Part6:

"It's been a while Qui-Gon."
"It is good seeing you again Mace," tall and long haired Jedi greeted the dark skinned Korun Master. "Ah Anakin, I trust you are well?"

"Yes Master Qui-Gon," the blonde smiled brightly and the tall Jedi couldn't help himself but smile back at the enthusiasm of youth.

"How about you go and meet your friends Padawan? Qui-Gon and I have a few things to talk about and I am sure you would be greatly bored."

Anakin nodded, "Thank you Master. I shall return for dinner," and with that the blonde whirlwind had already vanished to go, who knows where.

Sighing Qui-Gon allowed himself to relax into his friend's comfortable black leather couch, while the Korun Master stood up and walked into the kitchen, to prepare tea no doubt. It had become their little ritual ever since the incident three years ago on Naboo... Qui-Gon shook his head violently, causing his hair to fly around wildly. He wouldn't go there, not now.

A knocking sound came from the door and the tall Jedi didn't even bother to get up. He waved his hand through the air and the door swung open, to reveal the wise old Jedi Master Yoda. That was no surprise, the green troll would always appear when Qui-Gon had returned from another hunt through the galaxy and Qui-Gon would always return to Mace's quarters first. Or should he say Mace and Anakin's quarters?

"So decided to return, you have," greeted the green Master and seated himself next to Qui-Gon on the couch. It must have looked ridiculous for any outsider. The small green troll, sitting next to one of the tallest man the Jedi Order had to offer. But looks were deceiving like the old Master liked to remind his companions and Qui-Gon knew all too well that this was the complete truth.

"Yes my Master. I needed a break," and that was the understatement of the milennia. He had been close to an emotional breakdown, something he hadn't had since Naboo.

"Here you are," Mace said and offered his guests a cup of freshly brewed tea.

Qui-Gon closed his eyes and smelled at the warm fluid, letting his mind drop all his thoughts, just for one second. "Thank you," he finally said.

"How are you feeling?" the Korun Master inquired.

Qui-Gon sighed and put the cup back on the small table after taking a slow sip from it, "What do you think?"

Yoda and Mace exchanged a look, "You have to stop this Qui-Gon. This hunt... it is not good for you."

The tall Jedi buried his head in his hands, "I can't Mace. It is my fault."

"You fault, it is not. His own decisions, Obi-Wan has made," Yoda said with a certain edge to his voice that normally stopped all arguments, but Qui-Gon would have none of that, at least not now and definitely not anytime soon.

"It was my fault that he felt vulnerable and unworthy of being a Jedi. It was my fault, my damn mouth that hurt our bond and therefore left a great opportunity for that... that dark being, to take advantage of my Padawan. It was not his fault that he was not able to fight it off, in fact he did a great job if you ask me," he looked up at the two Masters, "I'm not sure me or one of you could have resisted the darkness this long."
"Wait...what?" Mace replied dumbly, his expression showing exactly how confused he was.

"I told you this when I returned injured and without my Padawan from Naboo," Qui-Gon snapped.

"I thought that had been a metaphor..." Mace answered lamely.

"It is clear now, that it was not. In another light, young Kenobi stands now."

"I don't think 'light' is the right word Master," Qui-Gon retorted bitterly.

They kept silent for a while. Qui-Gon tried to get his raging emotions back under control and Yoda was obviously thinking about something. Mace was waiting, the Force urged him to, but he was not sure for what he was waiting.

"Think that young Kenobi is controlled you are," it was not a question but more of a statement.

"Yes. I KNOW my Obi-Wan is still in there, probably buried and encaged deeply in his own mind. Restricted by this dark creature... I know he can be saved, I know we can bring him back."

"Qui-Gon," Mace began, but he was promptly interrupted by the long haired Jedi, "I just want my Padawan back... my boy," and the normally stoic and controlled Jedi Master just broke down under the pressure. He hid his head in his hands again and sobbed openly at his loss. That was what Mace had waited for unknowingly. Qui-Gon had not shed a single tear since he had returned from this dreadful incident three years ago. He had hid his emotions away, behind a durasteel wall and locked securely away. He had even fooled the whole Council and a couple of mind healers that he was feeling perfectly alright. This charade had worked for years, but now Qui-Gon couldn't take it anymore.

The dark skinned Jedi Master sighed and exchanged an uncertain look with Yoda, who had one of his clawed hands on the Jedi Master's knees, rubbing it comfortingly. Mace didn't hesitate long and promptly sat himself on his friend's other side and draped an arm over trembling shoulders. For know all they could do was offering comfort to a broken man. They were not Jedi now, but simple beings of the Force.

"Let it out Qui, there is no shame in showing emotions."

"What makes us Jedi, it is," Yoda added to Mace's surprise, but he decided not to comment on it.

Eventually Qui-Gon calmed down again. His sobs had lessened and stopped at one point, just as his trembling. The three Jedi just sat there in comfortable silence, trying to overcome the shadow that clung to the one in their midst.

"Everything is going to be alright," Mace offered.

"How can you be so sure?" it was a valid and justified question, spoken in a rough voice that was filled with sorrow and grief, to which the Korun Master could give no answer. Thankfully the wise Grandmaster stepped in, "Will of the Force for your Padawan to fall, it was not. Will of the Force to return him to the light, it will be."

"You just have to trust into the Force and eventually you will find Obi-Wan."

"But when?" his voice was muffled.

Mace sighed and wished, not for the first time in the last three years, that he could do more for his friend than to offer a shoulder to lean on. "I fear that is a question only the Force can answer you."

"Why did I have the feeling that you would say just that?"

"Because I am a wise man and you know it?" Mace offered, which earned him an amused chuckle from Yoda and a watery smile from his friend.

"I guess you stole this from Master Yoda," Qui-Gon teased.

"This time, he did not. But other times..." he let the sentence trail off, which earned him a scandalised and betrayed look from Mace Windu and a highly amused one from Qui-Gon Jinn.

"See, it's already better now, isn't it?" Mace inquired when they had settled down again, with a new cup of tea.

"I feel... lighter. Does this make any sense?" Qui-Gon sighed, "I tried to let the emotions flow through me into the Force, but not with satisfying success. Either a lot of them remained, or they returned shortly after."

"Do or do not, there is no try," Yoda mumbled into his cup.

Qui-Gon nodded, "I know that. Believe me, I know that all too well."

Mace did not doubt it for one moment. He as Yoda's Padawan knew all too well the truth of said Master's words and wisdom. Then again, the green troll had lived over eight hundred years. He should know certain things by now.


A few days after Qui-Gon's little meeting with Yoda and Mace Windu, if it could even be called like this, the tall Jedi got another visitor.

"Ah Qui-Gon, am I glad that I have finally gotten to you, before you left again."

"Master?" said Jedi greeted the older Jedi, who was standing before him.

"Is that how you greet me Padawan?" Dooku huffed and firmly, yet gently pushed the other male aside to walk into the quarters. These were the same rooms Qui-Gon had since he had taken Obi-Wan as a Padawan. They were not changed, except for one of the doors in the small hallway. It was locked and nobody was allowed to go in there, except Qui-Gon. It was his sacred place, where he could be surrounded by his Padawan's aura again, where he found comfort and the strength to keep on looking for the young ginger haired man.

"Not much has changed I see," Dooku said while discarding his robe. He looked at Qui-Gon, who had finally been able to close the door.

"Would you like something to drink Master?" Qui-Gon asked politely.

"Well, if you are asking... I would appreciate a good tea. I trust that you still know how to make one?" he raised an eyebrow and gazed challenging at the younger male.

Qui-Gon simply huffed, "Of course I do." He would never forget how to prepare Dooku's tea, not after over ten years of being this man's Padawan.

"We'll see about that," Dooku retorted and seated himself on Qui-Gon's old couch.

Once Qui-Gon had served his old Master tea and pastry, the latter was refused, Dooku revealed the reason for his visit. The man never did anything without a reason and so Qui-Gon was not surprised.

"How are you feeling Padawan?"

"I am not your Padawan anymore Master," Qui-Gon retorted pouting.

"You will always remain my Padawan, Qui-Gon, and nothing will change this old mind." Some people would describe Dooku as arrogant and cold and only those who really know him, knew that the man used these two things to mask his love and compassion for his loved once. Dooku was a gentle and caring man under the hard shell. You had to get under it first however.

Qui-Gon sighed, before he answered the question, "I would feel a lot better, if I knew Obi-Wan safe and with me."

Dooku hummed and sipped his tea, "He was a bright boy and I cannot believe he fell."

"He didn't," this earned him a confused look. Reluctantly the long haired Jedi explained his visitor what had transpired on Naboo and the fateful mission. He and Dooku hadn't seen each other often during Obi-Wan's apprenticeship. They hadn't seen each other at all since Naboo, because Qui-Gon had been injured first and then he had left to find and confront his wayward apprentice.

Dooku was silent once the tale was told. Qui-Gon knew he was thinking about the events and he knew the older male was choosing his next words very carefully. "I won't deny that you made grave mistakes. It is easier to live with a situation, when you accept the hard fact instead of sweet lies. But I also know that, when there is a chance and I think there is, YOU can save Obi-Wan. The two of you had one of the strongest bonds I have seen, surely Yoda must have told you this already," Qui-Gon nodded, "Remember Padawan, where there is hope, there is a way."

Once again Qui-Gon only nodded, not quite knowing what he was supposed to reply. Dooku didn't seem bothered by it and refocused on his cup instead. The long haired Jedi quickly refilled it and thankfully their talk moved to more pleasant topics then.

Still, Dooku's previous words caused Qui-Gon a few nights without proper rest.