all that remained to suggest there had been a scuffle. Just as I was returning my weapon to my belt, the ship's ramp lowered. I had been too focused on the Tusken Raiders to notice someone had sealed it. Captain Panaka and a small group of security guards and pilots bounded down the ramp. Panaka shook his head, removed his hat to wipe the light sheen of sweat from his brow, and then replaced it with another stupefied shake.

"What you did in five minutes, Kenobi—alone—could not have been done by any other living soul except a Jedi. I guess it's a good thing for us you stayed behind after all, huh? Sheesh…" He shook his head one last time and signaled to the group behind him to return their weapons to their holders. After doing so, they moved the two dead Raiders away from the ship and prepared to bury them. I wanted to tell the captain that any well-trained Jedi could do what I had just done, but he slung his arm over my shoulders and started up the ramp. I turned to give the endless sea of sand one last look for the night, knowing the Tusken Raiders would not be back.

Dinner that night was louder than I remembered it being the day before. The Queen and her handmaidens had taken their food in their quarters where it was quiet, but in the food hall, the men cheered and saluted me, exalting what I had done. It made me feel uneasy. I was glad when I could finally slip away.

I did not expect to hear anymore from Qui-Gon that night, so instead, I retired immediately to the quarters I shared with the ship's crew. I thought it would be empty and quiet, allowing me to meditate before falling asleep.

The room was not empty, however.

I recognized the young man with black hair and bright green eyes immediately. He had informed me and Qui-Gon the night before of our sleeping arrangements. Now I found him playing a lonely game of cards. I felt compelled to reach out to him for some rare reason. Usually I kept to myself unless the mission deemed otherwise.

I extended my hand, but he quickly jumped to his feet and bowed, upsetting the stack of cards near him. Realizing I had been scowling at the time I put my hand out, I backed off, smiled a little, and returned the bow.

"My name is Obi-Wan Kenobi. I realize we've never properly been introduced, but—"

"It's okay, really," the young man said shyly. "Jedi are busy. Trust me—I know how important you are!"

That was not what I had meant…

"My name is Jono Dunn."

With great difficulty, I managed to prevent my eyes from bulging out. "Wh-Who?" I choked.

"Jono Dunn," he replied hesitantly, no doubt picking up on my surprise.

Endless possibilities ran at lightspeed through my mind. I had known a person by the name of Jono Dunn once: while I was on the planet Gala with Qui-Gon. We had been requested to oversee the planet's first-ever vote for ruler of the planet. Up until that time, the leader had always been the first born in the royal family. Jono and I had become good friends during the mission until finally, in the end, he had betrayed me. It was a hard lesson learned….for both of us. Jono had been relinquished from his job as a servant to the Queen and sent back to his family to learn farming. It was the ultimate punishment that he could have been given.

But had Jono left Gala and come to Naboo? Although it was not the same job, he would still serve the Queen as a member of Naboo's Space Fighter Corps. Serving the Queen on Gala had been the meaning behind his entire life…

"Jono, where were you born?" I asked, hoping it didn't sound too suspicious.

He gave me an odd look. If Jono had come to Naboo from Gala, would he tell me? I was positive he would remember me, but after betraying me, would he be willing to face me again? Even all these years later?

My shoulders stiffened as he opened his mouth to reply.

"I was born on Naboo, of course. You can't serve the Queen otherwise."

My shoulders relaxed and I replaced the grim look on my face with a smile. Jono was telling the truth. It was just coincidence he shared the same name with someone else on another planet. Considering how large the galaxy was, it really shouldn't have come as a surprise. Actually, Gala and Naboo shared many characteristics when I thought of it.

I smiled softly. "Of course," I replied, nodding. "Of course."

The buzzing of my comlink made me sit upright in bed immediately. I ran the back of my hand across my eyes, which were still heavy from staying up late and talking with Jono about our pasts, and then retrieved the beeping device from where it lay on a shelf beside my bed.

"Kenobi here." I pulled my cloak on and hurried to an adjacent room for privacy. I didn't want to wake the others or worry them with whatever I was about to learn.

As expected, Qui-Gon's steady voice filtered through, explaining the situation. I released a breath of air I hadn't meant to hold. My master did not hear.

"If all goes well, we will have our hyperdrive generator by tomorrow afternoon and be on our way."

I was silent for a moment. It was good news, but—"What if this plan fails, Master? We could be stuck here for a long time."

Had he thought about that? Probably not. Qui-Gon lived only for the minute he was currently in. He never thought of the consequences that may arise five minutes later. It was that difference that made us such a good team.

I sensed distance between me and my master. It was not the sort of distance made up of time or space, but rather it was like a physical presence. Another living being—

"A ship without a power supply will not get us anywhere. We have no choice."

The connection died. It was not something I mulled over this time, however. I was getting used to Qui-Gon's peculiar secretiveness on this particular mission.

I turned around just in time to find Jono staring at me. He gave a sympathetic smile.

I tried to smile back, honestly I did, but I found I couldn't and turned away. Jono had enough to worry about—his Queen and his planet were in danger of being destroyed. He should not have to deal with the worry that the Jedi team assigned to this mission was slowly, agonizingly, falling apart. I watched Jono converse with one of his fellow pilots, then turned and headed straight to the wardrobe room. It was large, giving me plenty of room to move about in. I took the two top layers of my tunic off before removing my boots and setting the power of my lightsaber to low. I took one more moment to tie a strip of cloth over my eyes and place small objects randomly on the floor—such as a portable map reader and my breathing mask—then leapt into the very first kata that I had learned as a child. Three-fourths of the way through the advanced series, I felt the unmistakable pressure of eyes on my back. I whipped the blind-fold off and spun around. A handmaiden—Eirtaé, I believe was her name—stood watching me from the doorway. She nodded to me and said serenely, "You are a good warrior. I'm glad to have you on our side. Most may not realize it, but the Republic would be lost without the Jedi. Let us pray that such a day never comes."

I sensed sadness in her words as she retreated and unconsciously shivered. There was something about the way she'd said it. There had been so much conviction held in those words, like perhaps she had already witnessed what she hinted at.

But the Jedi would always be around. Why wouldn't we?

I bowed tentatively to the air. "It is my duty to serve and protect."

But even that familiar and usually comforting mantra sounded hollow to my ears.

The sudden appearance of Captain Panaka in the doorway brought me back from my wonderings. "Her Majesty requests an update."

I nodded, setting my mouth in a grim line and squaring my shoulders. I would not tell the Queen of my master's plan. Surely she would attempt to prevent it. But then again, I would not lie to her either.

I collected my belongings, wiped my face clear, and put the two layers from my tunic back on to make myself presentable. Panaka waited, and then walked with me to the throne room. Jono passed us on the way, smiling faintly at me. I inclined my head in acknowledgement. He seemed to realize I was getting ready to conduct "business", for he bowed and stepped to the side until we passed.

The Queen was talking quietly with her handmaidens when we arrived. "Your Majesty," I said, bowing.

Queen Amidala seemed to puff herself up. "Padawan Kenobi, have you heard any news from your master?"

I swallowed. "Master Qui-Gon contacted me early this morning. He informed me that he had found a hyperdrive to replace the ship's damaged one, but—"

"But what, Jedi Kenobi?" Amidala asked with a hint of desperation.

"The only way he can obtain it is by betting on a podrace tomorrow."

The room grew deathly quiet. Somewhere in the back of my head, my dry sense of humor tried to sprout, but I squashed it down and instead waited, expecting her to demand me to give more details. Surprisingly, she nodded. "I have put my trust in the Jedi." She spread her hands toward me, palms up. "If your Master Jedi believes he can help my home and my people this way, then I will allow it."

"Thank you, Your Highness." Bowing low at the waist, I turned and left the throne room, once again wondering if I had done the right thing. If only I had as much faith in Qui-Gon's plan as the Queen did.

I remained in solitude the rest of the day, meditating. Shortly after noon, Jono's hesitant presence filtered into the room, but it faded quickly as he discovered I was still deep in meditation.

Later, just as I was standing to stretch, preparing to turn in for the night, my comlink signaled. I nearly pounced on it.

"Kenobi here."

"Obi-Wan?"

"Yes, Master?"

"I need an analysis of this blood sample I'm sending you."

So I was right. A physical presence was coming between us, and I couldn't shake the feeling that I was being replaced. "Wait a minute." I pushed aside feelings of jealousy. Such an emotion was not worthy of a Jedi. Quick steps took me to the cockpit. The console before me turned the small room red as I switched it on.

"I need a midi-chlorian count."

The sinking feeling in my stomach emerged again.

The readings began to come through.

I blinked in surprise, and then rubbed my eyes. They had to be playing tricks on me. Perhaps something was wrong with the computer or the transfer was bad. Maybe the blood sample was no good, but when I told Qui-Gon this, he seemed to shrug it off.

"What do the readings say, Obi-Wan?" he asked.

Briefly I wondered when the last time he had called me Padawan was, and then unconsciously recoiled at the thought. Were things between us becoming that bad? "The reading's off the chart. Over twenty-thousand. Even Master Yoda doesn't have a midi-chlorian count that high!"

"No Jedi has."

I blinked again, scowling at the console and the readings it presented. The weight in my stomach grew heavier. I couldn't help but ask the question that lingered on my tongue—"What does that mean?"

"I'm not sure."

When the communication ended this time, without so much as a thank you or good night, I felt my stomach churn. Things were getting out of hand quickly. Qui-Gon and I were due for a long talk at the end of this mission.

How was I to know then that it wouldn't be possible?

The next morning dawned bright and early. I checked my comlink for messages, but was not surprised when I discovered none. When I arrived in the galley at breakfast, Jono was obviously waiting for me. A grin of mischief lit his face.

"We heard there's a race today. One of the crew intercepted a local communication by accident. Me and some of the guys are going to sneak in close to the settlement to watch. Care to join us?"

I looked contemplatively at the bowl of Thereol soup in my hands and suddenly lost my sense of appetite.

"Thank you for the offer, Jono, but I think I'll stay here. There are a few things I need to take care of." Not to mention Qui-Gon would put me through the worst punishment if he discovered I'd left the ship and Queen unprotected. I did not feel like cleaning the Crèche's 'freshers for another month again…

Jono nodded and I saw barely concealed sympathy rise up in those vivid, lime green eyes. It was more than I could bear. I left my untouched bowl of soup on the table and hurried outside. I was never one to appreciate the effects of pity.

Lost in a mindless stupor, I realized how much simpler life seemed as an initiate back at the Temple. I remembered waking at an early hour—before the sun rose into the sky—and thinking it was normal for every being, no matter age or location, to be up during pre-dawn. I remembered how I "zoned out" during morning meditation so that I could greet the sun as it rose from the very depths of Coruscant. Master Yoda, my leader at the time, knew my secret, but I think he too paused during meditation to watch the sun come up.

I remembered the first time Bant sat with me at lunch. Garen had teased me ruthlessly for weeks. I remembered the first time Bruck Chun picked a fight with me—and how I gave him a bloody nose because of it. I remembered the first time I successfully dismantled and then reassembled my practice saber without help. And most of all, I remembered the first time I saw him—

I was nine perhaps, and a common visitor of the Healer's Ward (as I remain to be to this day). I had just been released, carefully scrutinizing the thumb that had been sprained during a sparring lesson with an older initiate, when I rounded a corner and very nearly ran straight into a senior apprentice—Xanatos. I'd heard of him before. The Masters often talked of the beautiful, talented Padawan. I was impressed by him, but the arrogant sneer on his face told me the feeling wasn't mutual. He started to say something (which I imagine couldn't have been nice), when his master caught up with him.

Qui-Gon Jinn.

I was memorized from the start by that chiseled face, stoic expression, and…laughing eyes. The Jedi Master was everything I hoped to be: strong, powerful, respected, and the keeper of his own council. Qui-Gon Jinn often did things against the Jedi High Council's better judgment—or at least that's what I'd heard—and although I'd never been before the imposing group of 12 Jedi Masters all at once, I knew that was exactly what they were: Imposing. Grand. Intimidating. Powerful. For anyone to go against them was unimaginable; down right unthinkable! But he did it, and all the time from what I'd understood.

I watched him place a strong, yet gentle hand on Xanatos' shoulder and bow his head to me. As the two walked away, leaving me with my mouth slightly ajar, I promised myself that I would be a Jedi Knight, just like him, and I would be the perfect Padawan…to him. Qui-Gon Jinn just had to be my master. But, I realized, before I could become the perfect Padawan, I had to get to class—on time.

When my train of thought returned to Tatooine, where I sat on top of the Royal Naboo cruiser using my cloak to prevent myself from being burned by its searing hull, I contemplated whether or not I had accomplished what I set out to do all those years before—to be the perfect Padawan. Everyone else seemed to think so. Except him, the one person I would do absolutely anything for in the entire galaxy, because—sometimes—even that didn't seem like enough to please him.

Sweat dripped lazily down my face and over the tip of my nose. I was just about to wipe it away when a cloud of dust in the distance caught my eye.

Expecting the worst, I pulled my cloak back on and leapt lightly from the ship, landing in a crouch. The cloud of dust was bigger now, but I could clearly see the outlines of tall, four-legged creatures. I hurried into the ship, looking for Panaka. He met me in the main cabin and together we walked back out under the twin scorching suns. A few co-pilots and crew members, with Jono amongst them, came out one by one to either see to those who had returned from the spaceport, or aid in bringing in the parts to repair the hyperdrive.

The boy had succeeded.

And I suddenly felt nauseous with dread.

I walked away from the ship, ignoring the Gungan Jar Jar more of out distraction than dislike when he spoke to me, and stopped in front of my master whom still sat perched on the long-nosed creature. I squinted up into the wizened face of Qui-Gon Jinn, trying to hide my uneasiness.

"I was getting worried," I said plainly, fervently hoping he would step off his high throne—literally—and reassure me that everything was fine, especially between us.

No such luck.

"Well, we have all the essential parts we need. I'm going back. Some unfinished business. I won't be long."

Isn't that what he always says?

I didn't mean for it to happen, any more than I meant to blurt my personal feelings out, but I found myself unable to hold the suddenly cold, blue gaze of my master. He knew what I was preparing to voice.

"Why do I sense we've picked up another, pathetic life form?"

Those blue eyes chilled me to the bone. It didn't matter that I could have probably melted one of my spare saber crystals on the sleek hide of the Naboo Royal Cruiser; that gaze nearly—just nearly—caused me to pull my cloak closer. I felt his piercing gaze hit me like a blast of wind from Hoth's icy atmosphere.

"It's the boy who's responsible for getting us these parts. Get this hyperdrive generator installed."

"Yes Master, it shouldn't take long."

My response was as emotional as the archive droids back at the Temple—sarcasm fully intended, of course. Even if Qui-Gon Jinn never noticed, I would still be the perfect Padawan. Because I was Obi-Wan Kenobi and there was nothing Qui-Gon could ask of me that I wouldn't do.

I spared one last look at the figure of my master as he was quickly shrouded by dust, and turned towards the ramp. I felt empty inside, like my master and I had never even met. I knew why I felt like that, too: because of the boy.

Suddenly, it was all about the boy…

Eek! Big apologies to all those who read the copy of this that had my notes inside it. I uploaded the wrong one it seems! But this is the correct version, and not only has it been spell-checked, but proofed, too. Whew! Good to hear that! As always, please let me know what you think. Should I continue this series or not? MTFBWY,

Marie K.