Chapter 18: Home Again

"Well Master, I can't say I'm sorry that mission took so long."

Obi-Wan Kenobi shot his master a cheeky grin, dodging away as his Master reached to yank on his padawan braid. "Brat. You should be relieved to be home."

"Ah yes, home, where dirty looks are aplenty and people whisper behind our backs," drawled Obi-Wan as he and Qui-Gon moved down the landing ramp to enter the Jedi Temple, "I'm already missing the bounty hunters chasing us across Mandalore."

Qui-Gon snorted. "Or being alone with a certain young duchess...?"

Obi-Wan's lips thinned for a moment before shaking his head. "She had a mouth on her that she knew how to run, but that was about it."

Blonde hair, blue eyes, a fierce and determined personality, so much like Siri, just... civilian, and Mandalorian, instead of a Jedi. The entire year on the run had been one constant and painful reminder after the other. He had shied away from her after the first month of being close, after she had asked him who she reminded him of, who brought that distant look into his eyes. She was a good young woman, fierce, yet desired peace, he bode her no ill will. He just couldn't bring himself to love and lose again. It would have been exactly like Siri, grow close for a short time, than either be ripped away by her dying, or him returning to the Jedi after the mission was finished. Qui-Gon had taught him well, on how to guard his heart, and hold onto a fading memory with a fierce and unjedi-like grip.

"So... not it on writing the report," said Obi-Wan.

"I believe a Master's prerogative trumps that my young Padawan," countered Qui-Gon.

"You can't use that twice in a row!" exclaimed Obi-Wan with mock outrage as they trudged through the Temple hanger bay, "We agreed on that rule!"

"I only recall you agreeing to that," said Qui-Gon in a perfect calm tone, not quite masking the sly look in his eyes.

"Oh great, they're back."

Neither of them responded to or acknowledged the mutter as they passed into the hallways of the Jedi Temple, far to used to their reputation now to care. Forever stained from that one fateful mission, regardless of their near perfect success rate now that they had taken up missions again. Though, perhaps their methods of success left some things to be desired, at least from the rest of the Jedi anyway. Obi-Wan had been sheepish about his Master's maverick tendencies before, trying (unsuccessfully) to balance that out. Now, he frankly didn't care so much. He rather enjoyed doing his own thing and ruffling feathers, kind of saw why Qui-Gon generally went out of his way to be a nuisance to the Council. So rigged and stuffy and condemning, they needed to be challenged every now and then.

Or they'd just see fit to slap ridiculous six-month-long censures on innocent Master-Padawan pairs and do nothing to discourage the baseless rumors and blame going around. To be fair, they didn't encourage them either, the temple rumor mill was just 'beneath' them to deal with.

"How about a compromise?" suggested Qui-Gon.

Obi-Wan reflexively groaned.

"Now that's uncalled for Padawan mine," chided Qui-Gon, "I'm honest this time."

"Alright, alright," said Obi-Wan with a sigh, "Let's here this great 'compromise'."

"It's rather simple, I handle the Council, you handle the physical report to submit," offered Qui-Gon.

Actually... that wasn't to bad. He wasn't going to outright admit it to his Master, stuffy old man would be grinning at him... kind of like he was now. Ah dammit, training bond spoiled his thoughts on the matter. Qui-Gon gave him a poorly masked smile and motioned away. "Off with you, go get something to eat, find those friends of yours."

Ah yes, all four of them. Bant, Garen, Reeft, and thankfully Vos (and once Siri). Quinlan had just needed time to cool off after losing a shared friend before he came back, as ridiculous as ever. Speaking of which...

As Obi-Wan entered the line for the temple cafeteria, he couldn't help but spot Vos not-so-subtly flirting with... Padawan Shyler if Obi-Wan recalled, a brown haired and eyes female human with light skin. Obi-Wan grinned and scooted up behind him before 'bumping' the young man to topple right into the target of his affection, the pair of them bumbling against one another to try and not to fall down.

Obi-Wan couldn't help but snicker. "Oy! Watch it you clumsy Kiffar!"

Vos balanced himself against Shyler and then separated, whirling on Obi-Wan, face flushed a bit before spotting who had pushed him and grinning at his fellow Padawan. "Look whose talking Oaffy-Wan."

"Rude and uncivilized," chided Obi-Wan in mock scolding.

"You two are terrible," said Padawan Shyler, turning to face forward in the line, "Let me know when you're done flirting with your boyfriend Vos."

Quinlan sputtered. "H-hey!"

Obi-Wan slung an arm over the Kiffar's shoulder. "I didn't know you were available Quinlan."

Quinlan rolled his eyes. "I liked it better when you were hung up and stingy Obi-Wan, you're stepping into my territory here."

"I was never either of those."

Most definitely not.

"Rrriiightttt."

Okay, maybe a bit.

The two young men shared a grin and burst out laughing, drawing disgruntled looks from the more calm Padawans and knights around them. Most masters didn't even spare them a look. He followed Quinlan through the line, and to their usual table, delighted that both Bant and Reeft were there. No Garen, but it was rare that all four of them would be in the temple cafeteria at once between their various missions, duties, and classes.

"Finally back Obi-Wan," said Bant, relief in her voice, "I was keeping up with as much news from Mandalore as I could. It sounded dreadful over there."

Obi-Wan gave a tight smile. "Well, I am now much more aware of Mandalorian culture, and how bounty hunters operate, than I was before. To say the least, and-Reeft! Stop stealing my food!"

He jabbed a fork down and pinned his meat directly to his plate, stopping the sneak attempt to take it. The Dressellian pouted a bit. "But I'm so hungry! Can't you spare..."

"No," said Obi-Wan flatly, a growl escaping his lips, "Bic b ner."

Reeft blinked. "What does that mean?"

"It's Mando'a for 'It's mine.'"

"Ooooh, picked up some Mandalorian eh?" teased Vos, "Got any cuss words?"

"The food we ate on the run was osi'kyr," said Obi-Wan flatly, "Sorry Reeft, but I'm eating all my meals for awhile, went hungry enough times over the last year keeping the Duchess's energy up."

Reeft pouted, and Vos perked up, "Is osi'kyr Mando'a for shit?"

Obi-Wan gave a sheepish smile. "Maybe, you didn't hear it from me though."

"Oh man, I can't wait to tell people how full of osi'kyr they are," said Vos was a small cackle.

The table turned into a mess of snickers and laughs; Obi-Wan, 'finally', let himself fully relax for nearly the first time in roughly a year on the run. It was good to be home among his friends again. Speaking of friends, "So, where's Garen? Somewhere in the temple? Or did I miss him going off on a mission?"

And then the pleasant atmosphere was gone in the span of a second, an awkward uncomfortable sensation roiling from his friends. No one immediately answered before Bant gave a quiet sigh, "That's right, you wouldn't have heard, what being in your mission for so long."

"Heard what?"

"Garen is dead Obi-Wan," said Bant tiredly.

It was like a heavy, metal sucker punch to the gut. "Dead? What?!"

"He and Knight Rhara were ambushed by pirates on their way back from their mission," said Bant, a soft air of grief in her voice, "Their ships were blown apart."

Obi-Wan closed his eyes tightly, his whole body tensed and pained. Another friend gone... another friend lost... "Oh... when...?"

"Almost a month ago," said Vos, serious and solemn for once.

Obi-Wan sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "I missed the pyre then, didn't I?"

"Yeah, it was held about a week after the Order finished it's investigation and recovered fragments of their ships," said Vos, "Wasn't really... anything... left to burn, but having the ceremony was better than nothing. Right?"

"Yeah," said Obi-Wan quietly, "I suppose it is."

He let his eyes slide over Vos, Reeft, and Bant, wondering how long it would be until he lost them too. They fell into silence, eating quietly, until they went their separate ways. Obi-Wan retreated to his quarters and began to type up the report of the year-long mission, something to dull his mind on while trying to process the loss of his friend. He let his melancholy spread through the room, infusing it as a warning. Both he and Qui-Gon tended to do this as a note for eachother to know they were in 'that mood'. Generally, the other would fetch tea and either work through it, or simply bask in shared misery. Though judging by the irritation Obi-Wan felt down his training bond, Qui-Gon was going to be busy with the Council for awhile yet...

He couldn't help but linger, as he had done with Siri. "Picked off by pirates... you probably hated going out like that Garen. Told me if you had to go, you wanted to do it saving lives."

He frowned briefly, feeling a small... waver... in the Force, a brief sensation of falseness. He couldn't for the life of him figure out why and for what. But he dismissed it and resumed his typing. It was going to take ages to get this done...

So when Qui-Gon walked in, a perpetual scowl on his face from his meeting with the Council, several hours later, Obi-Wan was hardly even a quarter-way-done. Qui-Gon paused at the entryway, a slight hint of concern on his face, before releasing his irritation into the Force and moving to the kitchen. The man walked to their table, set down a teapot with cups, and filled them, pushing over one to Obi-Wan and keeping one for himself.

"Garen Muln and Knight Rhara are dead," said Obi-Wan to the unasked question.

There was a tightening around Qui-Gon's grip, a disgruntled sigh escaping his lips. "I see."

Qui-Gon's eyes grew distant for a moment. "Rhara, Tahl, and I... grew up together. She was a good knight, charismatic, and held a love for the stars despite training as a Guardian."

That's right, his Master had known her. Joy, they got to share their misery again.

The notion must have passed along the bond, because Qui-Gon gave a self-depreciating chuckle. They drank tea in silence while Obi-Wan resumed typing, his fingers grew sluggish, lacking energy to even really bother. He only kept up the attempt because if it took to long, he'd get hounded at for it.

"We put dye into the Pools of a Thousand Fountains once," mused Qui-Gon in soft recollection, "Rhara took the blame for it, but she bore the punishment with a smile on her face, allowing her cohorts to go undetected and continue their 'dastardly sabotage'."

Obi-Wan smiled a little. "How long did that last?"

"About until I put hair dye into Master Dooku's shampoo."

Obi-Wan snickered a little. "What color?"

"Purple."

He tried to imagine it, but couldn't. "I can't even..."

"I might still have a holo-picture somewhere, give me a minute," said Qui-Gon, standing up and retreating into his room.

He returned with - Obi-Wan's breath hitched a little - a datapad Qui-Gon kept his old holo-pictures in, many of Tahl. It wasn't something most Jedi had, but Qui-Gon kept the possession as a fond collection of memories. The man flicked through it before handing it to Obi-Wan...

And he burst out laughing at the much younger, undignified, purple haired Master Dooku clothed in nothing but a towel glaring out at him, streaks of purple running down his hair and chest. "You should remind him of this the next time he visits."

"I might," mused Qui-Gon, "Then again, I might not. He'd make this disappear if he found out I had that image in it."

Obi-Wan shook his head slowly at that, leaning back. "Hmm, Garen and I had a habit of revenge-pranking Bruck when we were younger."

Qui-Gon raised an eyebrow, with slight hesitation. Obi-Wan didn't talk about Bruck Chun much after all, and generally not of his own will, he knew that. "Mostly it was little things, trips, tossed food, bumps, hiding his datapads, that kind of thing. But, considering how much of an ass Bruck was to me, it... well... I appreciated Garen going out of his way to look after me."

"Did Bant join in?"

Obi-Wan gave him a charming smile. "What do you take Padawan Eerin for? An uncivilized savage?"

"So she was worse than you two?"

"Oh you have no idea," agreed Obi-Wan, "She's viscous over those she's protective of. I'm not going to tattle on her though."

They shared a conspiratory smile, and for the rest of the day-into-night, traded one story after another about their fallen friends...

Obi-Wan watched as Garen and Knight Rhara walked down a dimly lit long hallway, whispering something to one another as they approached an elevator. Obi-Wan saw the door open, and a dark figure stood in the entryway, watching the pair of Jedi. Obi-Wan couldn't get a good read on the figure, it was blurry, coated with darkness, masking it properly from view. There was a brief flicker of blonde hair and blue eyes upon a female figure. It was... familiar... where had he seen this before? Wait... wait... the vision! He remembered, the vision he had of him and Qui-Gon dueling the figure! Of the figure beginning to run Qui-Gon through...

He watched as the Jedi approached, trepidation roiling through him, and then they took notice of the figure. Garen seemed surprised, and then excited at first. A reaction that stumped Obi-Wan. He wished he could hear what Garen was saying, he seemed to know who the figure was. Knight Rhara was more wary, studying the figure intently, warily. Then, the figure igniting a blood red lightsaber and dove at Garen. Rhara ignited her blade and caught the blow.

The sheer -betrayal- emanating from Garen was palpable. He was shocked, devastated, by the figure trying to kill him. He stood there in a stupor, watching his Master fight and start to rapidly lose the duel against the unknown darksider. Garen joined in, but was thrown back, and then... the darksider picked apart the Jedi Knight, Obi-Wan recognized the art of Makashi in her movements from some of the lessons Master Dooku had given him. The Darksider stabbed quickly, in triple succession, and then decapitated the knight when she collapsed to the ground.

Garen's pain and grief was palpable as he charged the darksider. Garen struck wild, heavy blows, pushing... no, the Darksider was letting herself be pushed back. The end came quickly, she scored a blow against his legs, crippling him, and then Garen said something, making the darksider charge him in anger. Garen tried, desperately, one last strike, but she evaded it and struck him down, severing through his spine, and then stabbing him through the back, killing him.

Anger and grief ripped through Obi-Wan at the sight...

And then he was slightly stunned, and confused, to see the darksider bury her face into Garen's back, a pitched wail of loss escaping her lips. She was mourning...?

Then, the elevators opened up, and a pitch black figure stalked forward, radiating darkness, evil, enough to chill Obi-Wan to his core. It demanded something of the younger darksider, who didn't react, aside from a sob. It seemed to enrage the elder darksider, and lightning ripped from his fingertips, screams of peace ripping through the air...

Obi-Wan gasped and bolted upright in his bed, sweat rolling down his forehead, breathing raggedly. He stared at nothing for a long moment, struggling with what the Force had shown him. He felt... violently ill... this... this wasn't a dream. The Force had shown him this... Garen hadn't been killed by pirates, he had been murdered by a darksider... who mourned his death? It made no sense... yet...

Obi-Wan licked his lips, flicked on his lights, and went for his com-link, silently praying it would be picked up.

His grandmaster's articulate tone chimed through. "It is rather late on Coruscant for you to be contacting me, my young grandpadawan."

"Master Dooku... I..."

"What is it Obi-Wan?" lightly-veiled concern was in his voice.

"I had a vision, two really," he admitted.

"I see," said Dooku slowly, "Is this not something your Master should help with?"

"Dreams pass in time," muttered Obi-Wan, "That's all he's ever said on the topic before."

"Ah," murmured Dooku, "Well, that, you may fault me for. It was my advice for him, though, his mostly were just dreams or nightmares rather than visions, attuned to the living force as he is."

Dooku went silent for a moment, thinking, before answering, "I have some time, I was about to enter hyperspace towards my next spot in my investigation, I can wait for awhile and listen."

"This... might be pertinent to your investigation," said Obi-Wan tensely.

"Oh?" he could hear the focus in Dooku's voice at that.

"Did you know Knight Rhara and her Padawan, Garen Muln?"

"I knew the former as a young troublemaker my Padawan was somewhat fond of," said Dooku slowly, not quite sounding like he knew where this was going, but allowing it.

"Garen was my friend," said Obi-Wan softly, "Both he and his master were supposedly killed by pirates about a month ago."

"Ah, I'm sorry for your loss," said Dooku before shifting focus, "Supposedly?"

"I had a vision, they weren't killed by pirates, they were killed by a darksider."

He heard a faint hiss though the comlink. "Detail this vision, now."

So he did, and when he finished, he waited silently, before Dooku said one, firm word. "Iris."

"What?"

"Do you remember, what I told you, about Master Ur Manka, and the fallen padawan he had taken in?"

"Vaguely... something about a female padawan who had been tortured dark by... oh," said Obi-Wan, the connection dawning on him.

"Yes, oh," said Dooku irritably, though Obi-Wan felt the irritation was not directed at him, "If the figure you saw was this powerful darksider, and he must have been to use Force Lightning," there was a distasteful shudder from Dooku, "Then it is evident she fell back into his hands, and he is working to make the girl damn herself. This is worse than I expected it to be at this point. He's training a Jedi Killer, turning one of our own against us. Thank you for this information Obi-Wan, I'll look into Knight Rhara and Padawan Muln's last mission as a possible clue in my investigation..."

"Wait Master Dooku, I... I told you there was a second vision," said Obi-Wan uneasily.

There was silence for a moment, and a weary sigh. "Go on then."

So he did, trying to recall as best he could the vision he had over a year ago, ending as the vision had been cut off with the darksider, with Iris about to run Qui-Gon through. Dooku was deathly silent for a long moment, then his voice grew icy. "I see. How much older did you appear in this vision?"

"I... a few years at least, I think?" he said uncertainly, "I looked a little more mature. No more than five years from now, I think."

"And still a Padawan?" inquired Dooku slowly.

"I still had a braid."

Dooku went silent again for another long, and very uncomfortable moment. "I will pick up the pace then. This 'Iris' will become a dangerous threat, to be able to face one of our most successful Master-Padawan pairs and win. No, is already a dangerous threat. She must be neutralized, and her dark master hunted down."

Obi-Wan hesitated, thinking of the grief the darksider had shown, and as much as he was angry over Garen's death, compassion was the way of the Jedi. "Do you think anything could be done for 'Iris'?"

"At this point Obi-Wan, it might be better to just put 'Iris' out of her misery, it would be a kindness," said Dooku firmly.

Obi-Wan said nothing at that, just sighing.

"Go to sleep Obi-Wan," said Dooku tiredly, "Let the old men clean up the mess of their generation and pave the way for a better future for the young. Keep this between us for now my grandpadawan."

With that, Dooku ended the transmission, leaving Obi-Wan alone. The padawan flicked off his lights, sitting alone in the darkness. He played the vision over in his mind, again and again, trying to see if he could figure anything else out of it. The pain, each time he saw Garen die, lessened, and instead, it was replaced by a sense of loss and waste, both for Garen...

And for Iris...

What a waste of young, promising Jedi...

Author's Notes:

I didn't plan on having Siri and Dooku meet before the aftermath of the Phantom Menace, but... now I feel the need for a clash. :D

Poor Obi-Wan, so close to putting it together, just missing a few key details...

Anyway, next chapter, The Road to Damnation, is the last before we skip to the Phantom Menace. I'm going to give preemptive warnings that Siri is going to be doing awful, uncomfortable, and well, damning things.

Review Responses:

Nerdman3000: Luck maybe? IDK, my writing can be a swing or a miss at times. Zannah is going to continue steadily as a character, on and off a few times, until the end of the story. Grandma Zannah and little Leia anyone? I just imagine Leia trying to chew on the holocron as a toddler. :D

Wotaddict: I have a love for all things time-travel. Its a devious delight for me in fanfiction, so long as its done at least somewhat acceptably. Time Traveling just to make the same choices all over again except for the last one is a pointless thing for me. I so want to incorperate it somehow... hmm... theres ideas for that, depending on what ending I go for with this story.