a/n: hi again. Disclaimer: These characters are not mine. They belong to people far more important and intimidating than I am. I just hope I am insignificant enough to sink beneath their notice, and that they know this is not meant as an insult to their wonderful creations.
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"Master, even you have to admit we Jedi sometimes use the same types of reasoning to justify our actions as those politicians you dislike," Anakin said with a sly grin to Obi-Wan, entering another political discussion as they prepared to take off. The debate had begun as an innocent comment on the outlook for the new planetary alliance they'd just witnessed, and had somehow changed into an argument about corruption in the Senate. Anakin hadn't wanted to be drawn into it but couldn't resist the opportunity to bait his Master, to see how he'd reply.
"No, I don't," Obi-Wan responded, his eyes twinkling though his face wore a seemingly serious frown. "Politicians bend facts to suit their own aims and goals. Jedi adhere to truths that are not always absolute and are therefore open to individual interpretation. We have the Force to guide us in those interpretations. Politicians have their own agendas to lead them in their actions. There is a difference, Padawan."
Anakin might have had a retort to Obi-Wan's opinions, but he forgot it as a suddenly grim look came over his Master's face. Then Anakin felt it as well. Both spun around to see a man standing there within the ship, an odd smile on his lips. Startled, the two Jedi stretched out with the Force, trying to discover the man's motives but felt--nothing.
"Ah, the all-powerful, all-knowing Jedi," the man said in a mocking tone. "You don't know what a pleasure it is to meet a few of the lowly beings who so valiantly try to lighten the Q's load."
Obi-Wan stared at the intruder, struggling to hide his astonishment. How did this man enter the ship without us knowing, he wondered, glancing around sharply but finding no explanation. Beside him he felt Anakin's surprise at the man's unexpected appearance as well.
Anakin impulsively took a step forward and demanded, "Who are you? What do you want?" He began to reach for his lightsaber but a slight warning gesture from his Master halted the motion.
"Anakin," was all Obi-Wan said, but it was enough to make the young man fall back to stand by Obi-Wan, although he was still tensed for battle.
"Oh, wise move, Master Jedi," the man said to the Jedi Knight, beginning to applaud. "Never confront an opponent until you know exactly what he's capable of. Especially if that opponent is me."
"What do you want from us, then?" Obi-Wan asked carefully, to gain time while trying unsuccessfully to bypass the other being's powerful mental defenses.
"Want from you?" the being sounded taken aback that Obi-Wan would ask such a question. "Believe me when I say that you have absolutely nothing that I could want. No, I come to offer you something, Obi-Wan Kenobi. Power beyond your wildest--"
"You begin to sound like the Sith," the Jedi interrupted, not knowing what to think. This man obviously knew a great deal more about Obi-Wan than Obi-Wan could discover about him. That the man's true motives were not discernible even through the Force disturbed the Jedi Knight far more than he allowed himself to reveal. Deep down he knew Anakin sensed it too and fervently hoped the boy would not try anything foolish.
"But I'm not," their visitor responded. "I am a member of the Q continuum. You may call me Q."
Obi-Wan grew more uneasy. If this Q wasn't a Jedi or of the Sith, then what was he? "Perhaps we should take this before the Jedi Council," he said slowly, still cautiously trying to probe the other's mind but sensing great power and nothing more.
"But why bother those guys when this is such an easy decision to make?" Q said earnestly, not seeming to care about the mental intrusion. "You Jedi have such a huge responsibility," he continued, sounding almost sympathetic. "Traveling through the cosmos, trying to keep the peace, meting justice wherever you go...almost like the Q, although in your own, insignificant way. And even though you guys decided to take this upon yourselves without even so much as asking for our blessing, we've decided to give it to you anyway."
The Jedi were silent for a moment. "I don't understand," Obi-Wan said finally, after trying to make sense of Q's speech. "What are you telling us?"
Q began to laugh unpleasantly. "Of course you don't understand. Your tiny human minds could never truly comprehend the full extent of what I'm offering you."
Beside Obi-Wan, Anakin Skywalker was growing more and more irritated. This game between the being and his Master was getting them nowhere. Unable to rein in his fury any longer, Anakin strode forward angrily, his hand on his lightsaber hilt. "You keep saying about this offer but you haven't explained to us what it is. What is this great gift you're supposedly offering us, anyway?" the apprentice Jedi demanded vehemently.
Once again Q laughed, as if the thought of Anakin being a threat to him was simply ludicrous. Anakin didn't flinch, although the laughter held a trace of menace in its tone. "Watch yourself, little man," Q warned amusedly. "I am capable of far more than you can possibly imagine."
The hiss of Anakin's lightsaber igniting answered Q's threat.
Obi-Wan's hand came down on Anakin's shoulder, the Jedi Knight desperate to stop the boy from starting something he couldn't possibly win, especially in the heat of anger. "Control, your anger, young Padawan," he cautioned, facing the Jedi apprentice who seemed annoyed by the intrusion. "Don't allow your emotions to gain mastery over you, Anakin. Allow the Force to guide your actions here, not your own passion."
For just an instant Anakin held his Master's gaze with a glare of his own and a flicker of worry coursed through Obi-Wan as he thought Anakin might simply disregard his counsel and attack the being anyway. Then the boy relaxed slightly as the lightsaber's blue glow was extinguished. "Sorry, Master," was all he said.
Obi-Wan looked toward their adversary to see Q regarding him curiously. "There are no points on your ears but I could have sworn you just sounded like a Vulcan!" he commented.
The Jedi dismissed the remark, which he assumed was an insult or inside joke of some sort. At any rate it wasn't the important thing. "My young Padawan is right, however," he said to Q. "You mention some type of power, but we don't know where it comes from. How do we know this power doesn't originate from the dark side of the Force, assuming it even exists?"
"Oh, it exists, all right, and it's greater than you can possibly imagine!" Q said defensively.
He wants us to recognize his superiority, Obi-Wan suddenly thought, noting the being's defense of his yet unseen powers. His arrogance seems to be his weakness. This Q lives to assert his strength over others by playing games with them! Maybe I should learn the rules...
In that Obi-Wan saw his opening, by challenging Q's claim to power while recognizing it existed. For the first time he felt himself to have put Q on the defensive, and he allowed himself a smile. "In that case, I don't think I'm interested," Obi-Wan said casually, as if refusing something of no significance. The Jedi realized his challenge would cause Q to back up his claims, but that was a risk he had to take.
For his part, Q seemed to be taken aback by Obi-Wan's off-handed dismissal of his offer. "But-but this is power beyond your wildest dreams!" he sputtered. "You could subdue enemies that won't negotiate! Creating anything with mere thought, a parlor trick! Kill and bring back to life...you'd be like a god! Think of all the civilizations you could help if you possessed my abilities, even in some small measure!" Q held out his hands as if trying to make a small child understand something important. "Don't you understand what it is I'm offering you?" he cried in frustration at Obi-Wan's apparent ignorance of the true scope of his gift.
Obi-Wan felt Anakin stiffen behind him when Q mentioned bringing people back from the dead and felt a flash of concern. Anakin, don't give him an opening to exploit, he silently pleaded with the Padawan. Obi-Wan wasn't entirely sure why it had affected Anakin as deeply as it did. The boy was thinking of his mother, certainly, but there seemed to be more to it than that. What hasn't he told me, he wondered briefly before forcing the thought from his own mind. He didn't want his worry for his Padawan to distract him from the more immediate concern Q represented. Having his attention divided like that would give Q the advantage over him as well. Still, he couldn't help thinking about the complexities in Anakin Skywalker that contrasted sharply with the simply life a Jedi should lead.
Carefully masking his feelings, Obi-Wan answered, "I understand perfectly well what you offer, Q. I may not possess these god-like abilities you describe, yet I do command enough power to know that more would utterly destroy me. I can feel the Force flow through me. That is all I require."
Q shook his head sadly, trying once more before giving up Obi-Wan as a lost cause. "A foolish decision my friend," he said. "Your Jedi Masters--"
"Would not have had to think it over as long as I had before refusing," Obi-Wan interrupted, an amused gleam in his eye.
"Aw, you're too old, anyway," Q said with a dismissive flick of his hand as he turned from the Jedi Knight. "So set in your ways you can't see beyond them to accept something new even if it is better than the old. But, the younger generation..." Q trailed off, glancing meaningfully at Anakin.
"Leave Anakin out of this," Obi-Wan said warningly, all good humor gone from his tone.
Q suddenly smiled, knowing he'd hit Obi-Wan at a weak point. A white glow surrounded the being, for a moment completely shielding him from view through its blinding glare. When it faded his appearance was altered drastically. Instead of the odd red and black uniform he had been wearing, he now had on a long black robe with a white silken sash draped around his neck. A matching flat-topped cap with a gold tassel dangling from it adorned his head, and a small pair of gold-rimmed glasses sat on the end of his nose. The significance of the costume change was lost on the two Jedi, however, who did not recognize the clothing style from any planet they had ever visited. They were too stunned by Q's first real demonstration of power, however bizarre his use of it, to dwell on the wardrobe change anyway.
In a precise, formal tone, Q enunciated, "Oh, come now, Master teacher. Let the boy decide for himself what to do with my offer! Don't we teachers normally want our students to learn to think for themselves?"
Carefully composing his expression into one of calm neutrality and hoping Anakin wouldn't draw attention to himself, Obi-Wan spoke up in an effort to keep Q's attention focused solely on him and not his Padawan.
"So you've shown us a sampling of the Q powers," he said, voice betraying none of the astonishment he still felt. "It is still more power than even a Jedi can safely control. With god-like abilities the temptation would be too great to set ourselves up as gods. That much power would ultimately be as seductive as the dark side. I don't know that even Master Yoda could handle that temptation. I am not just speaking for Anakin and myself; I am speaking for all Jedi. Q, we are not interested."
"Is this how you feel too, Ani?" Q said, using Anakin's childhood nickname with gentleness that Obi-Wan felt was not in the being's true nature.
With the pressure on him, Anakin looked from his Master to the super-being uncertainly. His indecision lasted for only a moment--a moment Q picked up on--then he answered almost reluctantly, "I agree with Master Obi-Wan. It's too much power even for the Jedi."
"Well, if that's how you feel then I'm sorry to have troubled you," Q said briskly, turning his back on them. "You may continue with your own pathetic little attempts to bring order to the galaxy. But don't say I didn't try to help..." With that, Q vanished, but not before throwing Anakin one last, interested glance.
Feeling a steady hum throughout the ship, the two Jedi realized their ship was moving. Anakin rushed to the cockpit to determine the extent of Q's tampering and found they were on a heading to Coruscant.
"At least this Q is sending us home," Obi-Wan commented.
Anakin risked a glance at his Master and saw that for once, Obi-Wan looked extremely flustered, at a loss to explain or even believe what had just occurred. Obi-Wan caught Anakin's stare and tried to mask his uneasiness, and the dread that this would not be their last encounter with Q.
As for Anakin, he was still seething from his inability to challenge Q.
"Master," the Padawan said heatedly, "we need to seek out Q and make him tell us what he really wants with the Jedi." His hand was already clenched around his lightsaber's hilt.
Obi-Wan looked mildly at the wrathful young man, seeming almost amused by Anakin's statement. "How would you suggest we do this, Padawan? He appears to have us at a disadvantage."
"But other Jedi may be in danger--" Anakin insisted.
Obi-Wan held up a hand to forestall any further argument. "That is why we must report to the Council about our mission and this...subsequent adventure." The Jedi Knight let out a deep breath and cleared his thoughts. "At any rate," he said dryly, "it looks like we have more to report than I had originally thought!"