WolfKyr: Thanks for still reading and reviewing. I'm glad that you're still enjoying the story.

The Dancing Cavalier: Thanks. It's nice to hear that it seems real.

miruvour: It will be clarified, I assure you. I just need some time to get there. And you're right, the story hasn't reached its climax yet.

Kaori: I've always liked Xanatos, but he seemed too two-dimensional in the books. There must have been something that caused his fall.

loveandheartbroken: Sorry, it wasn't my intention to make you cry. Well, maybe a bit. I'm actually quite surprised that it worked. Glad you like it.

Kris Destiny: Wow, thanks so much. I'm glad that you like my characterisation of Xanatos. I've never liked the completely evil Xanatos that was shown in the books. In my opinion, there simply aren't people, who are only evil, even if they seem like it.

Thanks to everyone for reviewing. It really means a lot and your kind words always make my day brighter. Finally, here's the next chapter. Please let me know what you think.

Chapter 16

Qui-Gon was sitting at the breakfast table the next morning, reading the news and waiting for his Padawan and Obi-Wan to get up. They had returned late the night before and Qui-Gon had debated talking to them, but then had opted to stay in his room. There would be enough time later and Xanatos had proven to be quite capable of helping the young boy.

The Master looked up when the door to his Padawan's room opened. He expected both apprentices to emerge, but instead only Obi-Wan entered the common room, smiling shyly at Qui-Gon and sitting down at the table with a quiet 'Good morning, Master Jinn.'

Qui-Gon smiled back at the boy, surprised and pleased to see him alone. "Good morning, Obi-Wan. Did you sleep well?"

"Yes, Master." Then, as an afterthought, he added, "Did you have a good night?"

Qui-Gon's smile widened a bit. "I did. Thank you. Would you like to have some tea?"

The boy nodded and helped himself to a bowl of cereal while Qui-Gon poured the tea. The Master watched for a moment then went back to his datapad. He'd give Obi-Wan the opportunity to talk this time. As it turned out, he didn't have to wait long.

"I'm sorry for last night, Master Jinn. I behaved badly and I apologise."

Qui-Gon looked at the boy for a long moment, deciding how best to approach the issue. "What is it you're apologising for, Obi-Wan?"

The apprentice looked down, but then lifted his head bravely and looked into the other's eyes. "I shouldn't have been so affected by what Master Tr'hen said. He didn't know that I don't have a Master anymore."

The desolation in the boy's voice was palpable, but Qui-Gon forced himself to refrain from telling the boy that his reaction had been only natural. Master Migaja had said that Obi-Wan had to realise what the problem was on his own.

"Why did it affect you the way it did, Obi-Wan?"

The boy's eyes dropped to his plate and after a moment of silence, he whispered, "Because I realised that I won't be a Jedi Knight."

At that, Qui-Gon got up and went over to Obi-Wan, putting a hand on the boy's shoulder and steering him towards the couch. "Come. We have to talk and I don't want to do it over breakfast."

Obi-Wan followed and sat down beside the Master on the couch, facing him, but with his eyes downcast.

"Obi-Wan, it's true that your former Master won't be coming back. He has committed terrible crimes and he will be tried for them when we find him. But that doesn't mean that you won't be a Jedi Knight. Other Masters will come to the Temple and one of them might realise how special you are. You're a Jedi. You've shown that through so many things. Don't lose hope, Obi-Wan. It will turn out right in the end."

Obi-Wan looked up at him with tears in his eyes. "I'm too old."

"No, you aren't. The age limit of thirteen only pertains to newly chosen Padawans. You already have some experience."

Qui-Gon looked at the boy, trying to gauge whether he had understood what he'd said. Obi-Wan didn't look convinced at all and the Master added, "There are still Masters looking for a Padawan and one of them might just see you and find you to be the perfect apprentice for them."

There was no answer from Obi-Wan again and they continued to sit in silence until Qui-Gon realised that he might not get a chance to speak alone with Obi-Wan again. And there was still something that was bothering him and that had to be addressed, even though he knew that he hadn't convinced the boy that he was still a Padawan.

"Obi-Wan, Master Migaja said that the fight you had with Bruck was about Xanatos. Can you tell me what happened?"

The boy flinched at the mention of the fight, but he only thought for a few seconds before he answered the question. "Bruck said things about Xanatos. Things that aren't true." There was conviction in the words.

But Qui-Gon pressed on. "What did he say?"

"He said that Xanatos only helps me for his own good. That nobody likes him, so he's helping me to feel useful." Obi-Wan hesitated and then added, "He said that Xanatos is only spacer trash,just like me."

Qui-Gon felt anger surfacing, but he took a deep breath and released it into the Force. "You're right, Obi-Wan. It's not true. Xanatos helps you because he cares about you. And you're not 'spacer trash' and neither is Xanatos."

Obi-Wan looked at him again and this time a small smile formed on his young face.

Smiling back, Qui-Gon said, "What do you think of meditating for a bit in the gardens? Would you like to join me?"

Obi-Wan grinned. "I would love that, Master."

As the apprentice jumped up from the couch to get his cloak, Qui-Gon looked up and caught sight of his Padawan standing in the doorway of his room, an unreadable expression on his face. The Master sent a query through their bond, but it was deflected by strong shields and without a word, Xanatos disappeared into the room once again.

Qui-Gon took a step forward to follow him, but turned around when he felt eyes on him. Obi-Wan was waiting by the door, an expectant expression on his face. With a pulse of worry, Qui-Gon followed the boy out of their quarters. He would talk to his Padawan later.

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After their meditation, Qui-Gon took Obi-Wan to Master Migaja. They had decided that Obi-Wan would start having every second session alone to see how he got along without anyone else to encourage him.

Today Qui-Gon was glad for that decision. It gave him the opportunity to talk to his Padawan alone. Upon entering their quarters he found Xanatos standing on the balcony, the hood of his cloak pulled up. The young man didn't turn around when his Master stepped outside and Qui-Gon just stood beside him, looking out over the great city beneath them with all its bustling life.

He waited. Xanatos didn't move or speak and finally Qui-Gon said, "What is bothering you, Padawan?"

Another moment of silence before Xanatos started to speak, still looking out over the city, his voice emotionless beneath his hood. "Why didn't you tell me that the fight was about me?"

Qui-Gon was puzzled. He hadn't deemed it particularly important at the time and he said so to his apprentice.

The young man finally turned to him, his eyes angry and just the slightest bit of pain carrying in his voice. "Not important? They were talking about me, Qui-Gon. Bruck taunted Obi-Wan with what I am."

Qui-Gon flinched at those words. What Xanatos was? "Padawan…"

"You really don't understand what he was talking about, do you? I should have known." With that Xanatos whirled around and left the balcony, leaving his Master too stunned to react.

When Qui-Gon had composed himself enough to say something, Xanatos was already gone.

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Master Jinn had given Obi-Wan the rest of the day off to do with as he liked.It was still hard for the young apprentice to come up with anything to do. After all, Master Calan had always had lessons for him. The thought of his old Master made him anxious again as he walked away from Master Migaja's office, but both Xanatos and Master Jinn had told him that he would have a new Master. No, that wasn't quite right. Master Jinn had said that he might have a new teacher, but Xanatos had been sure.

Banning those thoughts from his mind, Obi-Wan redirected his course towards the big garden. He wanted to meet Garen, Bant and Reeft, who were all at the Temple for once, which meant that they were most likely swimming.

He entered the garden and followed the path through the thick underbrush towards the lake. Even before he reached the water, he could hear his friends laughing and talking. Smiling brightly, he suddenly stopped short when he noticed a figure sitting concealed by a bush not far from the lakeside. It was Xanatos, obviously not meditating, but just staring ahead into nothing.

Obi-Wan hesitated. A part of him wanted to go to Xanatos, but another told him that the older Padawan had probably come here to be alone. Looking back and forth between the apprentice and his friends, Obi-Wan finally decided that it couldn't hurt to ask if his help was needed. Carefully he made his way towards the other and sat down beside him. Xanatos didn't react at first, but then turned his head towards Obi-Wan and smiled a bit tiredly.

"Hello, Obi-Wan. How was the session with Master Migaja?"

"It was okay." Obi-Wan answered, still looking imploringly at the older apprentice.

"That's good." Xanatos answered, his voice somehow far away and then continued staring ahead of him, arms slung around his knees.

Obi-Wan averted his eyes, suddenly very unsure of himself again. Maybe he should have stayed away. It wasn't his place to bother Xanatos when he wanted to be alone. But then he thought back to all the times the young man had helped him and listened, when Obi-Wan had needed to talk. He knew that he couldn't give as much as Xanatos had given him, but he could at least try.

"Do you want to talk about it?"

Xanatos looked down at him again and this time, his smile seemed a bit more genuine, if still sad. Obi-Wan forced himself to endure the gaze even though it lasted far longer than he was comfortable with. Finally Xanatos eyes dropped for a moment before focusing on the boy's again.

"No. But I thank you for offering your help, Obi-Wan."

Obi-Wan smiled back, relieved that his help hadn't been perceived as an intrusion. He almost missed Xanatos's next words, caught up in his own thoughts as he was.

"Let's go home. I could use something to eat. What about you?"

Obi-Wan thought longingly of his friends for a moment, but then rose with Xanatos and grinned at him again. He couldn't abandon the other now. It felt wrong somehow. "I'm hungry, too."

Together they left the garden.

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As Xanatos lay in his bed that night, he finally allowed himself to think about his conversation with Qui-Gon earlier that day. When he and Obi-Wan had returned to their quarters, he had apologised to his Master and they had continued with their day as planned, a light sparring session and then some quiet studying.

All the while Xanatos had avoided thinking about the incident, but now in his bed, alone with his thoughts, he couldn't escape the memory anymore. Why had his Master's words - or lack thereof - gotten to him so much? Upon reflection he realised that it was quite possible that Qui-Gon had simply not deemed the cause of Obi-Wan's fight important. At first, Xanatos had felt betrayed. Was his Master thinking that he couldn't deal with it? Did he think his Padawan incapable of controlling his anger?

But now that he had cooled down a bit, he realised that what had hurt the most was the realisation that Qui-Gon really didn't understand his Padawan's situation. Bruck had said Xanatos was nothing but spacer trash and he couldn't have hit closer to home. Xanatos knew that he wasn't popular. He had few friends and even those were more acquaintances than real confidants. And he suspected the same was true for Obi-Wan. As the thought formed in his mind, he tried to ignore the image of Garen, Bant and Reeft that came to him unbidden.

Though even with them, Obi-Wan knew what it meant to be alone. Qui-Gon had never known that feeling. When he had been younger, he had had Mace Windu as his best friend and Tahl. And while he quarrelled constantly with the Council, he didn't have any real enemies. Xanatos sometimes suspected that his Master only opposed them to keep them on their toes.

Today when Xanatos had talked about Bruck's words, Qui-Gon hadn't even known what it was that was upsetting his Padawan so much. And how should he? Qui-Gon Jinn didn't know what it was like to have no one to talk to without fear of rejection, without the fear that one wrong word could cost him what small friendship connected them.

And with that discovery had come the realisation that Xanatos was truly alone.

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Qui-Gon had been meditating for a long time when he finally made his way to bed. It was no use. No matter how much he reflected on the day's events, he couldn't reach a conclusion tonight.

If he only knew what it was that was bothering his Padawan so much. The Master hadn't expected the outburst and he still puzzled over what had triggered it. He had asked Xanatos about it, but his Padawan had told him that it was something he had to figure out on his own and Qui-Gon didn't like the thought of forcing his help on the young man.

And the apprentice had apologised, so it wasn't as if he was being too lenient. And although he had to admit that he did have a hard time keeping up with the young man's thoughts recently, this was still Xanatos, his Padawan, whom he had known since the age of eleven. Surely he would know when something was seriously wrong.

Whatever it was he was missing, he would have to find out tomorrow. For now all he wanted was some peace and a good night's sleep.

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Qui-Gon had known that sooner or later the Council would have a mission for them again. They had been at the Temple longer than usual already and Qui-Gon suspected that it was partly Mace's doing. He knew very well that the Council member had a weak spot for Obi-Wan and wanted to help him in any way he could and he had probably surmised that the best way would be to let the boy's two caretakers remain at the Temple for as long as possible.

As Qui-Gon stood in the grand chamber now, his Padawan a step behind him, he looked over to his old friend; and was surprised to see worry on the other's face. But it was not just worry. The emotion that was almost as clear on Mace's face was defiance, something Qui-Gon didn't see often when dealing with the other on the Council. It was one of the things that had always set them apart. While Qui-Gon almost couldn't last through a single session without questioning the twelve Jedi's collective wisdom, Mace had always adhered by whatever they said. And it was undoubtedly the reason why it was Mace who sat on the Council and not Qui-Gon.

"A mission we have for you and your apprentice, Master Jinn."

Qui-Gon wrenched his gaze away from his friend and focused on Master Yoda instead, whose ears were perked up and whoseface was set into that familiar 'I know exactly what you're thinking' expression.

"A mission to Telos, it is." At the mention of the planet's name, Qui-Gon felt a pulse of an emotion he couldn't quite identify from his Padawan, but he shoved it aside and concentrated instead on Mace, who had taken over the briefing now.

"Investigate the involvement of the planet's leader in several illegal affairs. We sent you a message containing all the relevant details." Mace took a deep breath as if stalling for time in saying his next words, but was rescued by Yoda, who cut in again at this point.

"Take Padawan Kenobi with you, you will."

There was a long silence in the Chamber, while the two Jedi standing in the middle tried to digest what they'd just been told. It was Xanatos who spoke first, taking a step forward to stand beside his Master. His voice was incredulous and matched the expression on his face.

"You can't be serious."

The Council Members' heads turned towards him and Plo Koon said, "You forget your place, Padawan."

But Xanatos wasn't deterred that easily. "How can you even suggest that? He's a small boy and he has deep emotional problems. How can you even think of sending him on a dangerous mission? It's irresponsible."

"Padawan Crion! You will not speak to us like that." It was Master Windu and his sharp gaze finally broke through to Xanatos.

He took a deep breath and then stepped back to stand at his customary spot behind his Master.

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Qui-Gon didn't take the time to give his apprentice a reprimanding look. He was just as outraged at their decision as him. "Masters, with all due respect, I don't think it's wise to take the boy with us. Xanatos is right, the mission is potentially dangerous."

Qui-Gon turned his eyes towards Mace, but his friend was once again not looking at him, so he redirected his gaze to Yoda. There was a certain sadness to the old Master's eyes, but they also showed acceptance and Qui-Gon puzzled over those emotions for a moment, before Yoda spoke again.

"With you, he will go. Leave this evening, you will. May the Force be with you."

Qui-Gon knew that it wouldn't do any good to argue with Yoda. He knew the old Master well enough to realise when he could defy him. This was not one of those times. Bowing, he answered, "And with you, Masters."

He left the Council Chambers, Xanatos following behind him without saying a word.