AN: I love the idea that the Dark Side feels cold. I forget where that comes from, but it might be from Rebels? I don't know, but I'm running with it. It's go time!
Chapter 3: Of Children and Psychopaths
Obi-Wan spent his night in meditation. He was restless and frustrated, and this mission was putting undue strain on both him and his Master. He did not wish to be a problem, especially for the Jedi Knight he admired above all others. He took a deep breath, his long-fingered hands resting on his crossed legs.
There is no emotion, there is peace.
He was struggling with this one as of late, so much so that the Force around him felt unstable. He was...unbalanced, that much he knew. But why. Why was he having such difficulty achieving the peace that graced his Master? True, he struggled with this in the past, but he had greatly improved after his mission on Mandalore guarding the Grand Duchess. He had learned a great deal from Satine, and her overpowering emotion and passion helped him find a way to keep his own passions in check.
But now...now something had changed. He and Qui-Gon often disagreed on the ways of the Force, the adherence to the Code, the role of the Jedi. His Master would actively go against the Jedi Code if he felt it was the right thing to do, but Obi-Wan believed in the Jedi Code above all else, believed it was put in place for a reason. They disagreed often, but it wasn't usually so...hostile. Why. Why was it like this!
He sharply inhaled "There is no emotion, there is peace..."
It was this mission, it had to be, starting with his Master's insistence on dragging that Gungan around, and then the difficult rescue of the Queen, their foiled escape from Naboo, their unscheduled landing on Tatooine, the Podrace, all that sand...
He shook his head, breathed deeply when he realized everything about him had suddenly tensed up. No, it wasn't any of that. None of those things had any bearing on his emotions. This was his fault, it came from within. But why?
His even breathing allowed him to relax, and he reached deep into the Force, felt the sleeping, fitful presence of the people on the ship, felt the calming energy of his Master that just seemed too far away, and...and something else...
His mouth twitched in concentration. Whatever it was, he couldn't place it, but something was off, unbalancing the Force just enough to catch his attention when he searched deep enough.
There is no ignorance, there is knowledge.
He needed to find out the trouble, both with himself and with the Force, that much was clear. The Force was fogged to him at the moment, and his own mind was turbulent and chaotic, but he could work through that. He was calmer now, his whole being open to the comforts of the Force, and it soothed his mind, made things much more clear. Obi-Wan had been with his Master a long time, since he was a child, and it was becoming very clear that it wouldn't be long before the Jedi Council called for him to undergo his Trial and become a Jedi Knight. He wasn't ready, not even close, and this mission made that extremely obvious. He might have a year left with his Master, two if he was lucky, and he would be on his own. It was...frightening.
The admission of his fear made Obi-Wan feel...lighter, somehow. He understood, smiled softly as relief washed over him. This was easily solved. "There is no ignorance, there is knowledge," he said under his breath. All he needed to do was talk to Master Qui-Gon, apologize for his bad behavior, explain his fears, and all would be well.
There is no passion, there is serenity.
That was becoming more true every second as his worries and anxiety drifted into the Force as he gained an understanding of himself. He always found the Code calming, and that was especially true now.
There is no chaos, there is harmony.
Yes, but...something wasn't right. Kenobi shook his head, breathed deeply. Not now, not yet...
There is no death, there is the Force.
The Jedi exhaled slowly, mastering himself once again. This wasn't so bad. All of this was simply a momentary setback, and all things were a part of the plan of the Force. All he needed to do was trust in it.
"There is no emotion, there is peace," he spoke softly, truly believing it for the first time in days. "There is no ignorance, there is knowledge. There is no passion, there is serenity." He chanted the mantra often when he felt lost, and the Force always found a way to make him feel grounded in the Code, as he did now. "There is no chaos, there is harmony. There is no death, there is the Force." He sighed, sinking himself further into his meditations, fully relaxed at last. All he needed to do was talk to his Master.
"...but that's not it, is it." His brows knit together in intense concentration. With his mind clear, the Force laid itself out before him. All this felt wrong from the very start. From the moment they set foot on the Trade Federation ship and this whole mess of a mission began, Obi-Wan had felt that something was off. He expressed such to his Master, but Qui-Gon felt nothing, and the Padawan brushed it off as mere anxiety. But it wasn't, that much was clear now, because the same bad feeling had followed him since then, it's incessant presence setting the young man on edge. This wasn't anxiety, this was something rippling in the Force, something...something cold.
Obi-Wan stood and stretched after his long meditation, his blue eyes drifting to the window and seeing the first sliver of one of the twin suns of Tatooine appearing over the sand dunes. Things were becoming clear to him now. By the time Qui-Gon contacted him, he'd have a firm understanding of what was going on, he was certain of it.
It was just after noon when Obi-Wan spotted his Master, the handmaiden, and the Gungan approaching the ship on the backs of pack animals, and the Padawan's heart lifted as he ran out to greet them. "I was getting worried," he said softly, helping the Jedi as he dismounted.
"Getting? I feel you have been worried, young one."
"Yes, well..." He twirled his braid, felt his ears burn red with embarrassment. Before he had a chance to speak, Qui-Gon swiftly went to help the handmaiden unload a heavy package from the back of one of the animals.
"This is the hyperdrive generator, please get it installed immediately, Obi-Wan." As soon as the parts were unloaded, Qui-Gon jumped up onto the animal he was previously riding. "I'm going back, I have some unfinished business."
"Business? Master!" He felt his previous anxiety return full force. His Master's recklessness was...unsettling. Qui-Gon looked down at his fidgeting Padawan, sighed softly, and dismounted, draping his arm around the boy's shoulders and leading him away.
"I won't be long."
"I sense you've picked up another stray, Master."
"It's the boy I talked to you about last night. He's responsible for winning the bet I made, we wouldn't have the parts without him."
The feeling was back. The anxiety, the uncertainty, the faint, cold threads in the Force. He gave his Master a cold, hard stare, said nothing, and turned back toward the ship.
There is no emotion, there is peace...
Obi-Wan bit the inside of his cheek, breathed deeply, and turned back to the older Jedi. "Master, I..." He stepped to him swiftly, stood before his impressive height and bowed his head. "Master, I apologize. These past few days I have behaved...badly, I..." Kenobi's voice quivered with emotion that he was trying to suppress. There is no emotion...
"Hush, Obi-Wan..."
"I have been plagued with fears and, well..." He huffed reaching up to pull at his braid. This was much harder than it was when he was practicing this earlier. Keep it simple, Kenobi. He took a deep breath and began again. "I know you're in a rush, we can talk later. But Master, I need to warn you. I feel something wrong in the Force. There's a great disturbance. I cannot see why, but I beg you, Master, exercise caution."
Qui-Gon was silent for a moment, eyes cast down at the sand before nodding slowly. "You mentioned this before. Perhaps you are right. I will remain mindful." He smiled softly. "Thank you, Obi-Wan."
The Padawan nodded, smiling softly. "I can have us off the ground in an hour. Are you sure you have to go back?"
"I'm sure of this, yes."
"...very well. But when you return, we need to talk, alright?" Qui-Gon nodded, and turned away to climb back on the pack animal. Kenobi watched as he headed off toward the town once again, and when he was out of view, the Padawan headed into the ship to install the hyperdrive. He couldn't shake the feeling that something awful was about to happen.
As he walked up the ship's ramp, the handmaiden that accompanied his Master to Mos Espa came out to meet him. "Master Jedi?"
"Please, I'm not a master..."
The young woman observed him for a moment with large brown eyes, before nodding. "Very well. What should I call you, then?"
"Obi-Wan's fine. You?"
She extended her hand without a second of hesitation, so very unlike the other handmaiden he had met earlier. "Padmé." He sighed, took her hand for a moment.
"I need to get these installed, if you'll excuse me..." He strode up the ramp and headed toward the engine, but the girl followed. "...can I help you?"
"How were things here? Did anything happen?"
"Nothing of note," he said softly, shrugging off his cloak and rolling up his sleeves. "Why?"
"I like to know what happens around the Queen."
"If you were so interested in that, why did you not stay behind?" He removed the engine panels, his blue eyes observing the girl, who seemed to flush slightly, but it could have been the light of the engines. He did sense her heart beat faster, though, and he couldn't help but smirk.
"The Queen needed a representative on the mission."
"I see."
"But I would have rather been here, of course!" Obi-Wan chuckled as he placed the first generator into it's place and began making the necessary attachments. The girl was so...passionate, so alive, and the Jedi found it extremely endearing. There is no passion, there is serenity...
"Of course." The Jedi worked quickly, his nimble fingers easily setting to the task at hand. In his youth, he took a liking to mechanics, figured he'd be a pilot, and was shown to be quite talented at it. However, as his talent in the Force grew, it became clear that his path would take him elsewhere. He just finished with the first generator and placed the second in place when the intense stare of the young woman became too much. "Do you need something, or do you just like the view?"
She opened her mouth to respond before she processed what he had said, and when his words sunk in, her face turned an unmistakable shade of red, even in the light of the engines. Obi-Wan smirked, throughly amused by the girl. "I...the boy we met in town was a mechanic as well. Are all Jedi inclined toward mechanics?"
"The boy is not a Jedi," Obi-Wan huffed. "My Master thinks he's Force sensitive, and he may be, but that doesn't make him a Jedi. A Jedi is more than that, it's...a way of life." He sighed, running his hand over his short hair and tossing his braid over his shoulder. "But no, not all of us like mechanics. Force knows Master Qui-Gon doesn't, his talent it taking strays in..."
"Like yourself?"
His blue eyes shot to the girl, narrowed for a moment and studied her features, her small mouth upturned into a devious, clever smirk. He relaxed. She was teasing. "Not quite, no. He didn't find me, I..." He sighed, attaching the necessary couplings to the generator. "I suppose that's one way of looking at it."
"I guess I just don't really understand you Jedi."
"No, most people don't." Obi-Wan smiled at her softly. "The Force is a mystery to most people, myself included. It's difficult to explain, even with a lifetime of training."
She kneeled next to him, picking up the panel to cover the generator. "I'd like to learn more about it."
"Would you?" He grabbed the other end of the panel and helped her replace it. "I could attempt to educate you, if you like. I'm still learning, but Master Qui-Gon always says that you learn by teaching."
"I'd like that." She smiled, and Kenobi couldn't help but think about Satine, her own passion, her own thirst for knowledge. They had similar conversations in the past, and though he never got the chance to educate her on the nature of the Jedi and the Force, it was something he often desired to do one day. He smiled much more gently than he had in the past few days, and was suddenly very keenly aware of how close he was to the handmaiden. The Padawan backed away quickly, face flushed and nervously laughing as he stood.
"Sorry, I, um..." He offered his hand to her and helped pull her to her feet. "Thank you for the company. Replacing generators is a dull affair."
"You are very welcome, Obi-Wan."
He smiled sheepishly at the ground, but only for a moment before the air around him seemed to grow still. He didn't have a chance to move before he heard light, swift feet reverberating through the ship, the voice of a young boy calling for help. He and Padmé dashed from the engine room together, nearly barreling into a small, blond boy that Obi-Wan had to assume was Qui-Gon's little racer. The boy was gasping, eyes wide. "Please!" he yelled, frantic and unsure. "Qui-Gon's in trouble!"
There it is again. His blue eyes shot toward the ship's ramp and ran toward it, shielding his eyes against the suns and searching for his Master. I feel it, Master, where are you? The Force was opened up to him, and he could see it tremble, could feel the cold grip him, but this was not like before. This was intense, as if his entire being was suddenly chilled by this new presence. It was just a quick flash, but his sharp eyes picked up what looked like the clash of lightsabers on top of a sand dune before it disappeared behind it.
Panic seized the young Jedi, held him in it's grasp as he continued to feel the chill grow stronger, and he dashed down the ramp, coming to a swift stop before he raced out into the sand. Calm, Kenobi, focus. He took a breath, his blue eyes focused on the spot the saw the sparks, and with a clear mind, he rushed back into the ship, tearing toward the cockpit. He threw himself into the pilot's seat and immediately powered the ship up. He could never got to Qui-Gon in time on foot. This was the best option.
"Master Jedi!" Captain Panaka appeared behind him, grasping the back of the pilot's seat as Obi-Wan lifted the ship off the ground and turned it toward the place where he felt his Master.
"Qui-Gon's in trouble, take the seat, fly right over that dune over there!" Kenobi tersely commanded as he leapt out of the seat, hitting the ramp extension as he dashed out of the cockpit.
He tore through the ship as fast as he could, unclipping his lightsaber from his belt as he reached the access hatch and slammed the console, the air locks opening and he rushed out onto the extended ramp, squinting against the wind as the ship flew low over the dunes. Then he saw them, his Master, his green lightsaber activated and swinging gracefully, defensively against his assailant, a creature dressed in black with...Obi-Wan blinked, shook his head, and looked again to confirm. A lightsaber. The creature was holding a red lightsaber, and this creature was trained, his strikes fast, athletic, and highly aggressive.
There is no death, there is the Force...
"Master!" Kenobi clipped his lightsaber back on to his belt, got a grip on the ramp and extended his hand to his Master. It was all Qui-Gon needed. Without looking, the Jedi Master back flipped away from the other combatant, reaching his hand out and grasped Obi-Wan's forearm. The Padawan grabbed his Master and with all his effort, pulled him up onto the ramp. The man in black wasted no time in jumping after the Jedi, but a swift swing from Qui-Gon was enough to make the snarling aggressor retract his hand and fall short of the ramp. With a pained grunt, the Master stumbled into the ship.
Obi-Wan went to follow, but stopped suddenly and looked over the ramp just in time to see the creature land on his feet on the dune below, and outraged, feral howl cut through the roar of the engines as the man looked up at the Jedi Padawan that stood on the ramp. Kenobi held his breath as he looked at his Master's attacker, his bright red skin, tribal tattoos and horned head the least animalistic thing about this creature. Face twisted in rage, he glared at the Jedi, and Obi-Wan locked eyes with the man, piercing yellow boring into him, and the cold returned stronger than before, a physical chill that sent goose bumps up the Jedi's arms.
There is only the Force...
The ship began to ascend, and Obi-Wan ran inside before they picked up speed. He hit the control console, sealing the airlock and folding the landing ramp under the ship before he ran to Qui-Gon, who sat on the floor, surrounded by Padmé and the young boy. He was out of breath, but the Jedi didn't seem hurt, just stunned.
"Master, are you alright? What was that thing?!"
Qui-Gon shook his head. "I don't know, but he was trained in the Jedi arts."
"I sensed it, Master, he was strong in the Force."
"You sensed it long before I," the master said wearily, standing on shaking legs. "This may be what you were feeling before, young one. Don't second guess yourself anymore, you're more on point than I..."
Obi-Wan opened his mouth to speak, but the young boy cut him off with a quick and worried "What if he comes back? What are we going to do?"
Qui-Gon looked at the boy, and then looked at his apprentice, who now looked at the boy as well, his face seeming to demand "What do you mean 'we'?"
"We will be patient," he said softly, answering the young blond. "I have no doubt he will find us again, and when he does, we will be ready." The blazing, intensely focused gaze of his Padawan had not left the new addition to the ship, and the Master sighed. "Anakin Skywalker, meet Obi-Wan Kenobi."
"Wow, are you a Jedi Knight too?!"
Obi-Wan looked from the boy to his Master and rolled his eyes in despair. He had a bad feeling about this as well, and he could still feel the cold chill deep in his chest.
