Chapter 10: Solo um Theechu (Alone and Afraid)

The encounter with the Sith had been a nasty surprise. Qui-Gon isn't shocked that his report to the Council is met with disbelief—on both fronts. A Sith and a vergence in the Force? What are the odds? But the Council has committed to investigate both, so he cannot complain about that.

What he could complain about is how long the Council is taking to call him and Anakin in for Anakin's test. The boy had been nervous on their way here—his obvious awe at being in the Temple notwithstanding—but now after waiting for more than twenty minutes he is also bored, which is a bad combination. Qui-Gon is very much out of practice with providing distractions for young boys. He had suggested they meditate, but Anakin had not been able to hold his concentration for more than a minute. He had tried talking to Anakin, tried to reassure him that the test would go well, but the boy seemed to withdraw further the more Qui-Gon tried to reach out to him.

"Good evening, Master Jinn. I hope you are well?"

Qui-Gon looks up to see a familiar face has just stepped off the lift. "Good evening, Knight Eerin. It is good to see you. Are you here to debrief with the Council after your first mission?"

If Bant Eerin is surprised that Qui-Gon was aware of her first mission as a Knight, she doesn't show it. "I am, in five minutes. But if you are still waiting, then the Council must be running behind. Again."

Qui-Gon chuckles. "When are they not? But congratulations on completing your first mission, Knight Eerin. I am sure you did very well." Bant gives him a nod in thanks. Qui-Gon puts a hand on Ani's shoulder. "This is Anakin Skywalker, of Tatooine." He knows Bant to be better with younglings than he is. Perhaps she might be able to draw Anakin into conversation. It would be nice for Anakin to begin making friends in the Order. And it would have the added bonus of not making Bant feel as though she is trapped here with Qui-Gon, having to make stilted conversation with a person she dislikes.

"Tatooine?" Bant says, taking the out that Qui-Gon offers and turning her attention to Anakin. "I have never been there, which is fortunate for me, as the dry air would probably really make my skin itch."

Anakin perks up immediately at the prospect of finding out more about the Mon Calamari Knight. "Do you come from a planet with lots of water? I've never seen anyone who looks like you."

They quickly become embroiled in conversation, which leaves Qui-Gon in peace to study the young Knight in front of him. He is relieved to see that she is apparently healthy and uninjured. He really does believe that she would have done the Order proud on her first mission. He has taken an interest in her training and watched her progress from afar—he actually cares a great deal for her, though he knows that she does not care for him. He does not blame her for that. He wishes things could be different, but…Master Tahl's death changed them both. He had considered taking Bant on to continue her training, thought Tahl would have liked him to do that for her Padawan, but he was too mired in grief, and Bant did not trust him at all. Not after he failed to save her master's life on that fateful mission on New Apsolon. And especially not after—not after he had rejected and then lost her dearest childhood friend. Yes, Qui-Gon knows very well why Bant Eerin wants nothing to do with him.

Finally, a Padawan opens the door to the Council chamber and calls for Anakin. When Qui-Gon rises as well, the Padawan bows and politely tells him that only Anakin was requested.

The boy shoots a look at Qui-Gon, but Qui-Gon only smiles at him. "Everything will be fine," he tells Ani. "I will be waiting right here for you." The boy nods, then squares his shoulders and marches into the room alone. Qui-Gon is thankful for his courage as the doors slide shut.

"He is too old."

Qui-Gon looks over at Bant as he takes his seat again. "Pardon?"

"He is too old to start training as a Jedi now. The Council will not allow it. Why are you encouraging him?" There is a note of disapproval in her tone.

"There are special circumstances which warrant his admission," Qui-Gon says mildly. Bant, of course, does not know that Anakin is likely the Chosen One, so he cannot fault her for her assessment. If he were any other child, she would be right.

"To my memory, the Council has never made exceptions to their age limits before," Bant says coldly. Qui-Gon feels a pang in his chest. Her words are a painful reminder of another young boy facing an age limit that would determine his future, which she likely intended.

He folds his hands in front of him. "If the Council does not wish to admit him, I should have the right to take him as my Padawan, regardless."

It was the wrong thing to say. The temperature of the room seems to drop sharply with Bant's silent shock and disapproval radiating in the Force. It is a long moment before she finds her voice again.

"So," she says, voice cracking like ice before a burst of steam. "The elusive Master Qui-Gon Jinn has finally found one suitable to be his next apprentice."

"Bant—"

"Don't get me wrong—the boy is sweet, intelligent and eager. I am sure that he would do well in most any profession outside of the Temple, and I do wish him the best. But really, Qui-Gon? Bringing an older, gifted child to the Temple and insisting he be trained over the reservations of other Masters? That doesn't strike you as familiar?"

Guilt twists uncomfortably in his chest. Qui-Gon will forever bear the shame of his mistakes with Xanatos, his first—and technically his only—Padawan. They cost so many so much. They nearly cost Bant her life when Xanatos attacked the Temple. They did cost Xanatos his. It is why he has avoided taking another Padawan up to now, why he still thinks Ani would be better off taught by another. Qui-Gon doubts his fitness to teach.

But Anakin is not Xanatos. It is clear to Qui-Gon that their natures are very different. Xanatos, following his father's example, placed so much importance on power and prestige, even from childhood, and he lied and manipulated and eventually turned to the dark side in order to accrue more. Anakin already has power in the Force, and what Qui-Gon has seen that he has chosen to do with it so far is humbling. He put his life in danger to help strangers and a planet he had never seen in dire need, believing that his actions would have small benefit, if any, to him. This because he was trained in a foundation of self-control, humility, and compassion—values instilled in him by a caring father-figure. Anakin could not be more different from Xanatos; this Qui-Gon truly believes.

"After all these years, why him?" Bant says, shaking her head. "Why this boy and not— What does he have that Obi-Wan didn't?"

Her voice is so low that it is nearly a whisper, but it rings in Qui-Gon's ears as though she had shouted. He closes his eyes against the wave of shame that rises in his breast.

"It took me far too long to see that the fault was not with Obi-Wan—it was with me," Qui-Gon reluctantly admits. He owes Bant this much, at least. "I was still in pain from—what occurred with Xanatos. Subconsciously, I feared another betrayal. So when Master Yoda introduced Obi-Wan to me, I was quick to find fault with him, to give myself an excuse not to take him on as my apprentice. By the time I realized how wrong I was, it was far too late.

"Anakin is not any more worthy to be a Padawan than Obi-Wan was. The difference is that I have learned not to allow my own fears to cloud my judgement and prevent me from reaching out." He takes a deep, shaky breath. "I wish every day that that lesson had not come at the expense of Obi-Wan."

Bant's large eyes are sad as she replies. "As do I."

Silence falls between them. It feels to Qui-Gon as though they are holding a vigil for the lost boy. He, at least, cannot escape the memories that bubble to the surface, now that he has been forcibly reminded of them. And he can admit that he has, perhaps unwisely, been avoiding thinking about either Xanatos or Obi-Wan.

Obi-Wan Kenobi was twelve years old and about to age out of Initiate training when Yoda had strong-armed Qui-Gon into observing the boy in hopes that he would take him on as his Padawan learner. The boy was skilled and determined, but Qui-Gon had refused to apprentice him. Obi-Wan was aggressive and allowed his anger to rule him—that is what Qui-Gon had thought, or more accurately, used as an excuse, at the time. Really, Obi-Wan was no more arrogant, angry or emotional than any other boy would be who faced a very short deadline for achieving his dreams. If Qui-Gon's own memory is accurate, he himself was not much different from Obi-Wan at that age. He had learned to control his emotions in time, through training with his own master, but he had not afforded Obi-Wan that same opportunity.

Instead, circumstances—and possibly Master Yoda—had conspired to throw him and the boy together for one of the most difficult and dangerous missions Qui-Gon had ever completed.

Starting right away, there had been tensions between the two mining companies on the transport to the planet Bandomeer, where Qui-Gon was assigned a mission and Obi-Wan was assigned to an AgriCorps outpost. The boy was nearly killed by a Hutt with a grudge before Qui-Gon even knew he was aboard. Obi-Wan had tried to prove himself to Qui-Gon again and again during the journey. When pirates attacked the ship and things really went to hell, the boy's help had proved invaluable. While Qui-Gon had been occupied defending the ship from the boarding parties, Obi-Wan had recovered the bridge controls, blown up two of the pirate ships and evaded the others, then piloted the heavily damaged craft to land on a nearby moon. Then, as if that weren't enough trouble for his first foray outside the Temple, he had helped Qui-Gon recover stolen minerals that the Arconans of one of the mining factions needed to live. He had held off a horde of winged predators single-handedly to protect the miners before Qui-Gon was able to return the precious minerals and join him in the fight. They had fought side-by-side for hours, all through that day.

Obi-Wan had acquitted himself very well indeed. He had shown his determination to aid and protect others and his ability and willingness to learn from his mistakes, not to mention considerable skill with the Force. Stars, they had even unintentionally forged a nascent Force bond, a strong sign of compatibility. Any other Knight or Master would have offered to train him on the spot. But Qui-Gon had not. He told himself that he did not want to rush into this decision, that he would watch the boy's conduct on Bandomeer and perhaps decide to take him on later. Really he was hoping that Yoda would call Obi-Wan back to the Temple for reassignment to another master.

Neither of those things came to pass. Instead, it was revealed that Xanatos was the mastermind behind the conflict on Bandomeer, and Qui-Gon's attention had been consumed by his fallen former Padawan. It was Obi-Wan who had kept his eyes open, Obi-Wan who, though rejected by Qui-Gon and bound for the AgriCorps for a life in plant husbandry, continued to try to help. It was Obi-Wan who discovered the first ion bomb, as well as the hidden rooms that could only be accessed through use of the Force, and alerted Qui-Gon to their existence. Without Obi-Wan's discovery, Qui-Gon would not have known to look for the other bombs and disarm the master bomb in the last crisis manufactured by Xanatos, and the entire planet would have been destroyed.

Obi-Wan had warned Qui-Gon in time of the danger, but Qui-Gon had not done the same for Obi-Wan. He deliberately kept the boy in the dark about Xanatos and his history, and Obi-Wan had paid for it.

Xanatos, assuming Obi-Wan was Qui-Gon's new Padawan, had captured the boy. He as good as admitted it when Qui-Gon confronted him and saw that he had Obi-Wan's lightsaber. But there was no time to search for the boy, not when the stakes for the planet were so high. When Qui-Gon had finally gone looking after the crisis was over, he could not find the Initiate. He had followed the trail to one of Bandomeer's deep sea mines, where it appeared that Obi-Wan was enslaved for several days before he disappeared. The only trace left of him was a mocking note intentionally left by Xanatos to hurt Qui-Gon: Where is your new apprentice, Master?

Though Qui-Gon looked long and hard for any trace of Obi-Wan, that was truly the last he ever heard of the boy. More than a year later, he confronted Xanatos on the man's home planet of Telos IV and demanded to know what he had done with Obi-Wan. His former Padawan had only laughed in his face. He then committed suicide rather than allow Qui-Gon to arrest him, and the only person to know what had become of Obi-Wan Kenobi was gone.

Qui-Gon remembers finding Obi-Wan in his cabin on that unnamed moon, not long after fighting for their lives and the lives of every other soul aboard the ship to Bandomeer. The boy was exhausted but had not yet slept, his face drawn, but his gaze far away. He remembers the emptiness in Obi-Wan's eyes when he told Qui-Gon that he would be glad to leave this place, that he had seen too much death there. He recalls the low tremble in the boy's voice when he admitted that he had finally recognized his own unworthiness of the Force's power. Most of all, Obi-Wan's tired acceptance of Qui-Gon's decision not to train him will haunt Qui-Gon forever.

By the time Anakin exits the Council chamber, the mood in the waiting hall is very somber indeed. The surprised worry in the boy's face and Force signature at what he senses from Qui-Gon and Bant is enough for Qui-Gon to shake himself out of his brooding and put his guilt out of his mind for now.

He smiles at Ani and beckons him over to sit. "All right, Ani?"

Ani nods slowly. "They're talking. They sent me to wait out here."

Bant, seeing that this is going to take much longer than she thought, pulls out her lightsaber to clean while she waits. Within moments, Anakin has moved to the seat next to her, avidly watching her work and asking question after question.

Qui-Gon watches them for a bit. The simple, repetitive motion of cleaning her weapon and the enjoyment of talking to little Ani is already helping draw Bant's thoughts away from her grief for her friend.

Satisfied that both young ones are fine, Qui-Gon slides into a light meditation. He needs to center himself before the Council calls them back in, or they will notice his emotional turbulence.

Over the last decade, he has found himself many times needing to confront his guilt over Xanatos and Obi-Wan, to learn what he can from it and try to release it into the Force. It is never easy. The Jedi Order does not believe in making those who have done wrong atone for their actions, but Qui-Gon has thought before that atonement might be the way for him personally. He made mistakes with these two children. There is nothing he can do to set that right. But he can make sure he does not make them again, and that he does what he can to help other young ones in need. He could neither save Obi-Wan nor train him. But he was able to help save Anakin from slavery, and he will see to it that the boy is trained.

All will be as the Force wills it.

The fourth thing Obi-Wan learned as a slave was who had bought him.

The ship that had taken him from Bandomeer was in hyperspace for near two days. After locking Obi-Wan in a cage that probably would have been more suitable in size for a tooka than a human boy, the Duros pilot did not so much as return to check on him, let alone to give him food or water.

Obi-Wan decided to count himself lucky that he was so weak with dehydration and hunger that he didn't want to move, or being forced into such a small space would have been maddening.

He was only half conscious when the transport finally docked, so he wasn't sure if he was imagining that the voice of the person who boarded sounded familiar.

"I thought I ordered him alive, not half-dead."

"You can never be too careful with Jedi, even the little ones," the Duros responded.

"You may deliver him to my manse. Your payment will have cleared the transfer by the time you get there. If you have any questions, take it up with my seneschal."

"Sir."

Obi-Wan was dragged out of the cage, cuffed, and then shoved to the floor of a speeder. The motion and vibrations of the vehicle as it moved along a boulevard threatened to turn the boy's migraine into an aneurysm as he gagged on nothing, stomach rebelling even without anything in it.

When the speeder shuddered to a halt, a hand around Obi-Wan's upper arm pulled him off the floorboard and hauled him up a set of stairs that he nearly tripped over on every step, seemingly unable to lift his feet high enough to clear them. He was then dragged down a hall and shoved unceremoniously to the cold floor. He heard a door close, voices receding, and then he was alone, feeling as though he could cry but too dehydrated to shed a tear.

He must have dozed off or passed out or something, because he didn't recall hearing anyone come in, but someone was definitely shaking his shoulder, urging him to sit up. He groaned and reluctantly complied, but his eyes popped open when he smelled something wonderful.

A cup was pushed into his hands, and Obi-Wan didn't think, just brought it to his lips to drink. The broth was the best thing he had ever tasted, he was sure. He gulped it down.

"Shh, slowly, slowly now," the familiar voice said. "Don't make yourself sick." A hand was around his, gripping the cup, trying to pull it away. Obi-Wan whimpered, but he forced himself to ease back. He was already dizzy even from so short a time sitting up, and his shriveled stomach was protesting, unused to the weight of food.

A hand rested on the back of his shoulder, and Obi-Wan looked up to meet dark blue eyes in a pale face framed by dark, shoulder-length hair.

"Xanatos?" Obi-Wan frowned. "Did you…buy me?"

Xanatos gave him what may have been meant to be a kind smile, but there was something cold in his eyes.

"Of course I did, as soon as I discovered that the security forces had taken you to the deep sea mines," he said. "You don't think I would allow my Padawan brother to stay in a place like that, do you?"

Obi-Wan shook his head. There was something wrong in what Xanatos had said, like he wasn't quite telling the truth, but Obi-Wan couldn't pin down what it was. His head was still throbbing distractingly.

"I'm not your Padawan brother," he told Xanatos. "I'm not a Padawan."

"I thought you were Qui-Gon's apprentice?" Obi-Wan shook his head. "Then why were you on Bandomeer?"

"I was assigned to the AgriCorps on the planet."

"Ah. You aged out of Initiate training."

Obi-Wan shrugged. "I haven't really aged out yet. I'm still twelve. I think." How many days had it been since he had boarded the transport on Coruscant? He'd lost track, but he didn't think his name day had passed yet.

"If you're still twelve, then why the AgriCorps? And why Bandomeer? It is a brutal world, with a harsh climate and dangerous predators. I wouldn't think it suitable for a child just out of Initiate training."

"I…I messed up."

Xanatos nudged the cup still in Obi-Wan's hands. Obi-Wan took another sip of broth, more measured this time. It would be best to stay alert, and making himself sick wouldn't help.

"Tell me," Xanatos said, and Obi-Wan did. He told Xanatos about losing his temper and allowing his bully to goad him into an unsanctioned fight. How Bruck had lied in reporting him and the High Council had decided to send him away. How he had one last chance to impress Qui-Gon Jinn, but had failed to be chosen as his Padawan. How he had tried to prove himself after that, on the way to Bandomeer and on the planet, but was still not worthy of training. Xanatos was a surprisingly sympathetic listener, keeping a hand on his shoulder and urging him to sip his broth whenever his voice grew strained. But even reliving these memories made Obi-Wan feel sad and small and, yes, angry as well. He wasn't even sure where the anger was coming from anymore. Was he angry at the situation? At Qui-Gon Jinn? At himself? He took a breath and tried to let the anger go, but he just couldn't seem to push it away.

When Obi-Wan finally finished speaking, he was exhausted. "What now?" Obi-Wan asked Xanatos dully. "Will you…take me back to the Temple?"

Xanatos sighed. "Do you really want to go back to the Temple, Obi-Wan?" he asked. "Back to where no one appreciates you, where they order you around and expect you to follow blindly? To the place they unfairly sent you away from? They'll only send you away again, you know."

Obi-Wan just nodded, eyes stinging. He did want to go back, desperately. He knew they would send him away again, failure that he was, but he longed to be back there, even just for a day. The Temple was his home. He missed his friends, Garen, Reeft, and especially Bant. He wanted a hug from Bant so badly that it would be worth facing the Council's censure for his failure on Bandomeer.

"Qui-Gon won't stand up for you," Xanatos continued. "I told you before of his betrayal. He never stood up for me, and I was his Padawan for years. Yoda clearly intended you for him, but the fool rejected you even still."

Obi-Wan shook his head. "Qui-Gon Jinn is a great man, a great Jedi. He wouldn't betray a Padawan." He had learned much from Master Jinn on the trip to Bandomeer alone. If he had listened to him, he wouldn't have been caught and enslaved. If only he were good enough to be a Padawan, it would have been an honor to learn from him.

The hand on his shoulder tightened to the point of pain and Obi-Wan tensed as he felt a spike of anger in the Force from the man beside him. "Oh, you think so, do you? Perhaps I should tell you a little story of my own then." Obi-Wan was tired and his whole body ached, but something told him that he must marshal his will to pay attention to the here and now.

"Jedi are supposed to be neutral," Xanatos began. "And yet, that twisted troll Yoda sent Qui-Gon and me to my home planet of Telos to oversee the renegotiation of a treaty with a neighboring planet. My father was the governor of Telos at the time, and so was the main negotiator for his planet. Tell me, how is anyone, even a Jedi, to maintain the appearance of neutrality when they have blood ties to one side? I should never have been sent to those negotiations, but Yoda wanted to test me. He didn't trust me, or like me, so he set me up to fail."

"I had not seen my father in many years. I found that it was good to see him again, to speak to him as a son does with a father. Jedi are not supposed to have parents or family. They do not understand the comfort one finds in the company of their own kin. I was merely glad to see my father again, but Qui-Gon grew jealous of our closeness. Perhaps he thought that I would choose my father over him. A Jedi knows not pride, Master Qui-Gon." A sneer curled on Xanatos' lip as he said his former master's name. Already, Obi-Wan didn't like this story. It didn't sound like Master Yoda or Master Jinn at all, but he knew better than to try to argue with Xanatos.

"The initial meeting of the negotiations did not go well, of course. My ties to Telos called the neutrality of the Jedi into question. Though perhaps if I had actually favored my father in the negotiations, it would have made up for Qui-Gon's clear bias against him."

"Then came the betrayal. Qui-Gon told the Telosian news media that the negotiations failed because of me and my father. Perhaps it was true, from a certain point of view, that my presence and perceived non-neutrality was the point of failure, but to blame us for that! But worse, he claimed—to the public media—that the negotiations were only a ruse because my father planned to invade the other planet with an army he was raising in secret!" Xanatos' fist clenched. Obi-Wan felt his anger clearly in the Force, hot and smoky, like a fire that he was sitting uncomfortably close to.

"This sparked unrest, which led to a violent rebellion against my father's rule. Then my father really did have to hire an army to end the violence and keep the people of Telos safe. I wanted to help clean up my master's mess, so I volunteered to lead the troops. Then Qui-Gon, in his wisdom, started aiding the rebellion, and the fighting became an all-out civil war."

Xanatos paused, sneering, teeth bared. "The last battle of the war was fought at the governor's quarters. My father was killed in his own home, right in front of me. Struck down by Qui-Gon Jinn."

"No…" Obi-Wan breathed, eyes wide. He felt lightheaded, his thoughts thick and murky. It felt like there was something pressing on his brain. He could hardly believe what he was hearing.

"Qui-Gon's lightsaber passed through my father's ring on the killing blow. I picked up the broken ring out of the fire and pressed it to my cheek." Xanatos indicated the half-circle shaped mark on his face. "The scar will always remind me of Qui-Gon's betrayal."

Obi-Wan felt a chill go down his spine. He had seen that shape before. The broken circle…like on the mysterious boxes in the enrichment zone and on the mining platform. That meant something, but Obi-Wan was struggling to understand what. His exhausted mind kept losing the train of his thought. That meant—it meant—meant that the boxes were Xanatos'. That Xanatos was interfering with the AgriCorps and connected to the deep sea mine. Why?

"So you see, little brother, Qui-Gon does not deserve your loyalty. The Jedi don't deserve you either. If Yoda had his way, you would be given to an uncaring and treacherous master, but worry not. I have rescued you from their manipulations and perfidy."

Xanatos' hand came to rest on Obi-Wan's shoulder again, and Obi-Wan shuddered at his cold touch. "I know you hoped to be a Jedi Knight, but I can make you a much better offer. Become my apprentice. Swear loyalty to me, and we will have our justice for what they did to us."

Obi-Wan shook his head, the motion making him dizzy immediately. "No…I won't…You're lying." His tongue felt swollen, making his words slurred and indistinct. He felt a sudden need to get up, to get away from Xanatos, but when he tried to stand, he couldn't get his limbs to coordinate. He stumbled and fell back against the wall, head spinning. The pressure on his brain was worse than ever, and he suddenly realized it was due to his mental shields being completely down. He tried to raise them and began to panic when he found he couldn't.

He felt Xanatos' fingers on his chin, tilting his face up to his. Meeting Xanatos' cold blue eyes meant feeling the man's anger burning into his brain. Obi-Wan screwed his eyes shut, his eyelids the only barrier he had left.

"Hmm, it's kicking in already, I see," Xanatos mused idly. "I went light on the dosage I slipped in your soup, but I suppose if you hadn't eaten recently that would speed things along." He stroked Obi-Wan's cheek. "Spice has some…interesting effects on Force-sensitives, wouldn't you agree?" Obi-Wan could only pant in panic. His mind felt like it was crumbling, completely open to the Force as each and every object simultaneously caught at his attention, pulling him in all directions and stretching him thin.

"Now, I'm going to ask you again, little brother, and I expect you to agree to my generous offer. I will not ask a third time, and you will not like it if you do not accept. Become my apprentice and swear me your loyalty, and I will teach you the ways of the Force that the Jedi are too weak and too scared to learn. You will be more powerful than any of them. Why refuse such an opportunity?"

Obi-Wan tried to shake his head, but Xanatos' fingers were tight on his jaw. "No…" he moaned, shuddering as he felt Xanatos' rage spike, like salt in the open wound of his mind.

"Why not?" Xanatos snarled.

"I'm a Jedi," Obi-Wan gasped. "I won't turn. Won't fall. Promised. Promised I wouldn't." He wasn't sure anymore who he had made the promise to, but he just knew that he couldn't, wouldn't, turn to the dark side. Though his reason was clouded with the drug, he somehow understood that that was what Xanatos was really offering.

Xanatos' fury was worse than ever, grating against his too-open mind. "So be it! If you will not be my apprentice, you will be my slave. And you will turn, little brother. That I can promise you."

Obi-Wan finally lost his battle with his own body, and he wrenched his head away from Xanatos' grasp, lurching forward to be violently ill on the floor. He heard Xanatos curse, then turn and stride away. A door slammed, sounding as loud as a cannon to the boy's wide open senses. The smoky hot rage that had been filling Obi-Wan's mind gradually faded, for which the boy was thankful.

Shaking, stomach clenching, nose and throat burning, tears and snot streaming down his face, Obi-Wan crawled away from the puddle of sick and curled up on a clean patch of hard, bare floor. He wished he had some water to drink, but even more he wished he could somehow wake up from this nightmare that had become his life.

As he drifted off there on the floor, he thought of what could be his fifth lesson as a slave: that he may as well rest, because his nightmares could be no worse than waking.

A/N: As a very intelligent reader, I know that you have probably already realized that Xanatos is an unreliable narrator in what he is telling Obi-Wan. But every good falsehood is based in fact, so what he's saying could be considered true...from a certain point of view. ;) Whether he's deliberately misleading Obi-Wan or he actually believes this version of the story I will leave to you to decide.

Real Life has really been exhausting these last couple of weeks. I may have chosen the wrong time to pick this story back up again. But thank you all for putting this fic at 100 Follows! Not to mention all the lovely reviews and favorites. Your support and enjoyment of this little story has been so wonderful, and I really appreciate it. Thank you!

ln(^_^)