Tipear, as you see, we don't respect Qui-Gon too much… Anyway, welcome! We hope, you'll like the rest of the story.

XxExiledJedixX, thanks! Yes, we're going to the III Episode, we certainly hope.

Obi-Wan touched the electro-collar around his neck. "I have the transmitter," he said. "I can reactivate it. If I push myself up against the door, the explosion should open it. You might have time to evacuate the mine."

"But you'll never survive the blast!" Qui-Gon exclaimed.

Obi-Wan reached into his tunic for the transmitter. "Stand as far back as you can," he instructed Qui-Gon.

"No, Padawan. There has to be another way."

"There is no other way, and you know it," Obi-Wan said steadily. "Now stand back."

Kenobi touched the collar; there was the sound of explosion—

Then, he woke up and found himself tangled in the sheets and sweating. What a stupid dream! That was long ago, anyway. And the sound was strange. Obviously, someone went out of their shared quarters and heavily slammed the door. Dooku would never do it in such a rude way. So, there had been a guest, perhaps. Obi-Wan noticed a strip of light coming under the door. So, Master was still in the common room. Maybe, it's not politely to disturb him now, but suddenly Kenobi became very curious. Anyway, Dooku wouldn't kill him because of curiosity. Or would he? Yawning, Kenobi gingerly half-opened the door.

Dooku was standing, facing the front door and Obi-Wan couldn't see his face. If only it could help—there always was no emotion upon it. But Padawan sensed that his Master was strained.

"Sorry, it was Qui-Gon." The elder Jedi said, not turning to his Apprentice. It was unusual for him to apologize. Had he forgotten about it? Also, there was something elusive in Dooku's voice. Was he… addled? Obi-Wan could never imagine him like this! What's happened?

"Master… Are you alright?" Kenobi asked carefully, and then he realized how stupidly the question sounded. Now he would get a scolding …

But the answer surprised him even more:

"I don't suppose so, Padawan. Anyway I can do nothing about it." Dooku finally turned to face his Apprentice; he seemed to be sad. "You'd better go back to sleep."

"No." Obi-Wan answered firmly; suddenly even for himself. Had Qui-Gon done something wrong? Or said something that had hurt Dooku? Wait for a moment… Could anything hurt the severe Jedi Master at all? It should be really awful news!

"Well… I think you'll know sooner or later anyway. But please, put something on you, it's really cold here and I don't need an ill Padawan."

Now it sounded more like Dooku—to consider his Apprentice as a pathetic life form.

When Obi-Wan returned to the common room again, Dooku was sitting in his favorite armchair, staring at the wall. Mari was lying not at his side, but on the floor, what was rather unusual. There were two cups of tea on the low table; the Jedi nodded to Obi-Wan, indicating that he should take one of them.

"As you can understand, Qui-Gon has returned." Dooku started in the dull voice.

"Yes," Obi-Wan was carefully sipping the aromatic liquid, it was too hot to his taste. Then he mentally slapped himself: Master Jinn had been chasing his previous Apprentice, Xanatos! So, had he found him? Or the Council just had made him return?

"No, in fact, he has met him," Dooku said, noticing the unspoken question in Obi-Wan's eyes.

"And?" Kenobi asked with bated breath. There were a few options: to continue Xanatos' training, if he was feeling remorse, or to carry him before justice as he obviously had been a criminal. Obi-Wan himself had no doubts about the latter.

"No and no," Dooku answered. Obi-Wan frowned: the mental shields slipped again!

"Your face is easy to read," the elder Jedi explained. "And Xanatos… He chose the third option. He preferred to kill himself in the pool of acid."

"Is it so bad? Why's Master so concerned about the Dark Jedi?" Obi-Wan thought. Then he fishily asked:

"Do you believe there still was good in him?" Or what else could the reason be?

"Of course, not! He's sly and artful. Being a Jedi was just… not for him."

Now Obi-Wan was totally confused.

Dooku sighed. "You know, once I was dreaming of killing him with my own hands. With him to suffer as much as possible… Now I'm feeling just a little bit of remorse that I wasn't there. May the Force be with his soul." Mari hissed, the Jedi raised his brow and looked at her. "Well, I agree with you, my dear: his soul will never join the Force."

"Why?" Kenobi asked again, feeling abandoned.

"Xanatos… he murdered Komari Vosa, my previous Apprentice," finally Dooku replied. Obi-Wan's eyes rounded: he had never heard about this.

"Yes, you'd never find it on the official records: something was classified as a secret as he became a Dark Jedi, for other there wasn't enough proof…" Dooku got up and heavily approached the window. "I guess it was my mistake, I didn't pay enough attention at the right time, so—" he paused, looking at the night city. The lights were dimmed and the view was beautiful. "She fell in love with this guy. He was a few years older and should be knighted soon. Honestly, I don't know what they were going to do: to tell the Council and leave the Order or to keep their feelings in secret—it doesn't matter now. She had never told me."

Obi-Wan was listening with his mouth open. Dooku seemed emotionless; Kenobi could never imagine something like this could happen with his Padawan! But Dooku was the last person who would be lying.

"Then there was that mission to Telos, where my not very smart former Apprentice messed with everything… or it really was Crion's fault? Anyway, you know what's happened after this. Qui-Gon has lost his almost knighted Padawan and got a new enemy; Xanatos embraced the darkness and became a Dark Jedi."

Obi-Wan nodded: he really had known this part very well.

"Komari seemed restless for some days after those events and I even didn't know the reason, didn't connected the two—I thought it was because of her age. Then everything was alright. I suppose they found the way to connect."

Dooku rubbed his temples; he seemed to be very worn out: the black shadows appeared under his eyes.

"Soon I felt something through our training bond. I sensed her outside the Temple, she was in danger, so I rushed to this place. I was late. She was dying. The laser burn was on her chest. Suddenly I felt someone's presence near—it was Xanatos. He seemed discouraged and surprised. Maybe, he didn't expect me to be near nor had he intentions to kill her at the first place, but the Dark Side clouded his mind. I don't know… there was a lightsaber in his hand. I can tell you that I was blinded with rage, and he managed to escape. As I discovered later—I've found Komari's notes—he had made an appointment and she believed she would manage to persuade him to come back to the Temple." Dooku narrowed his eyes. Now the steel sounded in his voice. "Very foolish of her."

He sighed again, returned to the armchair, and relaxed, releasing his sorrow into the Force.

"I nearly turned to the Dark Side myself. Of course, I blamed Xanatos and Qui-Gon. I didn't wish to listen to the Council—they still believed that this criminal could be innocent in this death. I was going to chase him till the end of the galaxy; I nearly lost myself. And one day I just realized that I can't go down. I was a Jedi after all, and revenge wasn't my way. I tried to forget about it and succeeded, I suppose. And now Jinn said that he has found his former Apprentice! I was addled, but felt nothing. It's a part of a Jedi way, I think, to completely put something out of the head."

"And what about now?" Obi-Wan asked quietly.

"Well, I feel suspicious. He always had a second exit. Maybe, it was another of his tricks. Anyway, I have never believed and do not believe now in his innocence. He was seen at the Temple. I don't think he wanted to pass Yoda his regards. Good, we were at mission that time. Just in case."

"So, you think he killed your Apprentice..." Obi-Wan murmured.

"Exactly. In cold blood."

"But he loved her—" Obi-Wan asked, shaking his head.

"And obviously, she didn't want to follow his path and he had no intentions to come back." Dooku summed up. "Strange, but I finally don't feel peace after Xanatos' death. I certainly hope it wasn't one of his tricks. Besides, it's late. Go to bed."

Obi-Wan turned to his room and thought that there were quite human emotions upon Dooku's face.

What Xanatos really innocent or not?

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