A/N: In the Wild Space novel we learn that the return of the Sith was kept secret from the Republic at large. That is what I based certain things in this chapter on.
RESOLVE II
2.
Obi-Wan didn't know why the council wanted him to return to Coruscant with such haste, but he suspected it had something to do with Dooku. No one had seen the former Jedi Master turned lord of the Sith since the conflict on Serenno four months previous. The CIS spent a great deal of time reassuring its constituents that Count Dooku was well and would return to the public eye with time.
Of course, no one outside the Jedi Order knew that Dooku had become a Sith lord. Few knew what a Sith even was, for that matter. A thousand years of peace had swept away all memory of them. Not a living soul knew what they were truly capable of, save for the Jedi—and the former queen of Naboo, Padme Amidala—as well as the occasional history buff who'd taken a special interest in galactic wars. Obi-Wan knew it was better that the knowledge of Dooku's turn, and the return of the Sith be kept quiet. The potential for panic was simply too great to ignore and the High Council had carefully weighed the scales when they decided to keep such a historical resurgence of the dark side a secret.
Not for the first time Obi-Wan wondered what Qui-Gon Jinn's stance would be on the matter, had he lived.
Obi-Wan piloted the small republic shuttle to the Jedi Order's private spaceport. It struck him as strange when he saw both Yoda and Mace Windu waiting for him. He landed the shuttle and quickly shut down its systems. The masters met him at the bottom of the boarding ramp.
"Masters," Obi-Wan bowed. "I take it the reason for my summons is quite serious." A requisitions droid approached with a datapad, and Obi-Wan quickly made the necessary annotations—fuel consumption and any damage the craft may have suffered during the journey—before signing the starship over.
"It is," Mace Windu said.
"And it's not something you wished to discuss over long distance communications," Obi-Wan noted the stoic neutrality of both masters. He followed them to a turbolift and frowned when Mace set them on a course for the residential wing of the Jedi Temple.
So it's important, but not a matter for the entire High Council. This could be a very slippery slope indeed.
"We're sorry to pull you so abruptly from your mission, Obi-Wan," Mace said.
"It's quite all right, master," Obi-Wan clasped his hands behind his back and stared at the closed doors of the lift. "Boko Lan has it well in hand."
"Performed well did he?" Yoda asked.
"I found no fault with him, master," Obi-Wan said. "But I would prefer my padawan join me on my next assignment."
"Ready, Skywalker is not," Yoda said. His tone left no room for argument.
"I agree, master. But Anakin has always been a restless spirit. I fear it may do him more harm than good if we keep him confined to Temple grounds much longer," Obi-Wan reasoned.
Yoda hummed his discontent.
Obi-Wan could not blame the old master. He knew the ancient Jedi had the Order's best interests at heart. And considering the path Dooku, who had once been Yoda's padawan, had taken, it was expected that he'd be a little wary. Anakin had spent two years in Dooku's company, victim to Force knows what. The young man wouldn't speak of it.
Master Yoda entered his humble domicile and immediately took a seat on his meditation cushion. Obi-Wan followed behind Mace Windu, and once they were all seated both council members fixed him with serious looks.
"Call you here to discuss recent developments we have," Yoda said. "Supreme Chancellor Palpatine informs us of debate in the Senate, regarding creation of a Grand Army of the Republic."
"There are rumours that the Separatists have begun building an army of their own," Mace added. "Currently no proof exists to substantiate these claims, but if there is some truth to the rumour we could be looking at war."
"Discovered master Sifo-Dyas' fate you did, Obi-Wan," Yoda said. "Suggested to the council he once did, that a Jedi army must be created. What he did after we removed him from the council, we know not. Now, in meditation an army I do see. Grave danger, I fear. Retrace master Sifo-Dyas' steps you must, Obi-Wan, and discover the truth if you can."
Obi-Wan interlocked his fingers and leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. He stared at the ground, absorbing what the council masters just revealed to him. He rubbed at his beard, frustrated by how blind they were.
"We are playing with half a dejarik set," Obi-Wan sighed.
"What do you mean?" Mace asked.
"We still don't know the identity of the Sith overseeing their plot," Obi-Wan shook his head. "If he did have a hand in the Trade Federation blockade of Naboo ten years ago, as we suspect, then what was his purpose there? Was it an experiment, or did it achieve something the Sith desired? And now this rumour of an army. Forgive me masters, but I don't believe the Sith would play such an obvious gambit. They've survived under our noses for a thousand years. They are cunning and we'd be unwise to accept tidings of war at face value. They may be attempting to orchestrate a war, but what is the hidden purpose?"
"Appreciate your insights, we do," Yoda said. "But answer these questions we cannot yet."
"Perhaps retracing Sifo-Dyas' steps will reveal the truth," Mace added. "After all, we know Dooku had a hand in his death. If Dooku wanted him dead, it must mean the unknown Sith wanted him dead as well."
"It could be the lead we're looking for," Obi-Wan nodded his head. "I'll get started immediately."
"And Obi-Wan," Mace sighed. "Skywalker can't be a part of this investigation."
Obi-Wan's brows lowered over his eyes, but he held his tongue. He needed to order his thoughts before he expressed his displeasure in an uncivilised manner. A few colourful huttese phrases came to mind, which he quickly banished from his mind.
"If we treat Anakin like we don't trust him, I guarantee you we will lose not only his respect, but his loyalty."
"Aware we are," Yoda said.
"You're aware?" Obi-Wan had a hard time keeping his outrage contained. "Do you think he will simply go back to Tatooine if we push him to the point of resentment?"
"It is not our intent to ostracise him, Kenobi," Mace said. "We are completely justified in our decision. It is up to you, as his master, to make sure he finds wisdom in this matter."
Yes, it was his responsibility. Obi-Wan knew. He wished for Qui-Gon's council then. His master would have been better able to help Anakin. But it didn't help to dwell on things that could not be. All he could do was focus on what he could do. Obi-Wan let the fear and the worry drain from him. He needed to be an unwavering pillar of strength for Anakin if he was going to get anywhere with the young man.
"I understand, masters," Obi-Wan bowed his head in a gesture of deference.
"You don't need to begin your investigation immediately. We're giving you one week with your padawan, Obi-Wan," Mace said. "If you are able to report to us Anakin's experiences under Dooku's influence within the next five cycles, and we find no reason to further detain him, he can join you on your investigation. But if the week is out and he hasn't opened up, then our decision stands."
Master Cin Drallig stood on the observation balcony of the salle, overseeing the senior padawan sparring session below. Ferus Olin had neatly dispatched four opponents so far. At twenty-one years of age he displayed the calm poise of a seasoned Jedi. His lightsaber skills were exceptional, but that wasn't in the least bit surprising considering who his master was. And yet, Cin knew the fifth opponent would not be taken down so easily.
Anakin Skywalker had always been an enigma. He'd taken to lightsaber combat like a fish to water. A credit to Obi-Wan Kenobi's training or the boy's natural talent, Cin couldn't say. What he could say was that Skywalker had none of the serenity that made Kenobi one of the most impressive swordsmen within the Jedi Order. Cin watched as the young man paced and rolled his shoulders in anticipation of the spar ahead. On the other side of the salle Olin stood as an avatar of calm. The contrast was quite striking, and in one sense quite worrying as well.
Of course, everyone knew about Skywalker's two year captivity, and Cin could see the remnants of the experience haunt the young man. The intense focus in his eyes contained a touch of anger. It did not sit well with Cin. He wanted to stop the spar before it began, but that would only amplify the problem. In the end Cin decided to let the spar commence. He would observe closely, and step in if he felt things got out of hand.
"Ready yourselves," Cin announced loudly. He watched as Olin turned towards Skywalker and gave him the customary bow. Skywalker followed a beat later, his bow not quite as deep as Olin's was. "Begin."
Olin adopted a defensive posture, and it became immediately apparent why. Skywalker leaped at him with a bold move straight out of an Ataru velocity. The strike was hard, too hard for a spar, and Olin's knees almost buckled under the sudden pressure. But he stood his ground and was able to push Skywalker back a pace.
Skywalker struck again, this time with a quick flurry of strikes that Olin met blow for blow. Their pace increased and soon they were dancing across the wide circular floor of the salle. Cin looked on in careful study. Olin held his ground, steady as a rock against the temperamental onslaught of Skywalker.
"How's he doing?"
Cin nearly jerked upright at the sudden intrusion to his thoughts. He'd been so engrossed in the spar below that he did not sense the newcomer's approach. "See for yourself, Master Kenobi," he said and gestured to the battle of wills below them.
Kenobi walked up to the railing and looked down at the sparring padawans. Cin watched Kenobi's face for his reaction, and observed as a slow frown came down over Kenobi's brows. He looked back at the spar below and saw that the fight had taken a turn in Olin's favor. Skywalker was being driven back, and with each step he took his frustration appeared to increase.
"He's not staying calm," Kenobi remarked.
"No," Cin agreed. "I haven't observed much calm from him since his return, but today his composure seems particularly fragile."
"He has a chip on his shoulder regarding Ferus," Kenobi said.
Cin found that bit of information interesting. "Are they some sort of rivals?"
"I doubt Ferus sees anyone, least of all Anakin as his rival," Kenobi said. "As for my padawan. . . he's always trying to prove himself."
"He's toeing a dangerous line, Kenobi," Cin leaned his hands on the railing and turned his attention back to the spar.
"I know," Kenobi sighed. "He's headstrong, and since his return it's been a struggle to reach him."
"You can only show him the path," Cin said. "He is the one who must choose to walk it."
The spar took yet another turn as Skywalker knocked Olin back with a mighty Force-push. Olin hit the ground hard, but was able to use the momentum to spring back to his feet. Skywalker charged forward and began a relentless assault.
Kenobi shook his head, Cin noted.
"Desperation has no place in a Jedi's mind during battle," Kenobi said quietly.
Cin felt the need to stop the spar as he watched Skywalker send Olin back again with yet another Force-push. But this time the younger padawan did not pounce. He stayed back and waited for Olin to get up. He then leaped forward, moving his blade in an arc, lifting his arms high, getting ready to swing the blade down in a powerful Djem So strike. The Force coiled around the young man, and Cin realised too late what was about to happen.
Fortunately Kenobi was there as well, and he watched as the younger Master leaped over the balcony railing faster than any padawan could move, and place himself between Olin and Skywalker. Kenobi caught Skywalker's strike in a powerful application of the Force, the Master's experience overcoming the padawan's brute strength. Both boy and blade came to an abrupt halt. Surprise showed briefly on Skywalker's face, before the young man looked down at his feet and wiped a hand across his face in shame.
Cin breathed a sigh of relief. They were sparring with training sabers, but even a training saber could inflict terrible hurt with the right application of the Force.
"That's enough, Anakin," he heard Kenobi say.
"I didn't know you were back," Skywalker said. "You said you'd be gone a week. It's only been three days."
"That's hardly relevant in the present moment," Kenobi's words were quiet, but toned with reproach.
"I'm sorry, master," Skywalker said, but to Cin's ears it didn't sound sincere.
"I am not the one you should be apologising to," Kenobi stepped out of the way to reveal Olin dusting off his tunics.
The two padawans stared at each other. Olin with stoic calm, Skywalker with discontent. The salle was as quiet as dead space as the observing padawans fell silent. Olin was the first to move. He bowed to Skywalker. The traditional gesture of gratitude and respect after a friendly spar. But Skywalker merely turned his face away and stayed upright.
Cin noted the intense disappointment and displeasure in Kenobi's eyes as he observed his padawan a moment longer. I don't envy you, Kenobi, he thought. That padawan of yours is not making it easy for you.
The biggest surprise came next as Kenobi turned away from Skywalker and bowed low to Olin.
"Padawan Olin," Kenobi said. "Please accept my humblest apologies for padawan Skywalker's wilful employment of harmful tactics during a practice spar, and for his failure to observe tradition and common decency."
"Please, master," Olin said, both looking and sounding slightly distressed at the turn of events. "There's no need to—"
"With respect, Ferus," Kenobi interrupted with stoic calm. "But there is."
Cin watched as an angry, embarrassed flush crept up Skywalker's face. Soft murmurs rose around the salle as the other padawans expressed their surprise. Skywalker had embarrassed not only himself, but his master as well. If anything, Kenobi was an honorable man, one of the most respected in the Jedi Order, and he certainly didn't deserve such discourtesy from his padawan.
Kenobi turned back to his padawan then, and held out a single arm towards the doorway. Skywalker stood still a moment longer, spared a quick glance around the salle as he appeared to absorb his mortification, then he quickly walked out. Kenobi followed sedately behind him.
Cin sighed again. He did not envy Obi-Wan Kenobi. He also did not envy Anakin Skywalker. The boy was uniquely strong in the Force. Everyone knew that. To have so much pressure placed on one's shoulders surely must have been a great burden, and it would only have been amplified by the years of captivity.
Cin felt sorry for master and padawan both, and hoped that Kenobi would be able to help the boy find balance.
Obi-Wan was struggling to release his severe disappointment. Anakin's dislike of Ferus Olin had never before translated into violent action or blatant disrespect. He could see now that Anakin was far from ready to be allowed back into the field. Four months had passed since he brought his padawan home, but it appeared as though he hadn't made any strides with the young man whatsoever.
Should I have pushed him harder?
There wasn't an easy answer to that question. Anakin had always had a tendency to clam up and get involved in some mechanical project, rather than face and deal with his shortcomings. Meditation, a staple of any balanced Jedi, did not come easily to Anakin. For all his natural ability he failed in all measure of control and composure.
His shortcomings are a reflection of my own, he thought, and finally the disappointment drained from him.
Obi-Wan led Anakin to the arboretum. They walked along the stone walkway, past trees and small pools until they reached one of the towering waterfalls. A larger pool at its base caught the water from above, and streamed it past small stone islands and out towards other parts of the arboretum. Obi-Wan came to a stop on the shoreline and waited for Anakin to draw level with him.
"The council has assigned me another mission," Obi-Wan said.
"So soon after this most recent one?" Anakin frowned.
"Yes, it is urgent," Obi-Wan said, careful to keep his tone neutral. "You will not be joining me."
"This is getting ridiculous, master," Anakin said, sucking in a deep breath and blowing it out through his teeth.
"Is it?" Obi-Wan challenged with a raise of his eyebrows.
"They can't keep doing this, master," Anakin kicked a small pebble into the pool.
"The council's decision is one made with utmost care and wisdom, Anakin," Obi-Wan said. He made sure the young man was looking him in the eye before he said the next part. "You are unbalanced."
Anakin quickly looked away. His face remained neutral, but Obi-Wan could sense that he was offended. That in itself was troubling. A Jedi did not indulge in self-importance. All Jedi occasionally failed in this respect, but for Anakin it was a constant struggle. He'd come to the Jedi Temple under unusual circumstances which created an invisible barrier between him and the other Jedi. Anakin resisted integration at every turn. It did not register with him as it should have that no single Jedi was more important than the whole. He was born a slave. An exceptionally talented slave. He'd always been treated different, and as a result he couldn't accept that he was just another star in a galaxy that was full of them.
Is he though? Obi-Wan wasn't certain.
"You've been through a troubling ordeal, Anakin," Obi-Wan said. "It's not unexpected that you need time to work through it. But keep in mind that the hardships you have faced, and will face, are not an excuse to ignore the mandates and traditions that have been set before all Jedi. You are not exempt. I am not exempt. The council masters themselves are not exempt."
"The council just wants to control me," Anakin said, his tone reflecting the anger Obi-Wan could see on his face.
"Be very careful Anakin," Obi-Wan chastised. "You are allowing your emotions to cloud your thoughts. This conflict within yourself and this rebellion against the council's orders is exactly what Dooku would want. Are you going to give in?"
"I don't give in to anyone," Anakin said, defiant.
"You will learn your place, young one," Obi-Wan said. He waited for Anakin to challenge him again, but the young man stared into the pool and held his tongue. Obi-Wan tried to get a sense of what he was feeling, but Anakin's shields had slammed down.
The minutes ticked by as they stood next to the pool in complete silence. Obi-Wan's mind worked furiously in an attempt to come up with a solution to the problem, but he knew that Anakin wasn't going to be receptive to any form of advice or compromise right then. Frustrated, he turned his back to the pool.
"I can only help you if you let me, Anakin," Obi-Wan said. "And I cannot save you from the council's censure. Reflect on your behaviour. Continue to act the way you did today in the salle, and you will have no one but yourself to blame for whatever consequences it may bring."
Obi-Wan walked away feeling like nothing had been solved. Masters Yoda and Windu had given him an entire week to determine whether or not Anakin was ready to rejoin him in the field, but Obi-Wan had seen enough. After seeing the way he handled himself during the spar with Ferus, how he conducted himself after it ended, and the pure defiance in the aftermath, Obi-Wan was dismayed to admit to himself that Anakin was far from ready.
He cursed the Sith with an ugly huttese phrase, then remembered himself. With a deep breath and exhale he balanced himself in the calm rivers of the Force once more, and left to begin his investigation. But halfway to the arboretum exit he was struck by an old memory, and the feelings associated with it.
At thirteen years old he'd spent time on a war-torn planet, alone. He'd wanted to help the people, had thought it was the right thing to do, and defended his conviction to Qui-Gon until the man had no choice but to leave him stranded there. Obi-Wan had felt conflicted, at first. But he was helping the people of Melida/Daan, and they became his friends. Until one day a conflict erupted which resulted in him being viewed as an outsider. Which, objectively he was. Yet, it didn't make it easier to cope with the sudden isolation.
Isolation was like a slow death. The stress of it destroyed his practised calm, and at thirteen years old he didn't yet have the discipline to reclaim his serenity once it had been disrupted. His thoughts were filled with such despair that even the Force became distant to him.
Where is my compassion? Obi-Wan thought. He turned around and headed back to where he'd left Anakin. The young man was still there, staring idly into the pool as ripples caused by the nearby waterfall spread across the surface, distorting his reflection.
Obi-Wan paused a few paces away. He tried to connect to his padawan through the Force, but felt barely a trickle from Anakin. The young man was closing himself off. What Obi-Wan feared most was the possibility of Anakin trapping himself in the belief that he could rely on no one but himself. All Jedi were family, and Obi-Wan wanted Anakin to be a part of that. He wanted the independent young man to be willing to seek help when he needed it. Everyone needed help sometimes.
"Anakin," Obi-Wan spoke his padawan's name calmly.
"I thought you were done lecturing for the day," the young man replied. The words were disrespectful, designed to fend off company. The Jedi Master saw right through it, and decided to ignore it.
"Come along," Obi-Wan said. "We're going to CoCo Town."
Anakin abruptly spun on his heel, an expression of surprise distorting his brows into uneven lines. "But I thought I was still confined to the Temple."
"It's not like we're going off planet," Obi-Wan allowed a small grin to settle on his face. "Besides, you used to love Dex's nerfburgers."
"When I was twelve, master," Anakin said. "My tastes have grown more sophisticated since then."
"I wouldn't let Dex hear you say that," Obi-Wan chuckled and turned towards the stone path again. "Now, let's go before wisdom catches up with me."
"You mean the council?" Anakin made no attempt to hide his glee, and for a moment Obi-Wan wondered if he would live to regret this minor act of defiance against the council's orders.
"Let's not fetch the Kowakian monkey-lizard from behind the mountain," Obi-Wan said then started walking down the path. He heard Anakin fall into step a pace behind him.
"Sometimes, I really have no idea what you're saying, master," Anakin said.
"Hm," Obi-Wan's grin dimmed. Anakin was hiding his turmoil beneath shields as impenetrable as cortosis-reinforced durasteel, and a veneer of comfortable banter. But it was all right, for now. Obi-Wan would give Anakin everything and work with what Anakin was willing to give him in return. Over time, hopefully he'd earn back the complete trust the young man once had in him.
Most of all, Obi-Wan wanted Anakin to understand that it wasn't a weakness to ask for help. He wanted his padawan to know that he would always help him. All the young man needed to do was ask.