AN: Psst! You guys know what I also don't like? That Anakin is Space Jesus. So Imma gonna modify that one too. Also, I've got some unexpectedly great reception on this which. Is. Awesome. If you leave a comment, review, or feedback, leave me a way to get in touch so I can talk to you guys. I super love discussing things. On with it!
Chapter 4: Snow Warning
The large, luxurious ship was far, far too small for three Force sensitive beings, Obi-Wan concluded as he paced the halls and ran into Qui-Gon, Anakin, or both of them nearly everywhere he went. The young man had no desire to see either of them at the moment, but it seemed as though the Force was willing them all together. He couldn't handle it at the moment, and pacing the ship in search of a secluded space was all he could do to keep from tearing his braid out.
He eventually settled on a return to the engine room, despite the loud humming of the hyperdrive. He sat in the most secluded corner he could find, drawing his knees to his chest and wrapping his arms around them, shivering slightly. The cold he had felt was receding, but it was still present in the Force. Obi-Wan suspected that the mere memory of that feeling was keeping it present, and he took a deep breath, tried to remember his Master's teachings. Be mindful of the present, Obi-Wan. Qui-Gon told him this often, but it was difficult for the Padawan to do this, unlike his Master, who seemed to thrive in the present. All this did was reinforce his need for further training.
Kenobi couldn't imagine what his Master planned to do with the boy. He was far too old for training, so...what? Did he want to parade him in front of the Council to show them a child that was stronger in the Force than they were? He shook his head, embarrassed for his Master. Nothing would come of this, Qui-Gon had to see that. This was barely worth thought. What was worth meditation, though, was the creature they had seen on Tatooine. What was it? Why was he there, what had he come for? Was it simply an assassin sent for the Queen? That seemed unlikely, not if-
Obi-Wan's breath hitched as he felt his Master's presence reach out to him, warm, comforting and soothing, and the chill in him receded to the presence of the Jedi Master. The Padawan stood. His Master needed him. He turned to leave for Qui-Gon's quarters, but he stopped for a moment as the impulse to block his Master out and sit back down entered his mind. Then the moment was gone, and Obi-Wan clenched his jaw, angry at himself for even having the thought at all. He was ungrateful to even have the thought, and he shook his head violently as if he could banish any trace from his mind.
His long stride carried him through the ship to his Master's room, and he stopped before the closed door and gently knocked. The tired, quiet voice beaconed him to enter, and Obi-Wan's fingers swept over the console, stepping inside as the door hissed open, closing again quickly behind him. "You called, Master?"
Qui-Gon nodded, gesturing for his apprentice to kneel before where he sat meditating. When the boy sat before him, legs crossing before him, the Master sighed softly. "You wished to speak with me before. What is it?"
Obi-Wan shook his head. "It can wait until we're back at home, after everything's settled with the Council." Qui-Gon nodded, and the Padawan continued. "But we do need to discuss something else."
The Master arched his eyebrow. "Obi-Wan, if this is about Anakin..."
"It isn't, Master." The blue eyes narrowed. Again with the boy. "I don't know what you have in mind for him, but whatever it is, it's a foregone conclusion." The older man frowned, opened his mouth to speak, but Obi-Wan quickly cut in with "We have much more important things to talk about. That creature, Master."
There was silence for a moment, and Kenobi thought that his Master wouldn't let the matter slide so easily, that he would insist on a discussion about the child. But the Master nodded slightly, softly said "I agree. Thoughts?"
"I saw him after you went back into the ship. His eyes were yellow, Master, and when I looked at him I felt cold. In the desert, I was freezing."
"Hmm..." Qui-Gon stroked his beard, his eyes distant for a moment before quietly saying, "You seem to have been sensing him for a while now. The cold you feel, is it the same feeling you had before?"
Obi-Wan nodded. "I still feel it, Master. Not as strongly as before, but it is still there. The Force is disturbed."
"I agree, but I am not sensing it like you are." His fingers drummed on his leg, the Master's intelligent eyes darting about the room as if seeing something that the Padawan could not see. "I need you to monitor this, Obi-Wan. You saw him, you felt the Force around him, and you can recognize it. We will not be caught off-guard again."
"I understand, Master. Um..." Obi-Wan paused, uncertain, if he should ask what was on his mind, but Qui-Gon nodded to him, sensing his hesitation, and the Padawan continued. "Master, we're dealing with a Force sensitive individual with yellow eyes and a red lightsaber. It can't be coincidence..."
"I agree. We could be dealing with a Sith Lord."
There was silence between them, the words hanging heavy over the two Jedi, and Obi-Wan was almost afraid to breathe. It was as if his Master spoke something forbidden, like just saying the words would make them true. It was frightening, and...and what? Kenobi brought his hand to his chest, felt his heart beating at an accelerated rate. Was he afraid? Or was this excitement that he felt pounding through his body?
"Master?" he said softly, willing his pulse to calm. "Will the Council accept this?"
"I don't know, Obi-Wan, but I think we might be in for it."
The next morning found Qui-Gon Jinn and Obi-Wan Kenobi reporting to the Jedi Council. They bid goodbye to the Queen, the Gungan, and Anakin and departed to make their report, now that their mission was over. And here they stood, in a room filled with the most powerful Jedi alive, and Obi-Wan felt as if he and his Master were children that were just caught yelling profanities at their grandmother. It was horribly awkward, and he shifted uncomfortably next to Qui-Gon, having trouble keeping his tongue as he promised the elder Jedi he would. It was made worse by the fact that the Council seemed to not believe them.
It was Mace Windu that spoke first. "How could the Sith rise without our knowledge."
"Hard to see, the Dark Side is," Master Yoda said softly, but when the diminutive Jedi spoke, he seemed much bigger than he was.
"My Padawan sensed it," Qui-Gon said almost proudly, and Obi-Wan cast his eyes to the ground, both humbled and proud. "Long before we encountered him, Obi-Wan felt the disturbance the Dark Side was causing."
The Masters continued to discuss and debate the possibility of the Sith, and Kenobi tuned out entirely, eyes closed and reaching into the Force. The disturbance he felt was gone, the cold chill faded to simply a memory. As he expected, the close of this mission ended the Padawan's heightened level of anxiety and unease. They were home now. Everything was going to be fine. Being in the presence of the Council was comforting to Kenobi, despite the unease he felt from his Master. He reached out to Qui-Gon through the Force, attempting to calm and comfort the Master, but the Jedi's defenses were up, and Obi-Wan frowned when he could not get through to him. This was unlike his Master. Something wasn't right.
"Remain with the Naboo Queen, you must," Yoda commanded.
"We will unravel the mystery of your attacker," Mace promised, steeping his fingers together. "May the Force be with you, Qui-Gon Jinn."
Obi-Wan bowed, turned on his heels to leave, but stopped when Qui-Gon did not move. He looked over his shoulder at his Master, holding his breath for what he knew was coming. Please, Master, don't...
"More to say, have you?" Yoda asked, and Qui-Gon took a deep breath.
"I've discovered a vergence in the Force."
The Council was on edge before with talk of Sith, but this was too much for them. The chamber erupted in talking and debate and disbelief and didn't stop until Yoda tapped his staff against the ground, the echo silencing the Jedi Masters. Obi-Wan felt as though his heart had stopped.
"Around what?" Mace asked, and Qui-Gon held his head high.
"Around a person. I have brought the boy here, I ask that he be tested." The room fell silent, and all the Master's eyes were focused hard on Qui-Gon Jinn. Obi-Wan's ears burned, certain that his face was bright red as well, embarrassed on his Master's behalf.
All eyes slowly turned to Yoda. After a silence that felt like an eternity to Kenobi, the Grand Master quietly said, "To be trained as a Jedi, you request for him?"
"Finding him was the will of the Force," Qui-Gon said confidently, recklessly pressing ahead, as always, and his Padawan couldn't find it in him to look away from the ground.
It was Mace Windu that finally spoke. "Bring him before us, then."
There is no emotion, there is peace, there is no ignorance, there is knowledge, there is no passion, there is serenity, there is no chaos, there is harmony, there is no death, there is the Force, there is no emotion, there is peace...
The rest of Obi-Wan's day passed quickly as he followed his Master about, but the young Jedi was not present, not really. He was lost in the Force, repeating the Code over and over in an endless loop. He was frustrated and embarrassed for his Master, who, once again, was overstepping his bounds. The boy could not be trained, he was too old. This outcome was decided before this even began, and the Padawan wished desperately that his Master would stop pursuing hopeless causes.
They stood now on a balcony outside the Council's chambers as they tested Anakin, the sun setting over Coruscant. They hadn't spoken all day, not verbally or through the Force. Obi-Wan's defenses were up as he meditated, worried that if he stopped for a second, he would be unable to hold his tongue, and the two would argue again. He would say nothing.
The Master stood, arms crossed, waiting patiently.
He wouldn't say a word.
Qui-Gon's defenses were up, Obi-Wan could sense it. The Master must have felt his Padawan's displeasure.
Not a word, hold your tongue, Kenobi.
Qui-Gon shifted his weight to the other foot.
Peace, knowledge, serenity, harmony, Force...
"The boy will not pass the Council's tests, Master," Obi-Wan said softly, unable to keep his silence a moment longer, "and you know it. He is far too old."
The Master didn't even look toward his apprentice. "Anakin will become a Jedi, I promise you."
"Don't defy the Council, Master, not again..."
"I will do as I must, Obi-Wan."
"You could be on the Council by now!" Kenobi said, raising his voice. "You should be on the Council! If you just followed the Code! Master, you deserve to be on the Council!" Finally, the Jedi Master looked at his Padawan, studied him carefully, the burst of emotion leaving his blue eyes sharp and angry. The Master smiled.
"You still have much to learn, my young Padawan."
Obi-Wan bit off his reply, stared at the ground and refused to meet his Master's gaze. Qui-Gon was right, of course. Kenobi knew he was right. After this farce was over, he resolved to talk to his Master in private about his fears. They needed to be known.
The Council Chamber doors creaked open, and both Jedi turned to see Jedi Master Shaak Ti indicating that they follow her. They entered the chamber and the Togruta retook her seat, Qui-Gon went to stand behind Anakin, and Obi-Wan stood back, leaning on one of the pillars at the edge of the chamber, willing himself to melt into the shadows. There was silence for a long while before Yoda softly spoke the words that Qui-Gon Jinn had been waiting to hear: "Correct you were, Qui-Gon."
Obi-Wan could feel his Master's satisfaction. "He is to be trained, then," Qui-Gon said softly, relieved.
Mace Windu leaned forward, dark eyes intense. "No," he said softly. "He will not be trained."
Qui-Gon was shocked, stunned into perfect silence as he examined the faces of the Council and ignored the I-told-you-so look Obi-Wan was giving him. "...no?" he finally managed weakly, and Mace nodded.
"He is too old, there's already too much anger in him."
"Clouded, the boy's future is," Yoda concurred, his wise eyes observing the Jedi Master, the Padawan, and the young boy before him. Qui-Gon was incensed, disbelief and anger coming off him in waves before he calmed down, stood tall and nodded, accepting the Council's decision.
"Very well," he said strongly, determined. I will train him. I take Anakin Skywalker as my Padawan apprentice.
Obi-Wan stiffened in shock, eyes wide, and he began trembling. This couldn't be happening. Master, what are you doing?
"An apprentice you already have, Qui-Gon," Yoda admonished sharply, but the Master did not waiver.
"We forbid this," Mace added, but Qui-Gon was not deterred.
"Obi-Wan is ready," the Master insisted, and Obi-Wan stepped away from his place in the shadows, panic gripping him. "Master, no, I'm not, I..."
"He is headstrong, but he is capable," Qui-Gon continued, heedless of his young apprentices' pleading. "There is little more he can learn from me."
What was said next was lost on Obi-Wan. All he could hear was the rushing of the wind, whether it be from his own blood surging through him, or the Force growing turbulent like a storm around him, he could not say. It drowned out everything; his Master, the Council, the boy, everything, with no exception. He staggered back, hand touching the pillar behind him, and he leaned his weight against it as if he could not stand on his own. His eyes darted about the room, observing the Council, but seeing nothing. He shut his eyes tight, mumbled the Code under his breath as he put up his mental defenses, not wishing to all these Masters to sense his distress.
When he opened his eyes, Obi-Wan's face was a mask of indifference, and he observed the Council closely. All of them were focused on Qui-Gon and Anakin, the young boy crying and the master indignant, furiously arguing his point. If the Masters sensed anything from Kenobi, they did not show it. All focus was on the Anakin, so strong in the Force that his distress disturbed it.
Kenobi stood there, halfway in the shadows and observed it all in confusion. Why would his Master do this? Not an hour earlier, Qui-Gon was telling him that he still had much to learn, so why? Was he replaceable? Was the thought of training Anakin too much to pass up? The boy was strong, it was true, but without the training, the conditioning, the discipline instilled at a young age, Anakin could never measure up to a real Jedi...could he?
Obi-Wan remembered the conversation he had with Padmé, how she said the boy was a skilled mechanic, and a ridiculously talented pilot. Podracing was not just something that humans did, and certainly not something that humans won, and yet the boy did. Kenobi's own interest in mechanics and piloting mirrored Anakin's, and he was considered to be strong in the Force as well. The parallels were unmistakable, but Anakin surpassed him in every aspect. He was a more talented mechanic, certainly a better pilot, even at this young age, and Qui-Gon made it extremely clear that the boy's strength in the Force was unparalleled, worth defying the Council over.
His sharp blue eyes flickered in the shadows he stood in, glaring at the young, crying boy. He was...jealous, he realized. This boy was nothing yesterday, a slave on a desert world, and today he stood before the most powerful beings in the galaxy, being denied for training, but being defended by his Master. Obi-Wan's fist clenched tightly, making certain to keep his mental walls in place. He spent most of his life with Qui-Gon Jinn, and now, the Master was ready to just...throw him away in favor of a better, more talented student. Qui-Gon knew Obi-Wan wasn't ready, he knew, he just...he didn't care. He was being replaced, it was as simple as that. All those years together, all they had gone through together, his undying loyalty to Qui-Gon paid back in betrayal.
Qui-Gon was still arguing with the Council, so much so that Mace had gotten out of his chair to stand before the other Master, and immovable wall. Nobody would pay attention to a mere Padawan in the presence of Masters and the raw talent that was Anakin. Obi-Wan studied the Masters for a moment before he slipped from the room.
He didn't stop his quick stride through the Temple until he got to his room, entered it quietly, and sealed the door behind him. For a while, he didn't move, just stood staring at the wall until the shaking of his knees couldn't hold his weight for a second longer. He leaned against the door and slowly slid to the floor, his hands shaking.
This can't be happening.
But it was. He wrapped his arms tightly around himself, reached out into the Force to find it turbulent and it made him feel unbalanced, the familiar chill working it's way back into his very core. At first, it was small, cold threads reaching into his mind like a light touch, a warning, but as the minutes passed, the cold threads became a firm grip.
"...why, Master," Obi-Wan asked softly, shivering as confusion turned to betrayal and anger. He quietly whispered the Code, but the words rang hollow to him. Everything in him was emotion and chaos, and nothing could stop it. He behaved badly on this mission, but he certainly didn't think Qui-Gon would be ready to get rid of him. He wasn't ready for the Trials, they all knew it, and if anything, his disagreements with his Master just further showed how unready he was to be a Jedi Knight. Discussing this with Qui-Gon seemed pointless now that he was championing the cause of Anakin Skywalker.
His whole being was wracked with jealousy once again, and he gripped himself tighter, the hairs on the back of his neck rising as a frigid chill gripped Kenobi and refused to let go.
