A Knight's Path
This is a Star Wars Fanfiction Only.
Author's note: a little bit of Metal Gear Solid in the story Solid Snake is the ancestor of the Gray Jedi and Gray Sith
My life as far as I can remember has been living in the order, for as long as I recall I never hear or see a picture of my parents, I don't know if I was loved or was I abandoned and discarded, I don't even know if my name Obi-Wan Kenobi is actually my birth name or was it a name the Jedi Council gave me.
Every day the training under the gaze and guidance of a short, old, green-skinned alien was a nightmare, Master Joda has dozen if not more students and he is in one respect amazing, he gives exact and precise attention to each and every one of us, I know, I been hit enough times with his walking stick to realize that he knows everything I do wrong, and will not let a single mistake go without torture, I mean correction.
Call me paranoid, but I even think he is actually listening to my thoughts as I think them. If he only somehow managed to learn a correct his manner of speech, I think the students would be grateful, or to learn a correct his manner of speech managed, grateful, I think the students would be, great now I am doing it, better stop before I end up like him.
Today I am told that my training would be different from now on, I am supposed to learn under a Jedi Master, well isn't that what I been doing ever since before I could walk? Oh, he means I will become a padawan, well I will miss my fellow students, through all this time I have come to think of them as my family of sorts.
I get along rather well with some and some others I can't talk with them for more than five minutes before we are arguing, screaming, or end up fighting each other for some reason or other, like I said I think of them as family.
As I walked through the halls of what has been my home for most of my life, looking at all the people that just like me trained to be a Jedi, I wonder how many of them ever dreamed of telling the council where to stick their code and find a new way to live, a path that was of their choosing.
As I walked into the room I was told to sit down, that my master would be with me soon enough. I guess good old Master Yoda is finishing telling the many ways I have failed to meet his expectations and in what areas he should really help me with, I am not kidding, I can totally see that happen, and no I don't think Yoda actually thinks that highly of me. If you asked me two years ago, I would tell you I have the bumps to prove it.
"So you are my padawan, well padawan I believe a little introduction will make things easier on both of us, I am Qui-Gon Jinn, I will be your master from now till you pass the trials and become a Jedi Knight. You will find me a not so typical Jedi, and I tend to use my own judgment more so that the collective will of the Jedi Council, which tends to make me a little rebellious in their mindset."
Well from what I heard my luck was turning around, finally someone who actually I could get along with, or is he telling me this because of what Yoda told him. I guess I should wait and see. "I am Obi-Wan Kenobi or so I was named, I pretty much can understand that master, to see the universe as mere black and white tends to make people a little blind to the truth don't you think so?"
"Exactly padawan, following extreme ideologies, can cause some severe tragedies, tragedies that could have been avoided, I think we are going to get along after all. Master Yoda said that you have a rather strong sense of commitment and that you disdain failure more than any child he has ever taught. He intentionally gave you tests that had very little chance on success, to make you see that success sometimes does not happen."
He sat down right next to me, "But you did not accept that, instead you kept trying no matter how much you had to go through, he did everything he could to get you to learn that failure sometimes happens and for you to accept it, instead you kept trying harder each time. In your youth, you succeeded in passing some lessons that most would have given up on."
"So I see that I can rely on you if the situation gets to be tough, from what you told me I can see that we both see that the universe is not all black and white, and you tend to weigh the options before simply choosing the choice that is obvious if not expected of a Jedi."
We finally got off our seats and with a handshake, we realized that I had a lot to learn and he was ready to teach me. "We shall go together to do missions assigned to us by the Jedi Council, on these missions you shall see and learn what it means to be a Jedi. You will find me a tough master but fair if at any time you wish to know something you have only to ask."
As we walked towards the ship I realized it was a rather nice ship, how in the universe did master get a ship like that? Could it be since he is a Jedi Master he had one assigned to him? If this is the case I wonder what other perks being a Master have that other Jedi do not.
As the ship took off and the ship finally was in space I felt a feeling that was hard to describe, a certain weightless feeling, yet it was warm, comfortable, almost like I felt at home in a way I never felt before, "Master what exactly are the perks of being a Jedi Master?" He began to laugh as I said that, I honestly do not know why he found my question this funny.
"You might think my padawan, but believe me, the duties of a Jedi Master are many, the responsibilities are that could affect planets, and the demands are numerous and frequent, as for the perks, I guess the ones that come to mine is complete access to the library, being able to meet with the council and the respect that comes from what feels like a lifetime of selfless service and devotion to protect the galaxy."
"We are restricted to never be able to access sith holocrons unless you are a member of the council or under the supervision of a council member, but they do keep that to be in only dire situations. Hope that answers your question, now mind if I ask one? Why the question?"
I looked at the inside of the cockpit, and I tried to put my thoughts into words that he would not find insulting, "Well I asked because this ship seems rather nice, I wonder if all Jedi Masters get one." He honestly began to laugh so hard he had trouble breathing.
"You think this is nice? Sorry to tell you Obi-wan but this ship is an old republic troop transport, it was something I got as a gift from a merchant whose life I saved, and I could not refuse it, he simply would not take no as an answer. Well the quarters are spacious, and it does have a hyper engine, so, all in all, it's not that bad."
So began my life as a padawan and while I did not want to whine, I do worry, my way is far more violent than most padawan that Master Yoda taught, considering where I was born and what were my original people, I am actually quite the pacifist now that I think about it, for instance, many others would have killed people that have insulted me the way others in the temple did. They would have called a blood duel and screamed that only blood can clean the honor that the other person stained with their insults.
"Padwan you seem lost in thought, as I was saying we are going to take off soon, you might want to strap yourself in your seat or you are liable to fall and begin rolling around in the room. I am told that it is both quite embarrassing and painful."
I looked at my Master and didn't see what he was talking about, "Master, I was already strapped in before you sat down, See, I am not going to roll around in the cabin like a newborn." He told me to lift up my arms and indeed he began to look at the straps like he never seen them used like that, it was something babies learn I don't see why he should be that surprised.
"Well Obi-wan I have to say, I never seen the straps used like that, mind telling me why would you not use them like I am using mine?" I looked at him and began to shake my head, I told him because the way he is using them limits his range of movement and would take longer to get free in case of a fire or emergency. As long as the center of gravity in your body is strapped and secure the rest would be secure by being mindful or careful.
"Obi-wan for some strange reason I get the feeling this is something your parents taught you, for some odd reason I could not find records of who your parents were, which is odd their more information on other children in the temple than there is about you, who were your parents? Do you know much of the culture of your parents?"
I honestly did not want to talk about this while flying through the endless sea of stars, "I do not remember the Clan I am from, or can not remember the faces of my parents but I do know of one reason why the council would not mention the people that were my biological parents, they were Mandalorians, to train their children to be warriors is one of their principal beliefs, and I always hated failure, hated weakness, failure and weakness lead only to death. Do your best in everything you do."
Qui-Gon just smiled and began to shake his head, "Good thing I am your master, I have been trained to know the dark side of the force a lot more than the usual Jedi, I understand your feelings my padawan, be mindful of your emotions it is one thing to use your feelings to motivate yourself, but be mindful that your emotions and not let your anger take control over you."
I guess that is true well being a padawan was also very much what to me very much trial and error, I will go on missions with my Master I will watch what he does, do things that either he has to jump in to prevent my actions from blowing up on my face or correct them. If I am stressed I am amazed that my master is not demanding that his ship has a fully supplied liquor cabinet, and is restocked every other week.
That was my initial fear, but instead, it turns out it was nothing more than a rather long trip, it has been six months since I began being padawan, and I heard more in this six months about the virtues of both the dark and light side of the force than from my entire time being the student of Master Yoda, and the dangers of not being in balance with the force. Excess in one side or the other leads only to disaster, that was what basically became my mantra.
I have been through three planetary systems, fifty cartels that we have either destroyed or manage to get them to reform into more shall we say legal support organizations for the needy, I have seen so many Hutts I honestly can not tell who is male and who is female, master only said to me on the ship just remember this about Hutts, never ever ask that question, no matter how curious you are, you do not want to know the answer to that.
Do I regret missing my chance to earn one of the two hundred family armors my family has? Yes, do I miss the liberty of having a rocket pack and flamethrower? Not so much, using the force I can pretty much jump and move as quickly and the flames of a flamethrower eventually run out, but the force, I can do exactly the same thing and never have to worry about equipment overheating or running out of ammo.
In fact thanks to the things I learned with my master, I was being three times more deadly than my dad ever was, Hiro and Hector both laugh every time I get the chance to talk with them through our ship communicator, Hiro simply tells me to have patience, that I would not be a padawan forever, and Hector tells me tips on how I can use my force lighting to greater and more damaging results.
Why would I be surprised? Hector is the descendant of Lord Kallig, and before he became a Jedi he was called by the name of Darth Imperius, it turns out both Hiro and Hector are only people that hold the title of being two men who spent the longest in carbonite freeze than any person in recorded history, they both spent three hundred thousand years in carbonite, it is a true miracle of medicine and Jedi Healers that they both can see at all.
Hiro is part of the long-forgotten Skywalker Clan, and Hector stubbornly refuses that he is a member saying that he would not dishonor his ancestor an ancient Sith Lord, Lord Kallig, so in a weird coincidence an ancient Sith Lord, member of the infamous Dark Council is currently sitting with his brother, as a member of the Jedi Council.
Hector often jokes he feels like a demon sitting with the archangels in heaven sometimes.
I looked at Hector and Hiro, they both were seating drinking tea, Hector was reading something, so my master and I decided to ask them what was this mission they both wanted us to go on. "Excuse me, but I need to ask you what the details about the mission the council just assigned to me and my padawan, would you kindly illustrate to us about this mission."
Hector laughed as he put down his text on the table near him, "It is nothing as sinister as you might think young Qui-Gon, but you are correct in never taking a situation for granted, how very Sith of you, we both have heard reports of two previously destroyed or abandoned planet systems reappearing in our star maps and we are sending you two to investigate them both."
"I know them both since they well knew planets in my time before I was frozen in carbonite, the first is the planet where the Je'daii once began, Tython, you are to go to the planet and learn from the archives, if the planet has been restored the old Je'daii archives should have also been restored, and that included the ones on the temple on the moons Ashla and Bogan."
"Next after you finish learning everything you can from there you will go to a place that is dear and close to my heart, Korriban, the planet that once was the seat of learning for the Sith Empire, a place where I studied myself, I would love to visit these two worlds with you, but sadly I can not. So I will have you go together on this little educational trip."
Master Qui-Gon was quiet and then he looked at Hector, "Why can't you come with us, you were alive during the time when both places were active learning centers, why can't you come and be our guides then?"
Hiro looked at Hector and smiled, "Because Hector is a speaker of the dead, he would be overwhelmed by the ghosts of the past that either wants to reprimand him for being missing for so long or want to be in his presence again, long-dead friends and foes will sense him and will want to have a word with him."
"As to why I don't go? I am simply too busy with the Jedi Council, I have to do so many things and have to try and keep an eye on our friend here, he might not look it, but he once was a Darth, and as such some members of the council still do not trust him. Not Master Yoda it seems Hector has become a very good friend with the Grand Master, why I don't know, care to share old friend?"
Hector simply said that he liked to have someone to speak shop with, Yoda was the only person around that had as many theories and knowledge of the Dark Side of the force as he did. Qui-Gon was shocked by what he just heard, "Are you sure the Grand Master knows so much about the Dark Side?"
Hector simply put down his teacup and smiled a smile that made me fill a chill down my spine, "I am sure, as I am sure you have not forgotten that lover of yours Qui-Gon, she was a rather lovely lady, and yes, I know how close you are with her, after all, you still have the ring, she just told me. Don't worry, I will not harm him, in fact, this trip might be just the thing he needs."
"Sorry I scared you Obi-Wan, I was looking at the spirit that is near your master, the chill you felt is because I was talking while using my ability as a speaker of the dead. That is why I can not go, I had a good friend on Tython, and Korriban is so dear to me, I could spend years speaking with my old dear friends. To relieve my days as an acolyte and as an apprentice, but I will tell you one more thing, near one of the statues, the one without a head there is a cave, in that cave live spiders, those spiders guard a truly wondrous sight, a place where lightsaber crystals grow, and if you both are strong and the crystals approve of you, you may both obtain focus crystals that you both will need."
"Just be gentle and speak to the spiders, they are not as brutish as they first seem, they are after all just afraid, afraid of what you may do to them. That is my way to apologize for frightening you." Master Qui-Gon simply smiled and looked at him and said if he knows the place as well as he seems why doesn't he come with them? That is true we could use an experienced guide.
"What Master Qui-Gon said is true Hector, we could be a lot safer if we traveled to such a dark place with someone that is experienced and knows the lay of the land." He didn't seem happy to hear that but sadly he nodded his head, I don't know why returning to a place he apparently loved so much would make his this sad.
"Very well, I shall be your guide, but you both have to listen to what I tell you because if you do not, you will see how frightening it can be." I simply told him that I wouldn't scare so easily again, "Not afraid? If you do not listen to my advice, you will be," Qui-Gon began to laugh saying that it was a wonderful impression of Grand Master Yoda. Hector simply smiled and told him, he was his friend if someone knew how to imitate it was he after all imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.
As we boarded Hector's ship we began to feel cold air in inside the entry of the ship, he simply told us it was the disinfection subroutines, it keeps the inside of the ship disease free, as we entered the different parts we saw that there was a dark feeling in the air, all the inside was dark in color, and it looked ominous for some strange reason. Hector simply laughed and said, what did we expect to see in a Sith Lord's ship?
"The Dark Side is everywhere, why would his ship be any different. So where are we headed first, Korriban or Tython?" Hector simply told them that any Jedi in the Achiever should be able to tell them about Tython, the birthplace of the Je'daii order. So it seems it was to Korriban first, he didn't seem happy about it.
As we traveled we began to meditate to spend time as we traveled, it took nearly twenty minutes for us to reach the planet, it looked almost dead from orbit, dark like the entire planet was covered in blood. As we landed we exited the ship but Hector held his hand which told us to stop.
"This is the Sith World of Korriban, the world where long ago all force sensitive citizens of the Sith Empire came to study in the ways of the Sith and passed through the trials to become Sith, not so different from the Jedi Order is it? Now we landed on the place where ships would land to deliver the new acolytes, the reason is that the other landing platform is only big enough for shuttles."
"If they are still here they were three types of animals in this world, K'lor'slugs, Tuk'ata, and Shyrack, if they have kept their initial territories the K'lor'slugs are the first we will meet, these are slug-like creatures that have massive mouths full of sharp fangs, they can bite an adult man's head clean off in a single bite."
I don't understand why keep such a dangerous creature, "Why did the people in this world let these slugs survive? They seem like an awful threat to anyone, even worse to the young students that arrive here."
I saw Hector begin to laugh, "Because Obi-Wan that is exactly the point, these slugs are the prefect representation that the universe is indeed a very dangerous place, and if unprepared and weak, death is sure to follow and claim that person, also only the infants roam the surface, the adults live in the ancient tombs and deep underground, they reproduce by laying eggs by the hundreds, so we tended to use them as target practice or practice dummies."
A disgusting slug appeared and began to ran towards us on what appeared to be six small stumps, Hector simply extended his hand and pushed it away and it hit a massive wall, the strength and speed of his attack caused the slug to fall to pieces and the other slugs went to the remains of it and began eating the pieces off the ground.
"See, nothing to it, now let's go and visit the resting place of a dear old friend of mine." as we went into the tomb I saw Hector bow and he began to speak a hissing language, and finally he smiled and stood up, "You don't need to be afraid Obi-Wan, Qui-Gon, I was merely greeting Lord Adjunta Pall, he gave us permission to enter his resting place. We don't want to be seen as trespassers now do we?"
"And of course we will see K'lor'slugs like I said they breed faster than we can kill them, and before you start feeling pity for them remember that when there is no other prey they will eat each other even if they are related. Mommy dearest when there is no prey becomes another thing for dinner, but in reality, it is the other way around, since their mother is massive."
Qui-Gon looks at him and begins to shake his head, "Survivable of the fittest, it is not a pleasant notion but I know it happens more often than not."