Disclaimer: I wish I could take credit for creating Star Wars, but alas, I am not George Lucas, and I have no intention of getting sued.

Summary: As Qui-Gon, Anakin, and Bant protect the Republic from Darth Sidious, another Sith Lord emerges – Qui-Gon's presumably dead, former apprentice Obi-Wan Kenobi. Can the Jedi save the Republic, or is it already too late? The third story in the Jedi Trials series.

Author's Notes: Ah, another chapter. Well, nothing really to say about this chapter...there's a bit of evil!Obi at the end, which has been long overdue. Enjoy!

Revenge and Regret

By Kekelina

-----

Chapter Seven: To Grieve

-----

Mace was not always as stern as the Padawans, and even fellow Masters, made him out to be. If in the right situation, he could see the lighter side of things – even laugh at jokes, banter playfully, and be, though it was hard for many to believe, generally cheery.

This was not one of those times.

In fact, this was the antithesis of those times.

"Just listen to me."

"Who said I wasn't?"

Qui-Gon could be so stubborn.

And so annoying with his calm Jedi mask, not even his voice betraying his true emotions.

It was ironic how something Mace had taught so many was now the source of his frustration.

"Yaddle spoke with the Council today."

"Is that cause for concern? I was under the impression she did that quite a lot."

He fixed Qui-Gon with a hard stare that made most, if not all, younglings run to their Creche Masters in fear. It had little effect on Qui-Gon, though.

"She said you consulted her about accompanying her and Luminara during their search for the Sith Lord. You know you can't leave the Temple."

Qui-Gon shot him a look that plainly asked, "When has that ever stopped me?" The Korun Jedi Master sighed and rubbed his temple at his friend's behavior.

"Why do you want to seek the Sith Lord yourself?" His question was met by silence, but Mace already knew the answer. "Revenge is of the Dark Side. A Jedi does not even contemplate it."

Again, Qui-Gon remained silent. This was, perhaps, even more infuriating than when he was being flagrantly disrespectful. Mace released his emotions into the Force.

"My friend," he said softly, kneeling beside him on the soft green grass in the Room of a Thousand Fountains where Qui-Gon had been meditating. It was extremely rude to interrupt a Jedi while he or she was meditating, but given the circumstances, Mace had felt it permissible. "We must not mourn or miss those who have entered the Force. You've been consumed by your grief for too long. You must move on."

"My… Obi-Wan is gone," he stated, his voice husky as if he'd recently been crying, though his face was absent of tears. "It's not something I can get over in a day, Mace."

Neglecting to mention that it had been quite awhile longer than a day, Mace sighed. He did that a lot around Qui-Gon. "Death is natural. We all become one with the Force eventually."

"It wasn't his time."

Mace hardened, his eyebrows knit together sternly. "Who are you to question the timing of the Force?"

His friend was toeing a thin line.

"You're not the only one in this Temple to lose a former Padawan."

"They didn't lose Obi-Wan."

His voice hard but his expression soft, he replied "The Jedi Code forbids self-pity and remorse."

Expecting more of a response out of the maverick Jedi at the mention of the Code, Mace was surprised when Qui-Gon merely shook his hand and murmured "I have failed all of my Padawans. I will never take another."

He repressed the idea of pointing out that he had said that after Xanatos and instead stated "Only a Sith deals in absolutes."

"Is that not also an absolute?"

Mace, this time, was silent.

"I…do not think we are capable of ascertaining that answer," he replied hesitantly, unwilling to concede for fear of the revelation that might follow.

"Of course not," Qui-Gon agreed with more than a hint of sarcasm. He couldn't help but remember that all of Qui-Gon's Padawans had had tongues as sharp as their Master's. But who was responsible: the Master or the Apprentices?

Probably both. Qui-Gon had always had a great affinity for choosing beings similar to himself.

He sighed. (Again?) All his talking seemed to have fallen on deaf ears as Qui-Gon had already put himself into a light trace, the Force flowing steadily around him.

"You need to move on, Qui-Gon," he repeated as he stood and made his way out of the room, unsure that his friend's grief was in any way abated.

-----

Anakin's Master had insisted that while they were planetside, he had to do something constructive. Constructive here meaning studying data pads of her choice or practicing his lightsaber skills.

Brilliant as the boy may have been (in more ways than one), he chose the latter.

As if there was really a choice. Please…

He suspected she had used a bit of reverse psychology on him, giving him a horrible choice against a well-loved choice.

He'd get her back, make no mistake.

A Jedi did not seek revenge, but that didn't mean he couldn't have a little fun at his Master's expense.

He was already formulating a plan when he knocked on the door of Darra Thel-Tanis's residence quarters to ask her to spar.

Darra was a kind girl and had been his friend, as well as Tru Veld's, for years – since he had arrived at the Temple. In their early years, before Tru and Darra had been chosen as Padawans, the three had been bonded at the hip.

Now, years later, they were Senior Padawans, quickly approaching their Knighting Ceremonies.

Soara Antana, Darra's Master, palmed open the door. "Hello, Anakin."

"Master Antana," he greeted, bowing respectfully. "Is Darra here?"

"Anakin!" He was only able to glimpse a head of golden-brown hair before his friend raced into his arms, pummeling him to the ground.

Soara only chuckled as Anakin's cries of "Ow!" and "Darra!" did nothing to stop the small yet surprisingly strong girl from holding him to the ground as joy radiated off her in sheets.

"Master Antana…" he finally whined, slightly embarrassed that he had let his friend tackle him to the ground like that and more embarrassed that he couldn't get her off.

"Darra," her Master chided. With a sigh, the girl complied and rose, helping Anakin up as well. The door to their quarters slid shut.

"I got back yesterday," she said excitedly. Anakin couldn't help but laugh; Darra was usually so calm.

"I know." She and her Master had been mediating border disputes along the Outer Rim for many months now.

"Why didn't you come see me last night?"

Anakin shrugged nonchalantly. "Didn't feel like it," he replied with a teasing glimmer in his eyes.

She swatted him playfully, which he ducked with ease and grinned cheekily at her. "I know you just got back," he said, beginning to walk down the hall, knowing his friend would follow, "and you're probably tired, but Bant said I had to practice my lightsaber. You wanna spar?"

Darra stopped on the spot, confusion written on her face. "Bant? Why would Healer Eerin tell you to practice?"

Muttering a few obscenities in Huttese and stopping his stride, he turned to face her and sighed. "I forgot; you don't know what's been happening…" With that, he began relating the sad tale of the past few months, which began so innocently with a mission to protect Senator Amidala from a devious and cunning bounty hunter. He told her of his and Qui-Gon's mission, of Knight Kenobi's investigation (and disappearance), of hiding on Naboo and then Tatooine, of his mother's death…

…He left out the part about his rage and almost-fall to the Dark Side…

…Of Qui-Gon's decision to leave the Jedi Order and join the Separatists, of Bant's willingness to take Anakin as Padawan, of Kenobi's death, of the Separatist attack on the Senate, of Qui-Gon's return to the Jedi, of Master Tachi's and Ferus Olin's deaths at the hands of a Sith, of Chancellor Palpatine's real identity as the Sith Lord they'd been searching for since the blockade of Naboo ten years prior, of Palpatine's disappearance, and, finally, of Senator Amidala's election to the position of Chancellor.

By the time he finished, he could see Darra's head spinning and placed a comforting hand on her shoulder.

"I…I can't believe all that happened while we were away," she said breathlessly, trying and failing to choke back a sob. "I can't believe they're all dead… Knight Kenobi, Master Tachi, Ferus…"

He held her as tears streamed down her face, wishing he hadn't been the bearer of such bad news. He hated when others cried because of him.

"Palpatine didn't even have the guts to fight him with a lightsaber," he mumbled, scorning the name of the former Supreme Chancellor and current Dark Lord of the Sith. "He just Force-choked him and threw him aside like garbage."

Ferus and Anakin hadn't been the best or closest of friends (he had found Ferus's know-it-all tendencies to be annoying), but he had been saddened by the loss of a fellow Padawan and someone he had occasionally spoken to. Darra's tears threatened to bring the sorrow back, but he steeled himself against it.

A Jedi did not grieve.

-----

"Master, you've never told me where Kamino resides."

The Sith Lord chuckled, his thin lips drawn into a devious smirk. "You are very astute, my young Apprentice. You always have been."

Dementor scowled at the mention of his former life with the Jedi, but said nothing. It would not be wise to anger his Master before he received the coordinates for the cloner's planet. The information was vital if his plan were to succeed.

It would.

"Why do you wish to know the coordinates?" He felt the Dark Lord probing the edges of his mind and quickly reinforced his shields. Surely, his traitorous thoughts would get him killed if Sidious discovered them.

"It is the only missing piece of this puzzle you call a plan, my Lord," he lied smoothly, and not without a hint of sarcasm.

"Indeed it is. Indeed."

-----

The Other Author's Notes: Everything's starting to fall into place now... I feel evil. Thanks for reading and don't forget to review!

Author's Edit: 8-21-2007