Chapter 26: Scorched Earth
Obi-Wan was holding his breath as the Council talked amongst themselves. He was trying to tune them out, eyes at the floor and tugging at the sleeve of his robe as he stood motionless in the center of the room, a similarly anxious Quinlan at his side. He had spent a long time thinking over all his information, weaving it into a coherent picture, one that the Council would believe, and after hours of toiling, Kenobi was ready to present the information. He didn't tell them everything, but he told them most of it.
The Council listened silently as Kenobi handed over the Sith datablock from Dromund Kaas, all his research notes, and told them about the undercurrent of unrest he found in the galaxy; how the Sith may have been preying on this, how the Nute Gunray was contacted by the Sith Lord and prompted into action against the Naboo, how the Viceroy was visited by a Jedi when he was being held by the Republic, how that same Jedi had left the Order, how Dooku may have been Darth Tyranus, the Sith apprentice they had heard about. And now, Kenobi and Vos waited, the Council discussing the matter heatedly. The Jedi Masters were disturbed, distressed, and Obi-Wan could feel the turmoil, the upheaval, and when things got too heated, Yoda clacked his stick against the ground, and the room grew silent.
"Serious accusations, these are, Obi-Wan."
"...I know."
"Discuss this, the Council must. Wait outside, you will."
And with that, the matter was settled. Obi-Wan and Quinlan bowed deeply, and left the room, going to wait in the large antechamber, the wall of windows showing the sun set red and brilliant over the city, looking like a painting in its beauty.
"You can breathe now, Obi," Quinlan drawled softly, watching the younger Jedi pace restlessly.
"What if they don't believe it, Quin? What then? It would make our entire trip for nothing."
"It wasn't for nothing. You learned a lot. We learned a lot." Kenobi stopped before the large, glass walls and looked out over the city, the Kiffar coming to stand next to him silently.
"...they're out there, Quin. The Sith are out there, and they are watching and waiting and laughing at us while the Jedi do nothing."
"Well...you're doing something."
Obi-Wan scoffed, crossing his arms over his chest and exhaling, his warm breath fogging the glass. "I'm not anything."
"Obi..."
"No, I'm not. Don't forget, my own Master left me for a more talented Padawan."
"...Qui-Gon would know about Dooku."
He breathed deeply, his thoughts drifting to his former Master, and Obi-Wan could feel bitter resentment coloring his every thought, a seething rage burning at the very core of him. "Qui-Gon would know about Dooku, you're right. But I can't imagine he'd take kindly to hearing me accuse his Master of being a Sith Lord. I don't think that will help our relationship any."
"Maybe not, but if anyone knows him, it's Qui-Gon. You need to talk to him. He could confirm what you believe, or put your fears to rest." Kenobi's eyes were cold and hard, and Quinlan smirked and patted the younger Jedi on the back. "The Obi-Wan I know wouldn't leave a single stone unturned for something as trivial as personal feeling."
"You're right." Kenobi sighed, shaking his head. "I know you're right. I'll talk to him."
"Need me to go with you?"
"Oh, please," Obi-Wan scoffed. "I'm not a child, I can handle talking to Qui-Gon Jinn. I'll do it after our meeting is concluded."
Quinlan yawned. "Think it'll take long? I'm exhausted, and I want to get back to Aayla."
"Our information is really through. How long could this possibly take?"
Three hours later found Quinlan Vos sleeping haphazardly on a couch and Obi-Wan sitting cross-legged on the floor, deep in meditation and trying to suppress the growing rage. This shouldn't have been difficult. They shouldn't have been sent from the room to begin with. The Council should have heard what they had to say, and sent them out with the strongest Masters in the Order to seize Dooku from his lush, beautiful home planet and drag him in chains back to Coruscant. When the large door opened, Kenobi quickly got to his feet and walked right back into the chamber, not waiting for Quinlan to groggily get off the couch.
He stood before the Council, eying them with a mixture of hope and mistrust, and had to wait until Quinlan shuffled next to him, yawning and rubbing his eyes. It was tense, strained, as if the Force itself had stopped it's natural, easy flow, and Obi-Wan hated every second of it.
"We'll start at the beginning," Mace said softly. "Your research has been extremely useful, and it will be submitted to the Archive. The relevant information about the unrest in the Republic will be passed on to Chancellor Palpatine. The datablock you retrieved is entirely in Sith, and will be submitted to the Forbidden Archive to be translated by you in the coming months."
"You're relegating me to...library duty?!"
"We are." Mace's voice was hard and cold and left no room for argument.
"What about the Sith."
Windu leaned back. "Your information is inconclusive."
Obi-Wan couldn't breathe. It simply wasn't possible that the Jedi High Council was this blind. It was Quinlan that spoke in place of his friend, loudly exclaiming, "But the Sith are out there! We felt them! Obi-Wan killed one!"
"Yes, over a year ago." Master Windu was glaring at the Jedi, his posture tense. "We haven't seen any sign of the Sith since. We haven't felt the Dark Side, we haven't-"
"Dooku, Count of Serenno, is the Sith Apprentice Darth Tyranus!" Obi-Wan was furious, his body shaking in rage, but his mental defenses were up and strong.
"Do you actually understand your implications here, Kenobi?" Mace snarled, rising to his feet and facing the Jedi. "Dooku is a Jedi Master, this is not in his character."
"Was a Jedi Master, Mace, he left. He's gone now, which means his values, his character, have changed. He spoke to Gunray, he didn't report to the Jedi after he did, he ran off with the Sith Lord! The time line fits!"
"No it doesn't! A Jedi Master doesn't just fall to the Dark Side in an instant, Kenobi! One just doesn't decide to become a Sith and end up one the next day!"
"You're right, that isn't how it happens." Kenobi's eyes narrowed, the corner of his mouth twitching in barely concealed rage. "I'm saying he fell a long time ago. He was taken and consumed by the Dark Side and became an ally of the Sith Lord long before I even fought Maul on Naboo! And when I killed the apprentice, Dooku was primed to step in!"
"You're implying that we, the Jedi High Council, couldn't sense the Dark Side in one of our own, that a Jedi Master fell and we couldn't sense it!"
"I'm not implying that! That is exactly what I'm saying!" The Council seemed to hold their collective breaths, and Obi-Wan glared at each of them in turn, each one wearing an expression of cold indifference, but he could feel the conflicting emotions pulling at him from all directions. "The Dark Side is deceptive! It is sneaky and duplicitous, and it's making it impossible for you to see!"
"Or it is deceiving you." Windu was angry now, his sharp eyes narrowed and the full fury of his focus trained on the young Jedi, and Quinlan slowly backed up, uncomfortable under the intense scrutiny. "You have been away from the Jedi for a year, Obi-Wan. You have been in contact with the Dark Side, you have been chasing Sith ghosts, they have given you visions! Your judgement has been clouded!"
"No, wait, that's not fair! This isn't fair! Master Yoda, you saw me on the mission, tell Mace this isn't fair!"
Yoda looked at the floor, his little face wrinkling in concentration. "Mind his temper, Master Windu must," he rasped softly, but he pointed his stick at Obi-Wan. "As will you. Listen, you must. Know everything, you do not, Obi-Wan."
He held his breath and he could feel the Dark Side pulsing within him. His blue eyes slowly drifted to Mace Windu and focused on him, and he could feel his faith in the Masters crumble. He could feel the anger in the room dissipate, slowly fading to discomfort and mistrust, but the anger stayed within him, burning fierce behind strong defenses.
"Dooku can't be a Sith Lord," Mace asserted as he sat. "We would have felt it in him."
"The Dark Side-"
"Can't hide from twelve Jedi Masters. Do you truly believe that not a single one of us would sense it? Can you look me in the eye and tell me you actually believe that?"
Kenobi looked the Master in the eye. "I don't believe you could sense the Dark Side in him." Mace sighed sharply, hanging his head and breathing deeply as the Jedi calmed his anger.
"And you think this could pass by all of us? Even Master Yoda?"
"I only believe that because that's exactly what happened! Nute Gunray-"
"Is a pathetic, sniffling coward that would say anything to get you to leave." Mace rubbed his temples. "Or, if he is under the sway of this Sith Lord, as you seem to think, than maybe he was told to say that to make you believe that a Jedi Master has fallen. The Sith plan may be to spread distrust and discord amongst the Jedi, and that is exactly what is happening now."
"Masters, please. I believe the Viceroy! He said the Sith Lord has power in the Senate, he-"
"Is deceiving you, Obi-Wan. Can you not see this?" Windu sighed, crossing his long leg over his knee and slumping in the chair. "Spread dissent in the Senate. Create distrust between the Jedi and the Republic. Splinter the Jedi Order. Can you not see how all of this makes sense? Vilify a Jedi Master that recently left the Order, and the Sith gets all of this and more."
"No, Master Windu, it makes more sense if-"
"Some on the Council believe this is too personal for you, Obi-Wan," Mace drawled, tired eyes on the frustrated Jedi. "You fought the Sith on Naboo, you went out to chase them for over a year, and now your Master's Master is falling under your suspicion. Your falling out with Qui-Gon is well known, and there are some that believe that, perhaps, you are lashing out at your Master through Dooku."
"Qui-Gon isn't my Master anymore."
"No, but you are in conflict with him, that much is clear." Mace smirked, as if he had landed on the truth of it when he felt the young Jedi straining to control his anger. "Qui-Gon doesn't follow the Code, as you well know. You struggle with this, and you have struggled with in the past as well. You are looking for an explanation, for meaning, and if Qui-Gon was trained by a Sith, well, that would explain his inability to follow the Code."
"No, no, Dooku fell after he trained Qui-Gon!"
"Oh, you have a time line now?"
"Yes, I do! Dooku was unconventional, and he raised an unconventional Jedi, that shouldn't be a surprise to anyone! His fall may have been facilitated by his maverick tendencies, but that has nothing to do with why he fell!"
"Oh?" Mace asked, rolling his eyes. "So you know why he fell, then?"
"W-well...no, but-"
"Should we suspect every Jedi that we consider unorthodox? Should we begin investigating Qui-Gon? What about Master Yoda, he trained Dooku."
"What? No! If you would just listen-"
"Enough." Obi-Wan shut his mouth and fixed his eyes on the floor, hard and unmoving as Master Windu shifted in his seat. "This is personal for you, Kenobi, we understand. You feel spurned by your Master, you have found next to nothing about the Sith, and you are grasping for straws to make sense of what's happened to you."
"Masters, you sent me-"
"To the worlds that were researched in a Sith Archive. When you gave us hard evidence. Everything you have given us on the Sith is speculation and conjecture, visions and memories in places where the Dark Side is strong, where all your information can be clouded and corrupted to mislead you. It isn't in Dooku's nature to do this. We all believe that. Master Yoda believes that, and he trained Dooku. And above all else, if he had fallen, if the Sith Lord was holding power in the Senate, one of us would have felt it."
"Maybe you wouldn't," Obi-Wan growled, fist clenching at his side. "Maybe the Dark Side is clouding your vision as well. Maybe you believe too strongly in your own powers to sense the Dark Side, maybe the absence of the Sith has made you arrogant."
"And you think you know better than the High Council?" Kenobi looked up, his blue eyes defiant, and he didn't need to say a word for the Masters to know his answer. "You are arrogant, young one. You aren't a Master, so don't presume that you know better. You still have much to learn."
"Yes, apparently."
"The Council will continue to investigate your claims," Mace drawled quietly as calm settled on the room again. "We will be investigating everything that seems to have some connection to the Sith. You two will be here in the Temple for some time." Quinlan groaned. Obi-Wan silently echoed the sentiment. "Master Vos, you need to get back to your Padawan. Obi-Wan, you are to begin the translation of the datablock. Also, we are requiring you to observe the initiates so you may take a Padawan. The Council believes teaching will smooth your edges." Neither of the Jedi said anything. They simply stood there, eyes to the floor and heads bowed. "Is there anything else?"
The name of the Sith Lord.
"Nothing of importance," Kenobi growled softly.
Mace simply nodded. "Despite our...disagreement, the Council agrees that you two have done well on this mission. If there is nothing else, you are dismissed."
The Jedi bowed and left the room, Kenobi with long, aggressive strides, and Quinlan with a shuffling gait. They entered the elevator together, and Quinlan groaned.
"That could have gone better..."
"Are they blind?" Kenobi was snarling, disdain dripping off every word. "Or just stupid. Which is it."
"...I-I don't know, Obi. They...may have a point." The sharp blue eyes narrowed and shot to meet Quinlan's, and the Kiffar shrank away. "Their pieces fit, Obi-Wan."
"Our pieces fit!"
"They both do! They..." He sighed, pinching the tattoo on his nose. "Look, both stories make sense. They are right, the Dark Side is clouding everything, so much so that both these stories make sense, and they are very different from each other."
"Quin, you were there, you felt it!"
"I did. The Sith are out there. But...maybe it isn't who we think. Maybe the truth is somewhere between your version and the Council's. maybe it's something completely different." Kenobi didn't move, his face focused on the elevator door, and Quinlan shifted uncomfortably. "So...what will you do?"
"Go to Mandalore. Tell Satine I love her. Have her as many times as I can. Leave the Order, because I clearly won't be a Jedi anymore after that..."
Quinlan laughed. "Yeah right."
"Because apparently, you can just leave the Order."
"...you're not serious, are you?" The steely glare was all he got for an answer, and Quinlan laughed. "I believed it for a second! Don't scare me like that, Kenobi, you can't leave. Who will hunt for the Sith if you don't?" The other Jedi still didn't say anything. "...Obi-Wan. You were right. The Sith are different now. They're a bunch of sneaky little bitches. They aren't the brazen assholes they used to be, and you get it. It has to be you. You have to hunt them." He smirked. "Because you, my friend, are a sneaky little bitch too."
Those blue eyes glared at him for a long moment before they softened, a small, sad smile on the Jedi's lips. "Yes. Yes, I know." He ran a hand through his sandy blond hair, relaxing slowly. "I'll keep looking."
"So...you're going to ignore the Council?"
"No." Kenobi groaned as the elevator opened, and both Jedi walked into the spacious hall. "I'll get their translation done. I might learn something while I'm doing it. And," he sighed, "I suppose I'll have to look at the initiates."
"If you take a Padawan, make sure she's hot. I did, and I love it."
"I'm pretty sure that's highly inappropriate."
"Nah, it's fine!"
"Look, it doesn't matter, because I won't be taking a Padawan. I said I'd look. I didn't say I'd have one." Obi-Wan smiled. "This is really awkward, Quin."
"I was just about to say the same." The Kiffar grinned. "We've been together for so long, it's going to feel weird without your stubborn, uptight, adorable ass around."
"I was about to say...nearly the same thing."
Quinlan laughed loudly, grabbing the smaller Jedi and hugging him tightly, despite the struggling and the muffled protests. "You know where my room is, Kenobi," he said slyly, dropping the other Jedi, and Obi-Wan smoothed out his robes, brushed back his ruffled hair. "If you ever need a little roughing up in the bedroom, you know where to find me."
Kenobi looked at the Kiffar with half-lidded, lustful eyes and laid his hand on the bigger man's chest. "I may take you up on that."
"...what, really?!"
A shark-ish grin suddenly crossed Kenobi's face and he turned from the Master. "Not a chance, Quin!" he called over his shoulder as he walked down the hall.
It was late the next night when he punched in the code on the access panel, and the door slip open with a low hiss. It was dark in the room, and Obi-Wan wasn't surprised; it was very late, and there weren't many Jedi that were up at this hour. He heard a soft rustling from the other room, and a tired voice called out, "Anakin?"
"Guess again, Master." There was silence after that, and Kenobi dropped into an armchair in the corner, waiving his hand to turn on the light. It didn't take long for shuffling from the other room to be heard, and moments later, Qui-Gon Jinn dragged himself into the room, squinting against the light and generally disheveled from an obviously deep sleep. The Master's eyes widened as he looked upon the intruder.
"Obi-Wan." The Master smiled warmly, and Kenobi found himself confused. He was reluctant to come here, was nearly nauseous at the very thought of his old Master, and they had left on very, very bad terms, but now...
How could Qui-Gon be happy to see him?
"You're back. I had heard you were back, but..." He grinned wider. "Look how much you've grown."
He could feel himself turning a fierce shade of red, and Obi-Wan sunk down into the chair, hiding his face in his robes. "We need to talk about Dooku," he mumbled, barely audible through the thick fabric of his clothing, and Qui-Gon pulled another chair close and sat opposite him.
"I figured as much. We will." The Master's face was absolutely glowing, and Obi-Wan had a very hard time looking at him. "You were gone for a long time. Did you find the Sith? Did you learn much on your mission? How was it being away from the Temple?"
"Kriffing Hell, Qui-Gon, I didn't come here to be interrogated..."
The Master chuckled softly. "No, of course not."
"...I did enjoy leading a mission, yes."
"I knew you would. You were always predisposed for command."
It was awkward. Very awkward. Obi-Wan had spent so long being resentful toward the Master in front of him, that he was at a loss of what to say now. The only reason he was even there was because he was so disgusted with the Council that he didn't think his hatred could sink any deeper. It was the ideal time to face his old Master. He just wasn't expecting this.
"...how's your Padawan?"
Qui-Gon's face dropped a bit, and Obi-Wan could feel nervousness in him, deep unease at the subject. Maybe the Master didn't know how to talk to his old Padawan either. "He's...difficult," he ventured carefully, as if he was tasting the word on his tongue, nodding when he decided it was the right word. "He is headstrong. Much worse than you ever were. In hindsight, you were a model student. I knew it at the time, of course, but I did not know how much until I started training him."
"The Council did warn you."
"I know. I don't regret it, but I may be a bit old for such a willful student."
Kenobi smirked. "Not everything you hoped for, then?"
Qui-Gon looked tired. "It is...different, yes." He sighed, smoothing out his long hair. "Listen, Obi-Wan, I regret how we ended. I truly do. You deserved better."
Why was this happening? Kenobi frowned, shifted in the chair as if readjusting would quell the feelings that rushed through him. Anger and sadness and relief and joy, betrayal and a yearning for forgiveness all blended together into an overwhelming confusion. The Master sensed this, and reached out a hand to his former student and Obi-Wan, staring at the older Jedi, silently took his hand.
"You know, Anakin's been watching your video." Obi-Wan groaned loudly.
"Sith hells, is that thing still going around?"
"Oh yes. I do try to delete it, but every time I do, it keeps finding its way back on to his datapad." Qui-God cleared his voice, still grasping Kenobi's hand. "But I'm certain you didn't come to talk about Anakin."
"No, I didn't."
"I heard about your...accusations."
"Accusations?" His voice rose and he dropped the Master's hand. "You don't even know what happened, you weren't even there! It's not an accusation if it's true."
"First off, everyone knows about what happened with the Council yesterday." Kenobi groaned loudly, but the Master ignored the frustrated man. "You know how gossip spreads among the Padawans, did you honestly expect this to go unnoticed?"
"It was a mission debriefing!"
"Maybe so, but it was a huge deal. Obi-Wan, really? You're accusing a Jedi of being a Sith. Not only that, but you insulted the Masters by telling them they can't sense a Jedi that has fallen." Qui-Gon smirked when the other Jedi crossed his arms resolutely over his chest. "So, naturally, everyone is talking."
"And your opinion?"
"I think the Dark Side is difficult to sense. I also think I'm the wrong person to be talking to. Don't forget, you sensed the Sith when I could not."
"But you know Dooku."
The Master paused, looking away from Obi-Wan for a moment before meeting his blue eyes. "I do know him, yes. What do you need to know?"
"Why would he leave the Jedi?"
"Like me, he was always a bit...unconventional. He did things his own way, was very opinionated, but always went where the Force took him, and always did what he believed was right." He looked the young Jedi over, carefully taking in his features. "I haven't spoken to him since he left. But from what I understand, his reasons were be political, not philosophical. He wouldn't abandon the Jedi for the Way of the Sith."
"I don't understand. Why would frustration with the Republic lead him to leave the Jedi?"
Qui-Gon shrugged. "The Jedi serve the Republic. He did not believe that he could continue to serve a system that he believed was steeped in corruption. It didn't feel right to him."
Obi-Wan looked his old Master over carefully. It had been a year since he had seen him, but Qui-Gon looked older, weary, as if the last year had taken a great toll on him, and Obi-Wan couldn't help but feel guilty. He was certain he was a part of the reason. Their connection had been deep. "How did you come to know this," he said quietly, his tone softening, trying to be gentle, have more patience. He owed Qui-Gon that.
"Dooku came to speak to me the day before he left. To explain himself. He knew I would be upset, and I was, so he wanted to try and smooth things over, make it easier for me." The Master smiled sadly. "After all, it was our confrontation with the Sith the prompted him to leave. He felt the Council wasn't doing enough to stop the Sith. He was...insulted that they would send you to hunt them instead of a seasoned Jedi Master. He felt they weren't taking the threat seriously."
Was that it? Could that have been the real reason why? That couldn't have been it, and the more Obi-Wan rolled this over in his mind, the more certain he became that Dooku was the Sith Lord. He became disillusioned with the way the Council was handling things. It caused him to splinter from the Jedi, and Obi-Wan couldn't bring himself to blame Dooku. He understood the sentiment completely.
"Maybe they aren't taking it seriously. Maybe Dooku was right."
Qui-Gon shook his head. "I asked him to stay. I told him he was wrong, because the Council sent you."
Obi-Wan sat silently, trying hard to suppress the deep reddening of his entire body, but he couldn't. Eventually, he managed to tear his eyes away from the Master, but he could still feel Qui-Gon's eyes on him. "But the mission failed. The Council wouldn't listen."
"Obi-Wan Kenobi. The Council listening and the Council agreeing are very different things. They always listen. They may not always agree, but you were heard. That is a victory, I assure you, and they will think of what you said when they make future decisions regarding the Sith."
"...you think so?"
"I know this. Nobody argues with the Council more than me, or more aggressively than me." The Master smiled softly. "After all, I'm constantly questioning their judgement."
"What about on this matter?"
He leaned back, observing the young Jedi, feeling through the Force his unease, his uncertainty, and Qui-Gon sympathized. "I think the idea of a Sith Lord controlling the Republic is...unlikely. Possible, but unlikely. A being that strong in the Dark Side simply couldn't be hiding right under the nose of Master Yoda and not be found out." Obi-Wan started to protest, but Qui-Gon raised a hand, and he was silenced quickly. "However, you have been right in the past. You have sensed things when Masters could not, and your instincts regarding the Sith have been correct at nearly every turn. That can't be a mistake."
"So you believe me?"
"I...don't know. But I will tell you this, Obi-Wan, and it's the same advice I have given to you often. You disagreed with me before, but perhaps you will listen now. Trust in the Force and it will lead you where you need to be. Sometimes that means acting against the will of the Council, but you must do what you feel is right."
Kenobi met his Master's eyes, and for the first time in a very long while, he felt relief wash over him, grateful that he could turn to the older Jedi for guidance. He nodded. "You're right. Thank you."
Qui-Gon stood, helping his former apprentice up. "I know the rift between us is deep, and I know it will never be repaired, but I would be pleased if one day, we might try to bridge the gap."
"...yes, maybe. After your Padawan leaves you, I cannot stand to even look at him."
The Master nodded. "I understand. Now," he said forcefully, laying a hand on Kenobi's back and leading him toward the door. "Unlike you, I am an old man, and I need to sleep. My Padawan is running me into the ground."
"You did ask for it."
"Yes, I did..." Qui-Gon sighed, studying Kenobi's face and taking in every detail of the grown Knight. "I do hope to see you again. I know it won't be soon, but...don't do anything reckless."
Obi-Wan slowly smiled, a sly, conniving thing as his eyes shone with mischief. "Qui-Gon Jinn, have you ever known me to be reckless?" Kenobi didn't wait for an answer. He just left his former Master speechless in the doorway.
