In one of the great halls of the massive Theed palace, the young Obi-Wan Kenobi knelt before Master Yoda. Outwardly, he seemed the picture of patience. In his heart, however, he knew only pain. Pain, yet determination.
Of course, Yoda saw the internal as clearly as he saw the external facade. It was this exact thing that had cemented the council's decision. "Confer on you the level of Jedi Knight, the Council does," Yoda told him somberly. His defeat of the Sith merited this, no doubt.
Kenobi inclined his head.
"But," Yoda added, "agree with you taking this boy as your Padawan learner... I do not."
"Qui-Gon believed in him," defended the young man. "And I gave him my word. I will train Anakin."
"Not with the approval of the Council will you." Yoda's lambent green eyes narrowed. "The Chosen One the boy may be, but grave danger we all fear in his training."
I thought as Jedi we believed in letting go of our fear , Obi-Wan thought derisively. His mind raged. His heart hammered. He looked away from Yoda, unable to meet his eyes as he worked through this cataclysmic revelation. Never, never in his life had he gone against the Council. Not once. He knew them, respected them as the bastion of peace and wisdom that they were; he always had. But now—now—
Now he finally understood what Qui-Gon had meant when he had said: I will do what I must, Obi-Wan .
So would he. He would keep his word, do his duty to Qui-Gon. When faced with a choice between obeying the Council and obeying his Master's last wish… he knew which mattered to him more. Obi-Wan looked back up, meeting the Grand Master's gaze with calmness now. "Then I will train him, without your approval. I will do what I must."
