AN: I recognize that midi-chlorians are a thing. That doesn't mean I need to acknowledge it. That thing I hate. HATE. Seriously, fuck midi-chlorians.
Chapter 2: A Bored Kenobi is a Dangerous Kenobi
By the time the suns began their decent and the sky began to be stained red with their departure, it was becoming very obvious that sandstorm looming on the horizon was not, in fact, going away. No, from the look of it, it seemed to be drawing closer at an alarming rate. The crew of the ship, the handmaidens and the Queen all seemed to be in a state of mild panic; after all, they were all unfamiliar with this weather condition, and nobody knew what to expect.
Except for Obi-Wan. He was just getting bored.
Being cooped up in the ship was proving to be more vexing than the sand and heat outside, which led young Kenobi on a restless back and forth between the confines of the ship and the windy, sandy dunes. This, of course, just heightened his irritation. He understood the need for him to remain behind, but it made him restless to know his Master was out doing important work while he had to remain behind to make certain nobody did anything stupid.
He sighed, running his hand through his short, blond hair and drumming his fingers on one of the ship's consoles. The sand storm was beginning to interfere with their sensors and communications, and he had yet to hear from Qui-Gon, so there goes the hope that they might leave that day. It seemed that his Master was always leaving him behind to guard royalty while he scouted ahead and did the dangerous work. Satine wasn't technically royalty, but all the Sith Kriffing Hells, she sure did act like it.
He sat up a little straighter when he heard soft footsteps approaching from behind him. "Master Jedi?" a soft, female voice asked.
"I'm not a Master..." he said under his breath, twisting his braid between his fingers and turning to meet the red-hooded figure of one of the Queen's handmaidens. "Can I help you?"
"The Queen requests your presence. She is...distressed."
"Yeah, who isn't?" he sighed as he rose from the chair, smoothing out his robes. "Your name was?"
"Rabé, Master Jedi."
"Please, just call me Obi-Wan, or Kenobi, or...just not that."
The young woman flushed a shade of red that matched the vibrant red of her robes, and Obi-Wan arched an eyebrow at her sudden discomfort. If Satine taught him anything, it was that women were exceedingly complex. This one was reinforcing that notion. "As you wish, Master Kenobi."
The Jedi groaned, running his hand over his face briefly. Be strong, Kenobi. Be strong... "You can tell the Queen that there's nothing to be concerned about. I have every faith that Master Qui-Gon will be back very soon with the parts we need, so if she would just exercise some patience..." He resumed twirling his braid nonchalantly. "That, or he will die in this storm, the Trade Federation will succeed in locating this ship and kill us all, or worse, leave us to die in the sand. One of the two." The Jedi smirked softly as he watched the handmaiden's face run the gauntlet of emotions, from relief, to nervousness, to abject horror.
"Y-y-you don't think..."
"Relax, I'm joking. Mostly. You can tell her Highness that it's fine and there's nothing to worry about."
"But...but the message."
He had just started sinking back into the chair when he stopped, hand gripping the back of the seat tightly. "...what message."
She beaconed him to follow, and he went after her, following her quick steps with his own long stride. They received a communication? How? He had been sitting at the com channel nearly the entire time. Most of the time. Well...nearly most of the time. The time that he wasn't outside scanning the sand dunes, or pacing the length of the ship, or failing to calm his mind with meditation...when he wasn't doing those things, he was at the com channel.
When he got to the bridge, Captain Panaka, the Queen and her handmaidens were re-watching a choppy hologram of a Naboo official. The interference was making it difficult to understand him, but the phrases "death toll rising" and "bow to their wishes" and "contact immediately" could be clearly heard, and it was all Obi-Wan needed.
"It's clearly a trick," the Jedi said sternly, crossing his arms in front of his chest and mimicking his Master to the best of his ability. "Send no reply, send no transmission at all."
"But you didn't even hear," the Queen began, but Obi-Wan held up his hand, and she fell silent.
"I don't need to hear the rest to know it's a trick. It's clearly a trick. They're trying to locate us, which means they don't know where we are. That's good. We can't squander this advantage. Don't play into their hands, your Highness."
The queen stared at him for a long moment, her head held up regally, but there was clearly fear and uncertainty in those eyes. Obi-Wan could emphasize; though a Jedi was not to feel these things, the young Jedi often felt lost without the guidance of his Master, much like the young Queen must have felt lost without her advisors. He smiled softly, the harsh edge leaving his face and his voice. "Don't you worry, your Highness. We'll be on the way soon."
Her brown eyes met his blue, and that seemed to do it for her. She nodded, satisfied in the corse of action he had set for her, and he turned on his heels and left the bridge for the engines. He needed to go fiddle with the mechanics of the ship and try to reach Qui-Gon. This was why his Master left him behind. Because of things like this. Satisfied that he had completed his job in a way his Master would be proud of, he hit the access console to admit him to the ships engines.
It was well after midnight when Obi-Wan was contacted by Qui-Gon. His com flashed, beeping incessantly to indicate the call, and the young Jedi had to untangle himself from some of the ships wiring to reach over and accept the call. The button was tapped, and the blue hologram of his Master appeared. "Obi-Wan, can you read me?"
"Loud and clear, Master." The Padawan went back to digging around in the engines. "I tried to contact you earlier, but the sand storm was causing too much interference and I couldn't get through."
"Did anything happen?"
Obi-Wan nodded, flicking his braid behind his shoulder as he turned to face the hologram, giving his Master his full attention. "Yes, the governor of Naboo tried to contact the Queen about her people suffering. It was clearly a trap. He was asking about our location."
Qui-Gon nodded pensively. "The Trade Federation doesn't know where we are, then."
"That was my conclusion as well, Master."
"He probably was not lying about the state of his people, though." The Jedi Master brought his hand to his chin, thinking deeply for a moment before he nodded. "You've done well, Obi-Wan."
Kenobi's chest swelled with pride, and a bright smile graced his already handsome face, and Qui-Gon couldn't help but smile at his Padawan. "Thank you, Master. I'm sorry I doubted you. You were right to trust in the Force. I'll do better."
"Yes, about that..." Something about his Master's tone set his stomach into knots, and his smile faded, eyebrows knit close together as he searched the Force for his Master's intent before he said anything. "The Force did bring us here. I...found something."
"Please, Master, please say it's the parts we need..."
"Well, yes, I did find those."
His worries eased away and his blue eyes shone with excitement. "Really? Master, that's fantastic! I had serious doubts that you could find them! With any luck, we could leave by tomorrow!"
"Obi-Wan..."
"I can have those installed and online within an hour of getting them!" Kenobi laughed, leaning back against the engine he was tinkering with, fingers running excitedly through the loose and exposed wires. "With any luck, we can be back home in the Jedi Temple in time for lunch!"
"Obi-Wan, focus," his Master softly admonished, and the excited youth quieted down, his blue eyes laughing and a charming smirk upon his handsome face. "I found them, yes, but I do not have them, not yet."
"So you'll pay for them in the morning, then we'll have them."
"It's not that simple. There's something else."
"No, Master, it is that simple." The knot in his stomach grew tighter, and the young Kenobi was becoming grateful that he had been too on edge to eat dinner. Emptying his stomach into the engines would not help this ship fly. Qui-Gon was dancing around something. What else could have happened? How much damage could that Gungan do in one afternoon?
Qui-Gon crossed his arms, looking at Obi-Wan so sternly that he could feel the intensity of his gaze through the Force itself, and the Padawan held his tongue, ears burning in embarrassment. He hated when his Master did that. "We will have the parts we need, young one. We need to discuss the other thing."
"What other thing?" Obi-Wan huffed as he took a grip on his braid and pulled at it. "What did the Gungan do?"
"Nothing...well, a great many things, actually, but-"
"Sweet Force, is the Gungan dead? Master, did you kill the Gungan for the mission?!"
"Obi-Wan!"
"Because if you did, Master, you're my hero."
"Kriffing hell, Obi!" Nothing that could be said could wipe the smirk on the Padawan's face. Qui-Gon huffed, eyes closed in concentration as he attempted to stave off the frustration. "I found a boy."
"...a boy," the Jedi repeated, his face going completely blank as the knot in his stomach grew. Not this again. "Master, what boy..."
"I found a boy here, a slave that works in the shop where we're getting the parts from. I can sense he's strong in the Force."
"Master..."
"Unusually strong, Obi-Wan. Stronger than I have ever sensed."
Kenobi scoffed at this, rolling his eyes at what he saw as another of his master's lost causes. "Master, you're exaggerating. You've been in the presence of the Jedi Council hundreds of times, you've trained with Master Yoda..."
"His potential is greater than Master Yoda." There was a moment of tension, of incredible strain in the Force between Master and Padawan despite the distance. The clear blue eyes of Obi-Wan bore into the hologram as if his Master was standing right before him, as if his gaze could burn this stupidity from the older Jedi. "I've never seen anything like it, young one," Qui-Gon said softly. "This one is something special."
"Master, is this the same kind of special as our Gungan friend?"
"This is different, Obi-Wan, don't be sassy. I need to investigate this further."
That did it for Kenobi. He jumped up from where he was sitting and began pacing wildly, like an animal that had been caged, which he supposed he was, since the prospect of staying longer was suddenly a very real possibility while his Master chased pointless causes. Again. "What about the mission, Master! We have a Queen to protect, we need to get her back to Coruscant!"
"I know, Obi-Wan. Listen." The harsh tone was enough to stop the young man's pacing, but he was glaring at the hologram. "I have not forgotten the mission. I know what we must do, but you don't get to decide what's important, the Force does. I was brought here for a reason. The Force has willed this. I cannot ignore this."
The Padawan sat in front of the engine, defeated. "You're going to look like a fool in front of the Council again."
"Maybe so, but if they are wise, they will heed me."
"They won't, Master, you know they won't. If you'd just listen to the Code..."
"Obi-Wan, you have much to learn." Qui-Gon fell silent as he watched his apprentice turn away, shake his head, then refocus on him, his eyes steely and cold. "The Code is a guideline, yes, but it is just that, a guideline. Not a rule book. If the Force takes us elsewhere, we must follow...do you understand?"
He was silent a long time, looking at the hologram of his Master and doubting everything. His place in this mission, his place in the Force, everything. He felt like he was a child again, learning the basics of the Jedi Code in a room full of other younglings. His uncertainty shook his entire being, so much so he could feel the Force around him tremble, could feel his Master's comforting touch through their bond reach out to him. He had so much to learn, he understood that. Be humble, Obi-Wan, he admonished himself, be modest. You don't know better than your Master. He closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and smiled sheepishly at the hologram.
"You deserve to be on the Council, Master. If you'd just follow the Code..."
"That may not be my path, Padawan," Qui-Gon said softly. "I accept that, as must you. Now," he clapped his hands together, smiling broadly at the young Jedi. "Get some rest, Obi-Wan Kenobi. I have this under control."
"I know, Master." He smiled softly, feeling much more at ease. Qui-Gon knew what he was doing. Everything was going to be fine.
"Good! I will contact you after the Podrace tomorrow."
"Yes, the...wait, what?! Master, what Podrace!"
"For the parts. I wagered the ship against the parts that my racer will win."
Obi-Wan couldn't stop himself from burying his face in his hands. "Master, that's a terrible idea. We're going to be out a ship if you lose! Can you even race a pod?"
"Of course not, young one, the boy is going to race for me."
"...the boy..."
"I can win the parts we need and test out my hunch about the boy at the same time! Even you would approve of this, it's efficient."
"Yes, I suppose, but..." He bit his tongue before he continued. "No, Master, no, I don't approve! This is madness!"
"Trust in the Force, Obi-Wan. I'll talk to you tomorrow." And with that, the hologram of his Master flickered into nothingness. He didn't know how long he sat there staring at where the image of Qui-Gon Jinn had been moments before, but by the time he moved, his muscles were aching, his head throbbed, and he was terribly hungry. He didn't exactly know what happened, but he did know this: the Force was perfectly content to send Obi-Wan Kenobi into an early, frustrated grave.
May the Force be with me...so I may be constantly vexed.
Did the Code forbid drinking? Because he needed one badly.
