Disclaimer: Xani and Obi don't belong to me, but the other characters are mine and they're the lucky ones to be able to exist in such an awesome galaxy.
A/N: I'm spoiling you guys, updating so frequently like this. But, I don't have so much homework this week and I'm on a roll! Just as a heads up, in this chapter a few months have passed by since Obi-Wan and Xanatos have joined forces.
Chapter 9
A step in the right direction-Five months later-
Kaede made his way down the flight of stairs to the ground level of the mansion. Around him, servants were running around cleaning and preparing the house for the masters' return. Reaching the bottom, the head butler looked at the grandfather clock. An hour left before Master Xanatos Crion and Master Obi-Wan Kenobi would return soon from one of their business meetings. Catching his reflection in the glass, Kaede took the moment to straighten out his white coat. The traditional Telosian uniform consisted of tanned pants, black shirt and white jacket that were durable enough to withstand manual labor but stylish enough to wear at important events. His almost purely gray hair was slick back and the trimmed goatee showed the face of dignified man who had lived his entire life in servitude.
"But didn't regret any of it, especially this choice of working for Master Crion," smiled Kaede, his crows' feet showing briefly on his leather skin.
"They're here!" screamed one of the female servants, sending all the others in a flurry of arms, bodies and clothes.
Sighing, Kaede just waited quietly by the door, waiting for the time to open it. Soon, the house quieted down and the servants lined the lobby. Hearing the sound of footsteps, Kaede was about to open the door when the massive wooden door swung in. Kaede jumped back in time from getting smashed in the face and locked his eyes on the tense figure of Obi-Wan Kenobi.
Obi-Wan couldn't stand Xanatos' mundane excuses and needed to get as far away from the man. So, when the speeder stopped, Obi-Wan grabbed his dusty, worn-out, ripped knapsack and sprung out of the vehicle. Hearing, Xanatos yell at him, Obi-Wan just kicked open the door and stormed towards the stairs.
"Obi-Wan Kenobi, you stop right there," ordered Xanatos' stern voice from the doorway.
Obi-Wan turned around, his dirty, blood covered tunics rustling slightly allowing some dust to land on the newly cleaned floor. "What?" sneered the boy, bangs lightly fall on his tanned forehead, making him look menacing. "From what I got from our conversation, we have nothing more to say to each other."
"Don't take that tone with me young man," warned Xanatos as he fully stepped into the lobby.
Both men seemed unaware of the servants standing still, looking nervously at the floor. Kaede quietly shut the door and stood behind Xanatos. While Obi-Wan looked like he came back from a brawl where there was a lot of sand, Xanatos was so clean that even his boots shined slightly in the light. His dangly black was long enough to tie back into a low ponytail, leaving the broken circle scar out in the open.
"I had it in my hand, Xanatos! Right there!" Obi-Wan jabbed a finger into his palm, "Three months of research and I finally found another Saterin knowledge chip, besides yours."
"It was a fake."
"No, it wasn't! I could feel it!"
"The Dathomir witches are masters at replicating Force signatures. It was a walk in the park for them to replicate the Force—" reasoned Xanatos.
But Obi-Wan threw his hands in the air, releasing his frustrations in his movement, "Just forget about it, Xan. I'll just have to go back another time and form another excavation team to find the chip again. No problem what so ever."
With that said, Obi-Wan bolted up the stairs, took a left turn, stormed down the hall and slammed his door shut. Xanatos was about to yell something when the sound of the door locked echoed down to the first floor. Hands clenched in fists, Xanatos sighed and turned to face Kaede.
"I'll have my supper in the study, Kaede."
"Yes, sir," spoke Kaede quietly as he bowed. Lifting his head up, the butler watched Xanatos walk down and lock himself in his study. Fin, the head maid, clapped her hands and the servants scattered to their positions.
The elderly woman walked up to Kaede, "Well at least this return trip didn't result in any broken objects or bones."
"Yet," laughed Kaede softly.
Fin nodded, "Well, I guess I shall go and make dinner. I know what Xanatos wants, but I still have to figure out Master Kenobi. The boy is not very talkative to me."
Kaede sighed, "I'll go see what he wants."
"Thanks, Kaede."
With that said, the two servants went their separate ways, Fin to the kitchen and Kaede up to Master Kenobi's room. Knocking quietly, Kaede waited for a reply. All he got was a shout. Walking into the room, Kaede shook his head as the door closed quietly behind him. The room was the size of a one-bedroom apartment. Walking in, one would be in the living room with a large table in the middle and a wrap around sofa. Off to his right was a door leading to the boy's bedroom and within that a large bed and closet. Before entering the bedroom there was a little bar area, which for now only contained water and juices but also where a pile of Kenobi's dirty clothes were conglomerated. Then to the opposite of the room was the study corner where Obi-Wan's desk was littered with contents emptied from the worn-out knapsack that now hung draped across the wooden chair. The computer was already running and scanning some unknown file. And right across from the study was the bathroom. Stepping out from the steaming room, Obi-Wan ruffled his hair with a towel and a pair of light tunic pants and shirt. He walked over to the computer and turned off the screen.
Obi-Wan turned around and laughed, "I surely missed hot showers and being clean."
"Of course, sir. It is reasonable. But then again, you did want to go out there yourself to some backwater planet and retrieve the chip yourself," reprimanded Kaede softly.
Obi-Wan nodded and tossed the towel into the bathroom, "It must have been nice and quiet for a change with both Xanatos and I gone for a month."
"Actually sir, I missed the action."
Obi-Wan laughed and plopped himself down on the sofa before picking up a book. Kaede watched the boy skim the book. Obi-Wan only relaxed like this in front of Kaede, for the butler had taken the role of a confidant with whom Obi-Wan could talk his problems with openly since the two had first meet five months ago. Kaede was a far distant relative of the Saterin. But unlike other descendants whose blood was in such a small percentage to the point where they could no longer access their powers, Kaede, despite his small bloodline, was able to sense other more powerful Saterins. When Xanatos had come to visit his former master's household, Kaede knew that he had to leave and work for the Dark Jedi.
Years passed by till the day when Xanatos brought a wary Obi-Wan Kenobi to this mansion. The mansion existed deep in the countryside of Telos, far away from the hustle of the cities becoming a haven for Xanatos to come and break away from societies' regulations. Kaede felt a slight shift in the atmosphere and knew that Obi-Wan's attitude had changed. The first time he set eyes on the boy, he was in awe. Everyone in the household could tell that this boy was special and would one day be of significant stature. Obi-Wan quickly made friends with the servants and usually wanted to help out, but Kaede would gently tell him no and to do his studies. Obi-Wan would sigh and sit out in the garden learning the economics of mining. When Xanatos would return, the two would have a large discussion and if the debate didn't end well, there would be the sound of a something cracking or breaking. The next day would be of tension and Obi-Wan and Xanatos would barely speak to one another. But by the third day, everything was back to normal.
Looking down at the boy, Kaede watched Obi-Wan run a nervous hand through his hair. "Sir, is something the matter?"
"Kaede…" Obi-Wan's gaze shifted to the table, "The more I think about it, Xanatos was right about the chip. When I was on Dathamor and the witches handed me the chip, I knew deep down that it was fake, that the witches would never part with something of such great importance so easily. But, I was blind with ambition…with obsession. If Xanatos hadn't come to check on me and then force me to leave, ending in a dogfight between us two and the witches, I doubt I would be alive to see my next birthday."
Kaede's shoulders sagged and he walked up to Obi-Wan.
"I was too stubborn to admit that I was wrong and that Xanatos was right. We bickered the whole way back about fears, anger and obsession. My search for knowledge was clouding up my judgment and…" the boy's voice broke as tears threatened to fall, "I was so scared that I would fail in this quest…like how I failed at being a Jedi. I know deep down that you can be considered a Jedi if you follow the values, but I almost gave in again. I almost let the Dark Side take me."
Obi-Wan wrapped his arms around himself to stop the shivering. Kaede knelt down on the floor and placed his hands on both Obi-Wan's shoulders.
"But from what I can see, sir, you are still a boy, not a old man. Don't be so hard on yourself and enjoy life." Kaede saw the a small smile tug at Obi-Wan's mouth and he continued, "It is ok to fail sometimes, but I have a feeling that when the time comes, you won't fail but achieve things beyond what you were after. And this talk of the Dark Side, hmph, all it sounds to me is that you need to control your emotions a bit more."
"Everyone says control, Kaede. It sounds so easy…"
"It takes years of practice, sir. When I was your age, I didn't have an ounce of control that you have. I was such a handful."
Obi-Wan smiled and looked up at Kaede, his cheerful spark returning to his eyes. "You a handful? Wish I had seen that."
Kaede grinned as he got up, "Oh, no sir. You wouldn't have had any fun whatsoever. Now, what would you like for dinner?"
Obi-Wan eased up off the sofa, "Whatever Fin is planning, and I'm not picky. All I want is a nice home cooked meal."
Kaede nodded as he walked out of the room and down the stairs followed by Obi-Wan. At the bottom, Obi-Wan turned towards Xanatos' study, "Kaede."
Kaede was already heading to the kitchen when he stopped and turned, "Sir?"
"Thanks."
"You are welcome, sir."
Obi-Wan nodded and began walking towards the study. The boy stopped in front of the door, his hand itching to open the door. Collecting his emotions, Obi-Wan closed his eyes and centered himself, releasing the more negative emotions into the Force. Opening his eyes, Obi-Wan opened the door and stepped into the study.
He spotted Xanatos' form leaning over the huge desk, his eyes darting back and forth from the documents strewn on his desk.
"Well, this is a surprised."
Obi-Wan frowned. He had wanted to be the first to speak, but once again Xanatos had proven to be one step ahead of him.
"I've come to ask you something."
"Oh. What is it? I thought you said we had already discussed everything."
Obi-Wan shifted, folded his hands in front of him and stared at the floor.
"I haven't got all day, boy. And stop playing with your hands, if you want to keep your enemy in the dark, don't reveal any signs of nervousness."
Obi-Wan gripped his pants and looked up at Xanatos. The Dark Jedi was still reading his documents. "I've come to ask you how you…handle your obsession."
Xanatos stopped reading and locked eyes with Obi-Wan, "Well, it depends on what you think my obsession is, or do you think revenge and obsession are the same thing?"
"They can be," whispered Obi-Wan as he sat down in a leather chair in front of Xanatos' desk.
Xanatos narrowed his eyes, "Really? Well then my answer is simple. Whenever I get the chance, I give into my goal to kill Qui-Gon. And when I don't have the chance, I continue on running Offworld. You see I don't make the two overlap. People don't want to make allies with a man who in his free plan plots multiple ways to kill a certain Jedi."
Whether the last part was suppose to funny, Obi-Wan didn't laugh nor cracked a smile. "So, you create two separate lives?"
Xanatos nodded, "In a way. If you focus too much on your goal, you'll lose your—"
Obi-Wan crossed his arms, his face revealing a tiny bit of his anger, "Oh like your revenge on Qui-Gon isn't your main focus."
Xanatos smirked, "Touché Obi-Wan. He was my main focus but not nowadays. I have different priorities."
"Oh, like me?" mocked Obi-Wan.
Xanatos rolled his eyes, "Why I bother with you sometimes, is beyond me." Shifting his gaze back at Obi-Wan, the older man's voice deepened, "You need balance in your life, Obi-Wan, something to counter this obsessive search for knowledge. If you don't find this balance, your little goal of 'remaining in the Light' will fail and you'll fall to the Dark Side." With a grin, Xanatos leaned forward, "And I know how much you don't want fail."
Obi-Wan smirked, hiding his anger towards Xanatos' statement. Xanatos knew which strings to pluck and Obi-Wan was getting mad at how easy the Dark Jedi read him. Leaning forward to meet Xanatos, Obi-Wan allowed glee to enter his eyes, "That's what I came in here for, Xan. I want to put some of the stuff I've been learning to use in Offworld Company. I want to go with you and listen in on the meetings."
"You want to learn how to negotiate?" asked Xanatos.
Obi-Wan nodded.
Xanatos' leaned back and laughed, "Very well. Pull up a chair and you can begin by helping me read through these warrants, proposals and summary meetings."
"Ok," agreed Obi-Wan as he scooted his chair closer to the desk and began reading the material closet to him. Looking up after a couple minutes, Obi-Wan glanced at Xanatos who had returned to reading his document and was deep in thought.
"Who would have thought Xanatos and I actually working together after all these months without a single bickering remark between us," thought Obi-Wan as his mind began to drift at the countless times he had sat in the exact chair and end up pinned against it, Xanatos' threatening form hovering about him, his arm about to break from the pressure. But soon, the pressure would leave and Xanatos would back away and leave the room. There had been countless times he would have left the Dark Jedi, but Xanatos words kept haunting him. Where would he go? Could he survive out there? He had been on some other planets since he left Badamoor, but he always found himself in a life or death situation. Of course, Xanatos would show up and save him, which was humiliating and only furthered his fear of failing.
"Obi-Wan."
The single word through their bond forced Obi-Wan out of his train of thoughts. "Sorry."
"Don't be sorry, but try not to daydream or have visions during meetings, ok."
Obi-Wan smiled and nodded. Something had changed between the two at that moment and Obi-Wan felt relived that Xanatos had not reprimanded him, like he did before.
"I could get use to this. Ok, Obi-Wan, now focus!" Obi-Wan coughed and focused on the document before him. It was a much-needed change in subject from Saterin culture to underwater mining at some distant moon to help the boy clear his head and find his center.
Xanatos leaned against the doorframe leading to the balcony, and allowed the soft wind to cool off his body. Thanks to Obi-Wan, catching up on his work didn't take the average two days, but just one. After a long dinner and a conversation about the latest trends in the galaxy, Obi-Wan had thanked him and went to his room. That was three hours ago and Xanatos still couldn't fall asleep. His mind was working in too many gears. But the one thought that always kept him up at night was the glimpse into Obi-Wan's vision five months ago.
The Sith/Jedi still haunted his mind and those yellow eyes mocked at him, as if they were hiding something. Xanatos' eyes widen. The Dark Jedi knew that Obi-Wan would confront his fears, for even in five months the boy had conquered the tiniest of fears, such as high speed flying. The boy's main was the fear of failing. However, Obi-Wan had made a big step in controlling that fear today.
Xanatos' frowned, "No. There is another fear, an even greater fear and it exists in the future. And that Sith knows of it. That is what he is hiding." Closing his eyes, the Dark Jedi brought up the vision in his mind and began analyzing it. There! It was faint but in the background there was something…no someone, a group of people. Children! But why would Obi-Wan be afraid for children. Sure they were children and he probably was afraid for their safety, but there was another explanation for making this fear up to par with his fear of failure.
The man heard the faint steps of a person and turned to see Obi-Wan standing there barefoot in his pajama pants, his chest glittering in sweat and his eyes red with tears.
"Another vision?"
Obi-Wan shook his head, "A nightmare. I was trapped in a wall of red and this creature with horns came at me. His eyes were yellow. I hope it's a nightmare…it didn't feel the same as a vision did, but still the intensity…"
"Either way, you must accept it and never forget. Whether it was your unconscious, Austral's memories or the Force, it hurt you enough to come down here and talk to me about it." Xanatos went up and placed a hand on Obi-Wan's shoulder. "You can stay down here as long as you want. I find it peacefully out there in the garden."
"Thanks," whispered Obi-Wan.
Xanatos walked towards the lobby but before he left, he turned and studied Obi-Wan's profile. The boy was only 13 but his visions and Austral's memories had made the boy see life's horrors. It was amazing the child hadn't broken or gone mad.
"You don't need to thank me, Obi-Wan." With that said, Xanatos made his way to his room, leaving a once depressed boy smile warmly for the first time in five months.
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A/N: My longest chapter yet! Booyah! I liked how Obi-Wan grew up to be the Negotiator during the Clone Wars. So as you can tell, Obi-Wan is still going to have that talent, just for a different group, instead of the Jedi for Offworld. Otherwise, I hope you guys liked this chapter. I'll try and update soon again. I'm planning on introducing another new character who will affect Obi-Wan greatly in the future, hehehehe.