Disclaimer- This idea is mine, and it came from a dream I had. I wish I owned Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon, and I would not object to Yoda and Padme being thrown into the mix. George Lucas can keep Anakin, at least this version of him. I would like to own Darth Maul so I could perform numerous varieties of unspeakable torture on him.
A/N- Sorry about the wait, life got rather out of control. Kudos to those who guessed what Obi-Wan saw, we find out in this part. As a side note, Anakin is characterized very differently than the way I usually write him. I just needed a change, and it was rather fun. This takes place during the final battle in the Phantom Menace. I hope everyone enjoys!
SWSWSWSWSWSWSWSWSWSW
SWSWSWSWSWSWSWSWSWSW
Purity: Chapter One
Starring: SELF-SACRIFICING! Obi-Wan and CONCERNED! Qui-Gon.
Costarring: ANGRY! young Anakin, CRYPTIC! Yoda, and ANXIOUS! Padme.
Appearances by: DEAD! Maul and a bi-colored, double-bladed lightsaber.
SWSWSWSWSWSWSWSWSWSW
SWSWSWSWSWSWSWSWSWSW
"talking"
'private thoughts'
/communicating through bond/
SWSWSWSWSWSWSWSWSWSW
SWSWSWSWSWSWSWSWSWSW
"We'll handle this."
The statement was calm and confident, which was to be expected coming from the tall, noble Jedi Master. His Learner stepped forward with him, his face pale. No one could tell if Obi-Wan Kenobi was frightened in the facing of a Sith, because his skin was naturally fair. As he dropped his cloak to the floor beside Qui-Gon's, Padme thought she saw a bulge in the front of his tunic. A second later she dismissed it; the beige garment was baggy, what she had seen was likely a fold of cloth.
"We'll take the long way." She led her group down another corridor.
'And so it begins,' the twenty-five-year-old thought, gripping his lightsaber in sweaty palms and activating it. He had only one mission. It was not to protect the Queen, it was not to kill the Sith, it was to protect Qui-Gon. And he would that at any cost.
SWSWSWSWSWSWSWSWSWSW
Obi-Wan jumped the blow that would have knocked him from the narrow catwalk and followed the Sith closely. It would do whatever was necessary to separate him and Qui-Gon, and that was what the Padawan counted on.
Eventually, the Zabrak managed to kick Qui-Gon down four levels. Obi-Wan pursued the Sith to the one above it, and into the service corridor of the disposal pit. Dimly, he could sense his Master following, and being forced to slide to a halt behind the first laser wall.
/Wait for me, Obi-Wan. The Sith will try to separate us, because it knows we are stronger together./
Obi-Wan did not reply with his usual quick acquiescence, which worried Qui-Gon. At the risk of sounding like his Padawan, he had a very bad feeling about this.
As the twenty-five-year-old leapt to his feet from meditation, the laser in front of him cycled open. Qui-Gon waited edgily, knowing he had a very small window of time to make it down the corridor. The laser in front of him would be the last to open, and the one at the end would be the first to close.
The Force was screaming in his ears not to let his Padawan face the Sith alone. He ran full out down the hall, desperation and the all-encompassing power of the Force lending speed to his feet, but to no avail. The last thing he heard before the laser wall shut in front of him was his apprentice's voice.
/Forgive me, Master./
Now truly worried, Qui-Gon could only watch helplessly as Obi-Wan faced off against the Sith alone. While he was surprised and pleased at his student's focus and skill while holding his own against the tattooed Zabrak, the Force still warned...
Then the moment came: the only time during the battle when Qui-Gon identified with the Sith. It was the moment when Obi-Wan deactivated his lightsaber and replaced it in his belt. The Sith could have struck him down then, but was too surprised by the unexpected turn of events. The young man reached into the front of his tunic, and pulled out a long, silver cylinder. Gripping it in both hands, he ignited one side of the lightsaber, then the other. One blade was blue, and one green. Jedi Master and Sith apprentice were unified in their astonishment for a split second before Obi-Wan swung the blue end of his 'saber down on the Zabrak, and the battle began anew.
Darth Maul was, for the first time, concerned about the outcome of the battle. His plan was to wear down the Jedi separately, but he had not factored in the apprentice's skill with his own chosen weapon. The young Jedi lacked some of his finesse, but made up for it with his individual style and determination.
The one small part of Obi-Wan not concentrating wholly on the battle smirked sardonically at the Sith's disquiet. He had been waiting for this for a long time. Qui-Gon would not die, not while there was breath in his body.
The feeling in Darth Maul had gone from concern to dread. This Jedi had a purpose, and it was giving him strength. It was the purpose that baffled the Zabrak, for the only cause which would inspire him so was protection of his own life. Plainly obvious to him was the fact that this apprentice was not fighting for his life. Calm acceptance of his fate sang in the air around him. Maul knew he had to do something quickly or he would die.
There. He saw it. No doubt the Jedi was good, but Darth Maul had been training with a staff lightsaber for decades. A shame this boy could not be Turned to the Dark Side, he would make a powerful ally. Giving a mental shrug, Maul used the inertia and angle of his blow to shove the blue end of the lightsaber through the Jedi's midsection.
"NOOOOOOOOO!" Qui-Gon barely recognized the sound of his own voice as he shouted his denial.
His eyes glazed with pain, Obi-Wan fought to remain upright. He had to strike down the Sith, he could not let it kill his Master. Clenching his teeth, he withdrew the lightsaber from his ribs. Before the Sith could raise his own in defense, he brought the green blade around, cleaving it in two.
By some miracle of the Force, the lasers opened then, and Qui-Gon ran in dropping to his knees at his fallen Padawan's side. As he cradled Obi-Wan's upper torso in his arms, he wondered at the small smile that ghosted across the young face. "Obi-Wan, why?" He heard his voice crack and did not care.
"Not ready to train Anakin, Master... not ready to lose you."
Closing his eyes against the pressure building behind them, the tall Jedi hugged his apprentice as tightly as he dared. /Oh, Little One./
Weakly, Obi-Wan fisted his hands in Qui-Gon's tunic. /You haven't called me that in years... I haven't let you. I always wanted to grow up, to prove I was a great Jedi./ He smiled, feeling the reassuringly strong heartbeat thud against his forehead. /Now, I would give anything to have that time back, to stay your apprentice forever./
/As would I, Little One. I--// he struggled for the words. Obi-Wan had to know how much he meant to him. /Padawan--/
/I know, Master./
Momentarily stilling the hand that was repetitively threading through his son's spiky ginger hair, he spoke aloud. "What?"
/I always have, just... had to believe it./ He paused to gather his thoughts, then continued. /You never had to say anything, it was always there, in everything you said and did. I just couldn't accept, at first, that you could ever love me, that you could ever think of someone so flawed as your son./
/Your flaws, if they must be called that, are what make you who you are. Without them, you would not be my Little One./
His consciousness fading, Obi-Wan clung tighter to the only father he had ever known. /I was always afraid to die alone./ He soothed Qui-Gon's anguish with his peace. /I'm glad you're here with me now, Master. You're the only father in my heart./
Qui-Gon's own heart cracked in two as his Padawan's muscles went slack. Gently cupping his hand around the side of Obi-Wan's face, he felt the steady pulse of the vein at the temple underneath his fingertips. Shocked, he quelled the wild hope rising in him long enough to read the twenty-five-year-old's Force signature. It was weak, but present. Once more the Jedi Master blinked back tears, but this time they were of joy.
SWSWSWSWSWSWSWSWSWSW
Anakin opened the door and bounded in. "Master, sir, guess what I did?"
His bright smile faded as he saw his hero's weary countenance. Qui-Gon forced a smile, saying, "I heard, Ani. That was very brave, and you did well."
The nine-year-old studied him. "What's wrong?"
"Obi-Wan and I were involved in a battle with a Sith. He was injured very gravely; the Healers are not yet sure if he will make it."
Anger flooded Anakin's mind. 'Obi-Wan always ruins everything,' he thought. 'It's his fault I can't be a Jedi, and now it's his fault Qui-Gon isn't happy.' The reaction to his accomplishment was not what he had envisioned; Anakin had pictured the Jedi declaring that he would train him no matter what the Council said, and how proud he was. But Obi-Wan was there, muddling things up again.
"Master Jinn," the Head Healer spoke; neither of the room's occupants had noticed his entrance.
"How is he?" Qui-Gon's attention was immediately focused elsewhere.
Anakin's anger intensified, and he paid no attention to what the Healer said. It was supposed to be his moment, but instead everyone was worried about Obi-Wan. 'I bet he didn't do anything as brave as me, and he messed up since I got hurt. He doesn't deserve Qui-Gon as a teacher.'
"Ani?" Padme asked, having come in while he was lost in his thoughts. "I wondered where you went."
"Sorry, I didn't mean to make you worry."
"It's alright." She smiled at him. "Qui-Gon, have you heard anything?"
Pushing down his rising ire that now Obi-Wan had stolen the attention of his angel, Anakin listened to the assessment. "Physically there is nothing wrong with him, which I cannot understand. I saw the lightsaber--" here his voice faltered, but he went on despite it. "There is not as much as a rip in his tunic. He is deep in a coma they can't wake him from. Master Yoda is on his way, he will be here as soon as he is able."
"I hope everything works out for the best. Please let me know if you hear anything further."
"I will." The Jedi Master's smile was tenuous, but, for the first time, unforced. "Thank you for your concern."
Padme smiled in return, looking slightly sad. "I owe him a great deal."
Too angry to form words, Anakin could only silently follow as she took his hand and led him from the room.
SWSWSWSWSWSWSWSWSWSW
"It's not fair! I'm the person who saved everyone, but they're too busy worrying about Obi-Wan! I deserve to be a Jedi, more than him--"
"A path to the Dark Side, jealousy is."
Anakin and Padme whirled, startled. The nine-year-old recovered fastest. "I'm not jealous of him! Why would I want to be like Obi-Wan?"
"A great Jedi he is. Or will be, if wakes up he does."
"You think there's a chance he won't?" Padme asked, looking troubled.
"Seen him yet, I have not, so say for sure, I cannot. For the sake of many, hope he wakes, I do."
"Perhaps now that you're here, you can convince Qui-Gon to rest. It's been three days, and he hasn't moved. All he does is sit in that chair. I've taken to bringing him food because he won't leave to get it. I'm worried about him-- almost as much as Obi-Wan."
"Surprised, I am not. Cares very much about his apprentice, Qui-Gon does. Strongest bond they have ever seen, they possess. As close as family, they are."
The last statement was pointed at the nine-year-old. Yoda was perfectly aware that Anakin was deluding himself into believing that Qui-Gon would shove his current Padawan to the wayside once he recovered. Chosen One or not, the boy was ignoring reality and seeing only what he wished to. This was not the Jedi way, and the ancient Master was concerned.
Anakin opened his mouth to reply, but Yoda beat him to it. "To Obi-Wan, I will go. Help him, I will."
Padme's strained face relaxed a fractional amount at his surety. "May the Force be with you."
"Thank you, Your Highness. Lucky, your people are, to have you as their Queen."
SWSWSWSWSWSWSWSWSWSW
As Yoda entered the medbay, he paused to take stock of the situation. Qui-Gon's tall form was crammed into a wooden-backed chair, facing away from the door. On the bed in front of him lay the still form of Obi-Wan. He was hooked up to a machine which monitored his heartbeat and brain waves. The small Jedi was glad to see that both lines were steady, and there were no anomalies.
So great was his distraction that Qui-Gon did not notice Yoda until he spoke. "Worry, do not. Recover, he will."
The younger Master looked up at the words. There were lines etched into his careworn face from worry, and his spark had faded as his son lay comatose. A limp hand was held between both of his. "Are you sure?"
"Positive, I am." Yoda smiled at his grandPadawan. "Now, to the 'fresher go, then get something to eat. By the time you return, awake Obi-Wan should be."
"But--" he started to protest.
"Do as I say, you shall. Distract me from my task, your presence will."
"Yes, Master." Qui-Gon smiled slightly for the first time in days. He looked forward to telling his Padawan how much he had rubbed off on him.
SWSWSWSWSWSWSWSWSWSW
Not sure of what to expect, fifteen minutes later he hesitantly opened the door to the medbay, and stopped short.
"Ugh, I think I'd rather stay unconscious. At least the scenery's better there," said a groggy voice.
"Appreciate that, I do not, Obi-Wan Kenobi." Far from angry, Yoda sounded highly amused.
Vocal cords not working, Qui-Gon opted for his other form of communication. /Little One./
/Master/
Crossing the room in three long strides and sitting on the edge of the bed, he hugged his Padawan. /Never again, Obi-Wan. I'm far too old for this./
/I'll do my best Master. But you're not old./
Giving the twenty-five-year-old a slightly watery smile, Qui-Gon turned to Yoda. "I don't understand. What--"
"Understand how this happened, I do not either. An explanation, I think Obi-Wan has for us."
The young man had known this was coming, and looked down at his hands. "I don't know where to start."
"The beginning, a good place is."
He inhaled, held the breath a moment, then let it out. "When I was eighteen, I had a vision of Master dying at the hand of a Zabrak Sith who used a double-bladed lightsaber. I knew I had to stop it, and the only way I could think of was to use a dual-ended 'saber of my own. It took me two years to construct, and another five to learn to wield it. When I saw the Sith on Naboo, I knew the time had come. Since my vision had not told me when this would happen, I sewed an extra pocket into my tunic so I could carry the lightsaber all the time."
"Six years ago," Yoda said slowly. "when went to Ilum for a new lightsaber crystal you did, it was for this?"
"Yes," he sighed tiredly. "What I don't understand is how I'm alive right now. I was stabbed in almost the exact same place Master was in my vision. It hurt a lot, and I thought I was going to become one with the Force."
"And no physical wound, there was." Yoda looked very thoughtful. "Obi-Wan, why made this lightsaber did you? To save Qui-Gon's life?"
The twenty-five-year-old nodded hesitantly, unsure of where this was going.
"And another reason there was not?"
"That's right."
"Then know how you lived, I do. For a pure and untainted reason, this lightsaber was made." He picked up and studied it. "Used for evil, it never can be. Allow the corruption of such selflessness, the Force will not."
Leaving the very surprised staring at him, the short Jedi replaced the lightsaber on the table and turned to leave. Before he had taken two steps, however, he addressed the older of the pair. "Qui-Gon, underestimate not the love of your Padawan, for save you it did."
SWSWSWSWSWSWSWSWSWSW
SWSWSWSWSWSWSWSWSWSW
SWSWSWSWSWSWSWSWSWSW
A/N- As of March 31, 2006, this chapter has been reformatted because our new computer has word. Purity will not have Obidala romance. Padme's comment about owing Obi-Wan a great deal is explained in the interlude, chapter five. This started as just a one-shot, but then I added a prologue, and then I had an idea on how to continue it through the prequel trilogy. How about we just say that Qui-Gon is not the only person whom Obi-Wan's special lightsaber will save. Constructive criticism welcome.
