Part Eight
Be prepared.
Obi-Wan was more than slightly acquainted with the Unifying Force, it often poked and prodded him with ideas and suggestions; things like be sensitive, or no time, or follow him. The nudges were without context, often he had no idea what the impressions meant. This annoyed him to no end, but he'd learned to live with it, and usually he figured it out in time to do what was necessary. Usually. The most recent and noteworthy exception, the ultimate failure in his ability to listen to the Force, had been the elusive darkness, the shadowy it's coming that he failed to realize was the return of the Sith. Even when Qui-Gon faced and fought the Sith on Tatooine, he had not understood, and the cost of that failure had been his master's life.
The result of this in the following months was Obi-Wan becoming near fanatical in his need to interpret the Unifying Force when it dropped an oblique hint at him. Far better to know than to trudge around in ignorance. Even then, he had nearly missed the survivor in the destroyed buildings, it had been the Living Force that had finally hit him on the head, and now months later he struggled to be open to anything the Force wanted to tell him, Unifying or otherwise.
For the last two days he kept feeling be prepared, and two nights of no sleep, wading deep in meditation in search of the underlying meaning did little to illuminate the subject. Meditation was restful, but the lack of REM was catching up to him. As the sun finally peeked over the rooftops of Theed's circular buildings he started to wonder if he'd cut off his braid too soon. Clearly the High Council was mistaken; he was not ready to be a Knight. But then, cast out of the Order as he was, it was likely moot.
That Anakin was struggling in his forms was not helping. At all.
"No, Padawan, not like that."
"I'm trying Obi-Wan!"
"That's the problem; you can't force this."
"Then why call it 'the Force' if you can't force it to do what you want?"
Patience, he reminded himself. The way of the Jedi is patience.
Obi-Wan pulled himself out of his stance and knelt down to Anakin's height, putting a hand on the boy's shoulder. "What's wrong?" he asked softly.
"Nothing's wrong!" Anakin said defensively.
"Digging in your heels will only further distract you from the Force," Obi-Wan advised. "The more distracted you are the more frustrated you will become, and I've noticed that you, Padawan, often jump from frustration to anger. Please, let go of whatever is bothering you."
The boy stared furiously at his feet, not saying anything.
Internally Obi-Wan sighed. Anakin was generally a very open boy, but sometimes he would utterly shut down, and Obi-Wan had yet to understand what the triggers were. He had always thought that younglings were supposed to be easy to understand, younger minds and fewer experiences and little training and the like. Anakin was proving every preconception Obi-Wan ever had about children utterly wrong. Anakin was complicated; painfully prone to attachment, quick to anger, desperate for independence, and other things Obi-Wan had yet to understand even after six months of training him.
"How long does it take for a Master and Padawan to know each other? The entire apprenticeship, Padawan."
Patience, Obi-Wan counseled himself. Patience.
"... my feelings..." Anakin mumbled.
Obi-Wan blinked. "I'm sorry?"
Anakin looked up, his eyes firey. "Obi-Wan, they're my feelings! I don't wanna let go of something that's mine!"
Be prepared. The road is difficult.
He wasn't ready for this. He wasn't ready by half. Still, clinging like that would do Anakin no good, especially in the future. Obi-Wan would have to word this carefully and-
"So it was true."
Obi-Wan froze. He turned slightly; half afraid and half wishing that cool feminine voice belonged to someone else. Wishes were for fools, however, and when Obi-Wan spied a certain fiery blond he knew that he would never, ever had been prepared for this.
"... Siri," he whispered, wide-eyed as he looked up to the blond Siri Tachi, Jedi robes swaying slightly in a small breeze, her hair catching the sunlight and highlighting the look of contempt on her face. Slowly, he stood to his full height, waiting.
She punched him dead in the face.
He dared not duck the blow considering what happened to him last time he tried it.
"You're an idiot!"
Then she threw her arms around him in a tight embrace. Obi-Wan felt like a teenager again, old memories and feelings burning through him and he was sure he was turning bright red. All he could offer was a slightly choked "... It's good to see you, too." A glance down showed a bright look of curiosity on Anakin's face, and he dreaded learning what conclusions the boy was jumping to. The morning shifts would be starting soon, too, and people were finally starting to fill wide thoroughfare.
Suddenly desperate for privacy, Obi-Wan said, "Perhaps you would like to walk with us?"
The blonde gave him an appraising look, long and scrutinizing. "Alright," she said finally.
Siri set a slow pace, likely deliberate, and Obi-Wan followed, hoping he was projecting calm even as his insides twisted in anxiety. He feared what his friend and spitfire had to say. Anakin kept eying the both of them, as if he wasn't quite sure what to make of the two together. Obi-Wan could feel mountains of curiosity emanating from the boy, and no small amount of trepidation of Siri. Given her rather shocking entrance, Obi-Wan could more than understand.
"What are you doing now?" Siri asked. Obi-Wan know this was only a prelude. He thought it best to play along.
"Currently I am in construction," he answered, proud that his voice didn't crack or betray his emotional state. "Theed and other cities were greatly damaged with the Trade Federation bombings and there was plenty of work available as a result as you can imagine. We've only recently managed to clear away and tear down the last of the structurally unsafe buildings. Now the rebuilding can begin. Rumor has it there will be some kind of memorial for those lost in the blockade; I understand that such a thing is customary in construction. But then, at the Temple we often commission statues."
"They made a statue for Qui-Gon," Siri said softly.
The world broke all over again. He saw the power core, the Sith Zabrak, the red lightsaber, the blow to the chin, the impalement. He heard... he heard...
"Promise me you'll train the boy."
Obi-Wan closed his eyes to the memory. And the pain. He couldn't face it then, not with Siri and Anakin there...
"They put it in the Tower of First Knowledge."
Taking a deep breath, Obi-Wan finally opened his eyes. "That's very appropriate," he said softly, his voice miraculously even. "He always favored knowledge."
He thought he felt a spike of sympathy, from Siri or Anakin he wasn't sure, but Siri's eyes softened for a brief moment before she twisted her head aside, crossing her arms and assuming a more biting tone. "It's too bad some people didn't follow his lead," she said. Obi-Wan could hear the accusation but couldn't understand what it was over.
"... I beg your pardon?" he asked, confused.
It seemed that was all that Siri needed. She turned fiery eyes to him. "You need more than my pardon!" she hissed. "Do you have any idea what you've put us through?"
Obi-Wan blinked, as did Anakin. "Siri... I don't know what you're talking about."
That only made Siri more angry. "So typical! Did it ever occur to you to get a message to the Temple that you were all right? When the High Council went off for Naboo we all thought you had died with Qui-Gon! Bant cried for days! Days! Reeft stopped eating! When the Council came back nobody would say anything and you weren't there! It wasn't until Garen looked up your status on the mainframe that we had any idea to the contrary! We sent you a hundred messages and you never bothered to even read them, let alone reply!"
"... Messages?" Obi-Wan asked.
"On your comm. id!"
"... That's still active?" he asked, shocked. He had been certain that his leaving the Jedi had forfeited everything but his id chip. Comm ids, message services, HoloNet space, he thought all of it had been erased. Why had the Jedi kept it open? He couldn't really process the thought, however, because he was still reeling from the other things Siri was throwing at him. His friends all thought he was dead? How? Why? It hurt him deeply to think of them mourning him - of Bant crying and Garen sulking and Reeft not eating - when it was unnecessary, untrue even. They should have heard from him, Siri was right about that. But... the thought of contacting them, of contacting anyone at the Temple, that hurt just as much as thinking about his friends mourning him. Just seeing Siri had brought up a wellspring of memories and emotions and thoughts, things he thought wouldn't affect him because he had been cast out. It simply never occurred to him that he would run into a Jedi again, and he certainly never expected the pain that came from it.
But even as he struggled to acknowledge the maelstrom of emotions that were suddenly overwhelming him, Siri kept talking. She was not done yet.
"As if all this wasn't bad enough, we find out that you left the Order. Again!"
"Again?" Anakin asked.
"Didn't you learn anything the first time? You told me how much Cerasi's death upset you, how much you felt you hurt your own master! But now you're doing it again and for what? Construction? Do you really expect me to believe that? Do you really think Qui-Gon would be happy with this decision?"
Word after word cut into Obi-Wan, his heart bleeding and his mind crying even as he body refused to show the pain. Anakin could feel it, though, and that was enough.
"Don't talk about Qui-Gon like that!" the boy shouted at the top of his lungs. Several morning commuters turned their heads to see what the commotion was about.
"Padawan," Obi-Wan said quickly, "It's alright..."
"No it's not!" Anakin shouted. "She wasn't there and she's saying all these mean things when she doesn't even know what happened and she's a Jedi she should know that you're not supposed to jump to conclusions like you're always telling me and she won't even listen to your side of the story and she's making you upset!" He paused long enough to take a breath and turned to face Siri. "You get out of here right now!"
Siri stared at Anakin, not quite sure what to make of him. "Obi-Wan..." she said slowly, here eyes darting from him to Anakin and back, "you just called him 'Padawan.'"
Allowing himself a deep sigh, he put a hand on the boy's shoulder. "This is Anakin Skywalker; Anakin, this is Siri Tachi. Master Qui-Gon's last wish was for me to train him."
"Last wish..."
"To put more bluntly, it was his dying wish," Obi-Wan said, his voice oddly flat. "The High Council disagreed very strongly. The difference of opinion led to a... falling out." Obi-Wan snapped his mouth shut, unable to say more.
"You mean... you've left the Order for this boy?"
"Yes!" Anakin supplied. "He believes in me like Qui-Gon did!"
Siri stared at them both, her eyes still jumping from one to the other. "That's..." she started. She licked her lips and tried again. "That's..." She shook her head, blond locks tossing from one side to the other. "That's so stupid!"
"Oh, dear," Obi-Wan muttered.
"Medila/Daan at least made sense! It was a righteous cause and I could bring myself to believe that you were doing what you thought was right and that you were merely misguided. But this? You give up everything you believe in - your very identity - for some youngling that's too old to train? You can't spin that, Obi-Wan!"
"He shouldn't have to!" Anakin shouted, once more drawing attention compared to Siri's tempered hisses. "I told you to leave him alone! Go away!"
Siri looked down to Anakin, and Obi-Wan knew that whatever next came out of her mouth would be even more damaging than anything she had said to date. He was struggling enough as it was and he didn't need further complications in his training that he could avoid. At least, that was his justification to himself later. He grabbed her forearm, the sudden tight grip startling her, and the former Jedi looked at the Jedi directly in the eye.
"You're perfectly right," he said in soft, firm tones. He'd never been so assertive before, he'd never needed to with his master, and his radical change in demeanor held her attention. "I should have contacted you and the others after the Council left Naboo. You have my deepest apologies on that count and I doubt you'll ever understand how much regret I feel over their suffering. But," he said, his eyes intense, "Your coming here to abscond me for not following the rules will not take away the pain any of us has felt, nor will it change my mind, nor will it make you feel better. Your anger is clouding your judgment and upsetting my Padawan. I suggest you leave. Give Bant and the others my best, and tell them I'm sorry. For everything."
"You're not my master!" Siri hissed, an indignant flush filling her face.
"But I am a Knight where you are still a Padawan," Obi-Wan said softly, "So I suggest you take my council."
Finally, he let go of her arm, stepping back. "I have to get Anakin to school or I'll be late for my shift. Goodbye, Siri."
Before his face broke completely, he turned on his heel and touched Anakin's shoulder; the boy quickly followed, but not before throwing one last vociferous glare at Obi-Wan's former friend. Looking down, the former Jedi saw that his hands were shaking. He hid them by crossing his arms behind his back. "Anakin," he said softly. His voice cracked, so he coughed and tried again. "Anakin, what did you learn about diplomacy just now?"
Anakin stared at Obi-Wan for a long time, his mind full of anger and loyalty and confusion and mostly anger. "I learned that she's a sleemo!"
A shaky hand went up to his forehead. He had such a long way to go...
Shamde was heading up the stairs when old Jafan went running by, crying out "Reeent!" and she couldn't help but chuckle. Obi-Wan and Anakin certainly had a stubborn landlord. This would likely be her last visit for a while, since there wasn't really much more she could do to help them settle in. It has been close to seven months now. They were all filed, listed, and up-to-date, they'd survived the yearly income tax (not that they had enough earnings to pay, but Obi-Wan insisted they look through the files to get an idea for the following year), and were in a relatively comfortable routine. Much as Shamde would prefer to keep checking in on them, just because the two of them were so interesting, she did have other cases and she couldn't hold their hands forever. As it was, she'd checked in and assisted them longer than she usually did because the Queen showed such interest in these two. (Not that she blamed her, the two were quite a pair...)
Surprisingly, neither of them opened the door, as she had grown accustomed to. They always seemed to know when she was coming and had the door open and tea ready whenever she came. It rather made surprise visits not much a surprise. But she stood at the door and just took a moment to listen. While this was a good apartment building, especially considering Obi-Wan's lack of wages, the walls were thin.
The two were arguing.
Well, that was interesting. In all of Shamde's time with the pair, she had never seen so much as a ruffled feather. They just worked in sync in a way she wished she and her husband could emulate. Granted, Shamde suspected a great deal of that was the getting-to-know-you period, but that whole getting-to-know-you period was usually when there were the most fights as people felt out their places around each other. She'd never even felt any tension between them like she could with other families or couples. Admittedly, it had worried her. Everyone had arguments. It was the natural course of things between beings. Shamde knew that as a Jedi, Obi-Wan had a great deal of training in diplomacy and that he was trying to ensure Anakin got similar instruction, but surely the two of them were going to disagree on something eventually, compromise or not.
Apparently, she'd arrived just in time to find out.
"No, Anakin. We've both looked at our finances. Three days is all we can afford and it will be enough."
"Obi-Wan! You need a week at least! Have you seen yourself in the mirror at all? Stop acting like a wermo!"
"You know our expenses. We'll be living thin as it is with only three days. Any more and we'll get behind on payments and then we're sunk."
"Then I'll work to make up the differences!"
There was a pause.
"Absolutely not! You are not a slave any more! I will not have you skipping school and working in who knows what sort of conditions to make up for something that we can get through. There are child labor laws for a reason."
"And here on Naboo kids can work! Look at Padme! I looked her up at school, she started work when she was eight and that's younger than me!"
"And your education? My three days won't be me sitting around idle, I have plans on what to work on with you."
"I can do make-up work! And you're missing the point entirely, you need a week off!"
"A week off from school would leave you as far behind as we'd be in our bills."
And round they went.
Shamde took a moment to mull over what she'd heard. Obi-Wan was evidently not feeling well and needed to take a few days off, but Anakin, caring brother that he was, wanted Obi-Wan to take more off to likely ensure wellness - even if it meant missing school and working somewhere.
This wasn't the usual type of argument she'd step into. Granted, the worry over finances was far too common, and indeed, most people who required her services would argue about credits, where they came from, if they came at all, and what to put said finances into. But that wasn't the core of what these two were arguing about. The core was that they both wanted to take care of and look out for the other. Anakin wanted Obi-Wan to take all the time he needed and rely on him. Obi-Wan wanted to minimize the work Anakin needed to do and bring up memories of slavery by relying on him.
It was all very sweet and would make her want to coo if it wasn't for the yelling on the other side of the door.
Time to interrupt before things got bad.
Shamde knocked and the voices stopped. The door opened and Shamde, despite mental protests, went through the equation where she lost her age, her husband and went on a Steamy Hot Date Fantasy.
Ever a consummate professional, she didn't show it, blinked and brought herself back to reality.
"Hello there," Obi-Wan greeted, and all images Shamde had of this handsome young man from her fantasy were thrown out by the exhausted, worn down, tired man before her. His hair, which had been steadily growing since she'd met him, was looking shaggy and like it hadn't been washed. His face was pale and pinched, the smile a little too tight. But his eyes were underscored by dark circles and shadows; both of which just pronounced the bloodshot nature and droopy eyelids.
"Anakin's right, you need more than three days," were the first words she said.
Obi-Wan sighed, but stepped aside to let her in. Anakin was already bringing a cup of tea over to their tiny table, which she accepted gratefully. It was getting chilly out as autumn progressed. The boy smiled at her as she sipped.
"You heard," Obi-Wan said quietly, taking a seat across from her.
She shrugged. "I have a suggestion, if the two of you are willing to listen."
"We are," Anakin said, "as long as it involves him," he pointed to his legal guardian, "taking more time off to sleep."
"Padawan..."
Shamde set down her cup with a clack to prevent anything else from starting.
"Mr. Kenobi," she started, "can you afford one more day off?"
Obi-Wan gave a deep sigh, glancing down at the datapads on the table before filtering through them. Anakin picked up one and passed it over.
"It would eat into our food budget but... yes, I think I can mange one more day."
"Yes!" Anakin cheered. Two pairs of adult eyes Looked at him. "Ah... sorry."
"Mr. Kenobi is correct," she said to him. "Child labor laws are there for a reason. We here on Naboo believe in emotional maturity. You aren't anywhere near that yet, which is understandable given the emotional scars you bear from you years in slavery. I expect that it will be your teenage years before anyone on this planet will acknowledge you as an adult. At the earliest. No one would hire you."
Anakin scowled horribly at the reality check she'd given him, but Obi-Wan reached out and put a hand on his shoulder. "Nothing happens overnight, Padawan."
"I know! I know..."
Shamde let them have their moment. "Now, there is a chores-for-cash belief here on Naboo."
"Chores-for-cash?" both asked simultaneously.
"Yes. Children can do chores for their parents for an allowance, or help out their neighbors for a small amount of money. Mowing lawns, clearing driveways in the cold weather, taking out the garbage, babysitting. That sort of thing."
Obi-Wan sat back looking thoughtful while Anakin looked eager.
"Now it won't be the same as a proper job. Really, such chores are usually meant for spending money for children. But it will supplement for the days you're off. And no one will accept you during school hours."
The two looked at each other, clearly starting to find the middle ground she was suggesting. Shamde sat back.
"I'll need one full day with you with me, Anakin. I want to show you something and it will take all day to do it."
"That's fine! I can do a few odd jobs after-school at a parts shop we pass. It won't take long to show 'em my skills and what I can do."
Obi-Wan raised an eyebrow. "I'd rather you work reception and get to know how to deal with customers. The people here are quite different that the sort you'd find back on Tatooine and some practice in manners would go a long way for you."
They started to settle into planning and Shamde smiled to herself, glad that she could still be useful for this interesting pair.
She was rather surprised when both paused and looked directly to the door. Obi-Wan was already standing and making his way over and Shamde wondered what they were doing.
Obi-Wan opened the door, Anakin walking over curiously, to a man whose hand was just at the buzzer. "Can I help you?"
The man was a three-eyed Gran, his muzzle-like snout smiling. "Hello," he greeted. "I am looking for someone named Obi-Wan Kenobi."
Obi-Wan smiled pleasantly while Anakin glanced between them. "Well, it seems you found him."
"Excellent." The Gran smiled back, handing over a datachip. Obi-Wan continued to smile as he took it. "You've just been served. You'll be expected at the trial of Nute Gunray and the Trade Federation on Coruscant. The details are enclosed. Have a nice day."
Anakin blinked, looking at the chip curiously, but Obi-Wan's pale face paled further.
"Mr. Kenobi? Let's have a look at that file."
Obi-Wan and Anakin were back at the table and Shamde swiftly pulled the chip and put it into a datapad, reviewing the documentation. "The trial is scheduled to start at the end of the year," she said, watching as Obi-Wan's brows furrowed in worry. "You'll be a witness for the prosecution."
"I see," he said quietly. "This is... well I expected it but..."
"But you haven't had time to think about it." She narrowed her eyes. "I don't usually get involved in actual courtroom settings," she said, "but I have been called to the stand a few times. I have some suggestions and a good friend who's a lawyer who..."
Obi-Wan waved away the offering. "No need. As a Jedi, when a mission doesn't go well, we are expected to appear in court. I know what needs to be done." He sighed. "The timing, however, is less than ideal. I'll need my robes repaired, scrounge up money for transport, research the trial..."
Shamde frowned further. "Find a sitter for Anakin, if he stays, or if he goes with you, check the school for the work he'll likely miss, how long are you expected to stay on Coruscant?"
"I can look after myself," Anakin sulked. "I can do some of that for you, Obi-Wan. You're busy at work and I have access to the HoloNet at school. Give me a few free periods and I can get what you need."
Obi-Wan let out a very long, very tired sigh. "We'll discuss it during my days off, my young Padawan. For now," he turned and smiled to Shamde. "We thank you for checking in with us. But I believe you have an appointment right about now?"
Frying pan. She needed a frying pan, professional decorum be damned.
A glance at her chrono and she decided that Jedi, in general, needed frying pans for sneaking into other people's minds.
"I'll stop by later next week," she said firmly. "I'll have some materials on how we Nabooan take care of court proceedings."
And if she could see Queen Amidala, Shamde was quite certain that many of Obi-Wan's worries would be taken care of.
If he let them.
Author's Notes: We disavow any knowledge of Siri Tachi. What you just read was us pretending we know her. Wookiepeida was disappointing in that respect, and all we were really able to glean from it was she was something of a spitfire. Feel free to correct us as needs be.
And poor Obi, he keeps trying to teach Ani. Some days a kid just doesn't get it. And of course the instant he finally makes some progress and could sit down and talk to Anakin about holding onto feelings... he gets interrupted.
For those of you expecting some Siri/Obi-Wan, we regret to inform you that this will be the only scene with her. Obi-Wan has his hands full with Anakin and just surviving that he's not really going to have time for any sort of relationship. Plus, given how fanatical he is about Jedi at this point, he wouldn't be going for any relationship, even with some random coworker on Naboo. Plus, at this point, there are other things in the way. Siri is a Padawan and still has a lot to learn. Obi-Wan has been promoted to Knight after a great deal of painful hard-earned experience. They're not on the same level. Even in canon, this wouldn't be the period for the two of them to get together because there's now a maturity difference between them. Siri falls back to her master for advice while Obi-Wan doesn't have such a luxury. It makes for two different perspectives that aren't going to meld very well.
All that said, we've tried to keep Siri sympathetic, in a way. She just seems to have a bad case of foot-in-mouth disease, proving she's still got a lot to learn with her spitfire tendencies. This is also another situation of Anakin seeing a Jedi and not having the best impression. He can't see that she's stumbling through the conversation without realizing the effect on Obi-Wan. All Anakin sees is Obi-Wan (who's still depressed and grieving and so-not-ready for this conversation) getting hurt by what she says. Naturally, given his highly-and-over-developed protective instincts, he lashes out. (We love you Ani, but you need to learn some discipline...) And, because Obi-Wan's Top and Only priority is Anakin ("I promise, Master..."), he has to leave Siri behind, and associatively his friends. The Jedi part of his life is over and he can't really deal with contacting them in any way right now because he's just too hurt.
And if this wasn't enough, Obi-Wan is subpoenaed. Dun, dun, dun~! That's our marker for the next "arc" of the story, which is prep-ing for the trial. Not that that can really go easily as this whole big Thing is going to get in the way, but we don't want to say more without giving spoilers. ^_^
Of course, the whole Be prepared! is still out there. Does it reference Siri's arrival, Obi-Wan's subpoena, or something else entirely? The Unifying Force is mysterious like that.
Next time: A fight.