Chapter 13
Silence filled the room after Arl stopped speaking, no one wanted to believe it, but they were Jedi, they accepted and began attempting to move on.
"All right, so who do you believe our best options for memory retrieval are and for what reasons?" Depa asks her sister-padawan.
"Well my first thought was Dooku however I am very uncomfortable with that idea, because of some events from that timeline I do not believe it safe even though he would have the most knowledge of the Sith. Next would be Obi-Wan however we would be facing some serious psychological damage consistent with many war veterans, also he is still a child and I am hesitant to break that. Then Mace, he worked in intelligence during the war and would have looked closely at the tactics and transmissions of that side of the war. The biggest downside to that one is that I do not know how directly Palpatine controlled the war, we may end up relying on information that is largely inaccurate. I would say either Yoda or Garen after that. Garen spent two years attempting to hunt down Sidious and would be familiar with places he likes to hide, however, he was rather out of it and again, like with Dooku, I am not comfortable calling it safe to do so. Yoda was really more politically based during the war and completely isolated afterwards so I am not sure how much help he would really be. He did spend the most time with Palpatine apart from Anakin but he was firmly in his Chancellor façade." Arlie tells them all, having thought about it a lot in the hours since Tilli told her.
"If Anakin spent the most time with him, why is he not on the list?" Bant asks, "I mean I am not suggesting it, given he is five, I am only curious if there is more to that reasoning?" She elaborates after receiving many disapproving looks.
"Oh, that is easy, he is my little brother and over my dead fucking body will he remember any of that, ever." She says instantly though not angrily, as she knew Bant was not even remotely saying they should, but she still felt the need to be clear about that.
"Emotional you are being." Yoda tells her, she sighs in resignation.
"In all honestly. He is the absolute last person we should be giving memories to, the Sith did to his mind what he did to Xanatos' or something similar at least. Only we did not know at the time, no one was there to help him at all and so he…well I am sure you can imagine." Arl tells them, every single person in the room cringes save for Dooku and Obi-Wan, the only two that she had told the true extent of what happened to. Garen, Micah, and Mace all knew but not to the same degree, mostly because everything they knew they had learnt through Arlie yelling and ranting about it.
"Out of these options which do you believe to be best?" Adi asks her, Arl does not even hesitate having come to a decision the second she finished laying out her reasons to them.
"Obi-Wan." The others all deliberate, Qui puts an arm around Obi-Wan's shoulders protectively.
"He is just a boy." Tahl says looking horrified.
"Believe me, I know. I do not wish to see him remember any more than you do, less even, given that I have seen what he will remember, but sometimes sacrifices must be made and I know that the Obi-Wan I knew would be willing to do it." Arl says, that knowledge being the only thing getting her through this.
"And what about Obi-Wan now? We can debate all we like but it is useless until we know if he would even be willing." Terza reminds everyone, the room all turn to Obi who seems to shrink into his Master before flushing and pulling away slightly, Garen, Bant, Bellan, and Arlie exchange knowing looks. He looks thoughtful, walks over to the window and looks out at the skyline of Coruscant. He sees a vehicle stopped at lights in the air below them, inside is a little girl whose brother or friend is tugging on her hair, then the adult in the car, presumably one or more of their mother's, scolds the child. Obi-Wan can't risk their lives being sacrificed because of his own fear of a future that never happened, he turns back and nods.
"If you agree it is to be me, I will do it." He tells them confidently, Arlie thinks she can see the beginnings of the man he will one day become. The council exchange looks again before Yoda gestures Obi-Wan forward.
"If certain you are, agree to this we do." He tells the boy, some of the council looks unhappy, actually most of it. Truthfully, none look happy, but it is the decision they made, Obi-Wan nods again.
"Shall we get this over with then?" Arl asks.
"No use delaying the inevitable." Obi says walking over to her, she sits and gestures for him to do the same. Arlie sinks into a light meditation trance before extending it more fully into the force in a way only she and perhaps Yoda are capable of doing, though Qui-Gon gets close thanks to his skills with the Living Force. With time perhaps he could learn to commune with the force as she does.
(Come now, tell me what to do.) Arl thinks in her trance, knowing the force will hear. Following the prompting she feels, Arl places her hands on either side of Obi-Wan's head, index fingers on the temples and thumbs at the base of his skull. She thinks of future Obi-Wan and pushes the thought to this Obi's head, he gasps and passes out, falling forward onto her.
"Obi!" Garen yells running over, Qui-Gon gets there first though and helps Arl to lay the boy down flat. Terza checks his vitals and judges him as perfectly fine.
"He is not even unconscious, he's asleep." She says quietly, a moment later he breathes in quickly and wakes, sitting up immediately.
"Padawan?" Qui asks worriedly, Obi looks at him in shock.
"Master?" He says before seeming to think it over, "No wait, of course you are alive, my apologies this is, quite disorienting." Obi-Wan tells them pressing a hand to his forehead. When he removes it, he happens to look straight ahead of him and spots Dooku, he snarls and leaps to his feet drawing his lightsaber. He force pins Dooku to the wall and points his ignited lightsaber at the man's throat.
"Obi-Wan no, he's on our side!" Arlie reminds him, he looks to her, hatred in his eyes.
"I do not care, if this version of him is the only one I can kill then I will take what I can get and enjoy it too." Obi says pushing his lightsaber closer, scaring the crap out of the rest of the room, they honestly were not sure if he would do it. Dooku, for his part, was attempting to appear as non-threatening as he could, Arl puts a calming hand on Obi's arm.
"You would not let Anakin do it." He falters for a moment before taking a deep breath and reigning in his emotions before releasing them into the force. It looked as though it took a hell of a lot of effort but he releases Dooku and sheathes his lightsaber. Pinching the bridge of his nose he takes another deep breath.
"I apologise Master Dooku, I have not quite got things straight in my head at the moment and thinking things through, it seems, is a rather complicated venture." Obi-Wan explains, looking as though he has a headache, before he straightens up and centres himself properly.
"Think nothing of it grand-padawan, I can understand your reaction, Arl has told me a bit of what occurred in the other timeline." Dooku says looking genuinely regretful, Obi puts a hand on his shoulder.
"Do not feel guilt for actions that were not your own, especially actions that have not even occurred and never will." He tells Dooku seriously who seems mildly surprised at Obi-Wan's obvious maturity, but nods gratefully all the same. The other occupants of the room are quite confused by the sudden change of direction but like with Arl, they just roll with it. Then Obi-Wan suddenly turns to Arlie. "You." He says unhappily.
"Me?" She asks not sure what he was upset about.
"What the actual fuck were you thinking going off like you did, you could have been killed. You were killed!" He says grabbing her shoulders and shaking them before hugging her, she returns it in kind.
"Come now Little Obi, give me a little credit, I was not killed."
"Then why was your body found at the bottom of the building that Vad…that the Sith killed that idiot in, eight months after you left?" Obi asks pointing to Garen who seems a little surprised.
"Hang on what? I jumped off the temple not the building on Alderaan." She replies confused, she is also very relieved to hear that number, eight months, she finally knew how long it had been, she smiles peacefully for a moment before focusing back on the situation at hand.
"YOU JUMPED OFF A BUILDING?!" Bant yells sounding equal parts terrified and bewildered, also confusing Mace, Mic, and Garen, none of which and known about her final stay in the temple.
"I mean, I just let go of the railing really, but yes. It was my time. Or it was supposed to be but I cannot catch a break for the life of me…oh…that was a bad choice of words."
"THAT WAS THE SINGLE MOST SELFISH THING YOU HAVE EVER DONE! DO YOU KNOW HOW BROKEN MIC WAS AFTER THAT? Luke couldn't sleep for days because Mic could not stop projecting his complete and utter despair, the kid had to feel that too. HE HAD TO LEAVE BECAUSE HE KNEW HE WAS DRAWING ATTENTION TO THEM! God knows what happened once he was alone." Obi-Wan tells her angrily but with a desperate kind of sadness in his eyes, he needed her to regret it.
"I am sorry Obi-Wan, I didn't want to hurt anyone, I just didn't want to watch them go." Everyone could tell there was a double meaning in her words, that it was more of a reason for her doing it than her regretting it, but Obi seemed too drained now to deal with it.
"Let's just come up with a plan and try to defeat these Sith, all right?" Mace suggests, his easy acceptance showing the others in the room that he was already aware of his Padawan's suicidal tendencies, the same went for Micah and Garen. Obi looked scarily like he may understand where she was coming from.
"No, but we can come up with a plan to defeat the Sith and then do it." Obi-Wan replies, Yoda looks proud. "However, you should take something to heart now instead of realising it later. The Jedi are here to keep peace in the galaxy not hunt down and kill or capture our enemies. To follow this path there will be times when you must make a decision that will go against the code and likely against your morals. You must make a choice, to be Jedi, or to stop the Sith." He says seriously as he stands in front of them, arms clasped behind his back and looking every bit the military general, while his face and aura of total serenity perfectly resemble a Jedi Master. It was an odd transition from the nervous and frightened Padawan that had been present mere moments previously.
"If we do not stop the Sith, none can be Jedi." Plo tells them all receiving several nods of encouragement.
"I-I do agree, but I fear I do not have the stomach for it. I never thought myself a coward but if this is the course we choose to take, and I believe we should, I would wish to resign my place on the council." Yarael says surprising everyone, Piell voices his intention to do the same. Luckily no others follow suit.
"Stop the Sith we must." Yoda tells them. Yarael and Even do not seem all that off put to be stepping down and both decide to immediately take their leave.
"Then the first step must be to define stopping them." Obi-Wan tells them, Arlie internally curses herself, she overlooked so much. "Master Aa, you were attempting to prevent events from unfolding and many you have succeeded, but you were doing it alone. This process is a very different one and one you know well, do not beat yourself up over not having done it sooner." Obi tells her.
"You always know just what to say. But I am not a Master anymore Obi-Wan."
"You and I both know Arleia, that being a Jedi Master is far more than just a title. It is a state of being, a way of life, and it is one you continue to uphold and abide by. You are still a Master so long as you decide to be."
"Spoken like a true Jedi." Qui-Gon says proudly, Obi grins at him and sprints at him, enveloping him in a hug.
"I realise I have not left your side in almost forty-eight hours Master, but it also feels as though I have not seen you in forty-one years." He tells his Master who simply holds him close, delighted his Padawan still seems to be himself, even if he is also more now.
"Forty-one years?" Arl asks confused, Obi looks at her sadly.
"This may be hard for you to accept Arlie, but the galaxy does continue without Arleia Skywalker around." He responds dryly earning a tug on his padawan braid from his Master.
"Glad to see you have not lost your sense of humour Little Obi. I suppose I assumed too much in thinking you would get the memories only of the time until I left." She replies, "A foolish oversight on my part I admit, so why stop at sixty-one?"
"That is when I became one with the force."
"You mean you died?" Garen asks looking upset at the idea, he had gotten used to Arlie having died, though he tried not to think about it, but now Obi too?
"I died when I was fifty-seven actually but I had a young man to look over. When he fulfilled his destiny and my Padawan joined me, I allowed myself to be released into the force."
"What happened?" Arl asks wanting to know how things ended.
"Anakin killed Palpatine but died in the process, he saved Luke though. Luke and Leia met, also Leia got herself an ex-bounty hunter. I try not to think about it." He says cringing at the last part, Garen chuckles, recognising Leia to be Arl's niece.
"Anakin did? Not, not him?" Arl asks remembering Obi's earlier reluctance to say the name.
"Anakin did." Arl smiles peacefully at that. "Arl, about what happened after Order 66, I should have listened to you. I betrayed my Padawan and…"
"Do not even finish that sentence young man." Arlie says despite Obi-Wan now being older than her, in some ways he would always be her little brother even though he was supposed to be the older one anyway. "He had just slaughtered everyone in the temple and I found him standing over a pile of-of, I let him leave because I was weak and the galaxy paid for my mistake. You and Yoda, you did the right thing, you did what I should have done. However, if you ever knock me out again, I will cut your dick off and feed it to you, are we clear?" She asks pointing the unlit hilt of her lightsaber at his throat threateningly. They both knew she would not light it, but somehow it was still very intimidating. Every being with external genitalia in the room seemed to look very uncomfortable after that, a fact that made Depa, Adi, and Shaak exchange amused glances.
"Yes ma'am." He replies, swallowing harshly, she brushes off his shoulders.
"Good."
"There is only one Sith that is truly a threat, Wrath. If we can defeat him, then all that is left is a traumatized old man and an undertrained apprentice whom I will personally put in a grave should he ever come near me." Obi tells them all getting back on topic.
"Obi-Wan." Qui-Gon says disapprovingly.
"Ben, you need to stop letting your feelings override your logic every time Maul is even mentioned." Arl says tiredly as though they've had the conversation many times and she knows exactly how it will go.
"Says the girl who hit Yoda in the head with his own gimmer stick how many times?" Everyone seems surprised except Garen, the only one who knew, since Arlie and Yoda get along well and agree on most everything in this timeline.
"Not nearly enough. But the only time I lost control is when I fought him to protect our brother. You on the other hand, have a history of allowing your anger to get the better of you. You are the picture perfect Jedi, or were, in every way. Then Maul would turn up and you were an anger-filled fourteen-year-old Padawan again."
"No one is the perfect Jedi Arlie." Mace admonishes, Arl shakes her head.
"No trust me, he was."
"With all due respect Master, there were many brilliant and talented Jedi in the other timeline, yourself included. I was and am no better than everyone else trying to do the right thing by others." Obi replies tiredly, obviously sick of hearing himself described in such a way.
"See what you mean I do." Yoda tells Arlie who nods at him, Obi-Wan seems to give up on life despite not changing his expression. It was a fondly exasperated sort of aura, though, so Arl was not worried.
"We are digressing again."
"Yes, so highlights, Obi-Wan is not to go near Maul, we must decide what we wish to do with the Sith, and we must figure out how to extract Wrath from Sheev." Mace recounts.
"And find him to begin with." Mic adds.
"We should kill them. They are Sith, the definition of Evil." Saesee tells the group.
"If I may, the Sith are not inherently evil, this particular one may be, but do not presume to understand the inner workings of the Sith. Having studied them for so long I can tell you with certainty, there is a lot more to it than killing Jedi and causing chaos. We cannot decide they are all evil simply because of the actions of a few." Dooku says, Arlie and Qui-Gon being the only ones able to see how nervous he was to say it at all.
"Arl, if you go on another of your rants, I swear to every god in creation, I will tell you know who about you know what." Obi warns, she holds her hands up in surrender.
"Now now, no need to be hasty, I was not even going to open my mouth to say 'he is very right and should you decide to kill them it should be for a better reason than 'because Sith.'" Obi rolls his eyes at her.
"Sith or no Sith, you said it yourself Dooku, Wrath is evil." Mace points out surprising quite a few people but not Arl or Obi-Wan.
"How are neither of you surprised by that?" Garen all but demands as he points an accusatory finger at his Master.
"Winni can be kind of…" Arl begins not sure how to say what she wants to delicately.
"Bloodthirsty." Obi finishes for her, she nods.
"I was going to say violently efficient, but yes, I suppose that is also accurate."
"Well, it may be a surprise but it could prove useful. However, I say we arrest and imprison him." Micah tells them.
"For what Mic?" Tahl asks, he opens his mouth but closes it again, he could not really think of anything Wrath had done yet that broke the Republic Laws.
"Non-consensual invasion of a sentient mind and the forceful taking of a sentient being's free will." Obi offers, "We got a Sith on that before. I mean he escaped but the charges stuck. If only we could have proven his identity." He tells them.
"Child abuse." Dooku adds, Arl snaps her fingers approvingly at him and nods her head.
"Impersonating a government official, since technically Sheev Palpatine is the Senator of Naboo not his father." Bellan suggests shyly.
"That could work, also possibly possession of a body. That document said it had been outlawed, it is quite possible there is a law against it somewhere in Republic history." Bant adds.
"Depending on how long this takes and what he does, it is very possible we can add treason to the charges. Naboo." Obi-Wan explains to Arl who nods.
"On that note, we can add illegal occupation of a planet and the enslavement of its people." Arl says.
"If we can prove the possession then forging of a signature on legal documents and three counts of kidnapping." Mace adds.
"Murder." Garen mentions.
"The obvious answer that we somehow did not mention, yes. Also, if we can link him to the bombings then already there is terrorism and murder, destruction of property. Plus, attempted murder in both direct and indirect fashion since Xanatos tried to kill you both while being influenced but also while actually possessed." Depa tells them.
"Given the interest he shows in Arl, we could probably swing a stalking charge." Kit adds. "We will arrest him when we find him, but we are not judges nor a jury, so we cannot handle the punishment of individuals unless it is decided they are under our jurisdiction."
"He is a Sith, by the laws of the Republic that makes him under our jurisdiction." Ki-Adi informs him. "I also say arrest though. We can put him in a holding cell in the temple, one that will actually hold him, while we decide what to do with him. Until then we should focus on finding proof." Everyone, even Mace and Saesee, agrees.
"The cells in this temple are a joke, way too easy to get out of, they need to be updated if you wish to take that route." Arl informs them.
"And I suppose you are the only one who can do that?" Ki asks her, she smiles and shakes her head.
"If anyone is used to making sure people stay in those damned things, it's Obi." She says thinking of Anakin's troubling teenaged years. "Besides, I have no wish to go back down there."
"Someone should inform the Chancellor, build a repour with him, if we can get the law on our side then this will all be easier." Obi-Wan tells them successfully changing the subject, a few seem surprised by Obi clearly suggesting they manipulate someone with friendship. But, war changes a person's morality, "It is still Valorum yes?" Qui-Gon nods, "Good, he was a good man." Obi says looking rather desolate again, "Masters, may I request that we continue this tomorrow? I would appreciate the chance to meditate."
"A good idea that is, follow his example we all should." Yoda says, Arl smiles knowing him well enough to recognise he did not just mean with meditation.
Obi-Wan immediately departs, followed closely by his Master wanting to watch over him.
"That went both better and worse than I was expecting." Mace admits, everyone seems to agree.
"Yes, I should have requested Dooku wait outside until he was a little more with it. Those first few days for me were very…off putting and I was not anywhere near anyone." Arl tells them cringing slightly.
"How was it when you arrived here?" Garen asks before his eyes widen, "Xan was the first one you saw." Everyone seemed to realise the seriousness of that.
"He did not come back last time, did he?" Tahl asks, thinking she said it before but wanting to double check, Arl shakes her head.
"No, I manipulated that situation quite closely to prevent that, opened up a great many things that I did not know last time."
"What is the problem with Dooku?" Shaak asks, though she is worried she can guess. Arlie looked a little empty for a moment, it was that that really solidified the fact that this girl in front of them had lived a life, lived a war, and had no real help afterwards. Thrust back to help save everyone again and been totally alone. The effect was broken when she snapped back slightly and look at Shaak to answer her question, Dooku appeared slightly nervous, unsure what she would say.
"In the other timeline, Wrath somehow manipulated Dooku, he started acting paranoid and secretive, he eventually led the Confederacy of Independent Systems, the other half of the war."
"Did he, I mean, was he a Sith?" Adi asks awkwardly not looking at Dooku, it was not that she thought he was now, she trusted him. It was more she did not know if he would be offended at the question.
"No, he was not a Sith." Arl says, the unsaid 'he is one' only heard by Qui, Dooku and herself. "He became Sidious' apprentice but they were not being Sith. To be a Sith you have to follow the code, but there is more to it, just like there is with Jedi, I do not believe they made that criteria."
"Do not be pedantic Arl." Mic requests with a tired sigh as Mace runs his hands over his face, Mic raises an amused eyebrow at him and he quietly curses himself for the slip.
"Sith or no, he did turn against the Jedi? That is why Obi-Wan is angry with him?" Depa asks slightly frustrated with her sister-padawan before she releases the emotion into the force, Arl could not help but wonder if the force could feel that, it was a question to ask Tilli.
"He did not turn against the Jedi. He-he tried, he tried to tell us, to warn us. I did not hear him in time and whatever Sidious did to get hold of him grew stronger until there was nothing left Dooku could do but follow his orders. If you are going to accuse someone of betraying their family, at least be sure it was a choice."
"Arlie, you know that is not what she meant." Quin says standing beside her and putting a comforting hand on her shoulder, she sighs.
"Too many cases of true betrayal I suppose. But no, I do not believe that to be the reason Obi is angry at him. He spent 30% of the war sassing the man."
"What did he do with the other 70%?" Terza asks looking slightly amused, it was a serious situation but no one could really picture the Obi that they knew sassing the enemy, and yet it fit so well.
"Well, 20% of it was sassing General Grievous, 35% sassing a dark acolyte he had quite a few run-ins with, and 10% was miscellaneous sassing of whoever was around."
"That is a lot of sassing." Bant says with a smile.
"He's a very sassy man." Arl replies, as though she were sharing a secret, making the other girl chuckle.
"What was the last 5%?" Plo asks looking like he thinks he may regret asking.
"Lecturing his Padawan and eventual former Padawan when he acted like a reckless idiot."
"Why do I feel like you did a lot of that too?" Mic asks.
"Far too much, little shit." Arl says sounding fond but very annoyed.
"Speak of your colleagues that way you should not." Yoda tells her with a disapproving look, she laughs.
"I should explain, it was Anakin." Everyone seems to understand now.
"But he is such a well-behaved boy." Depa says though she does not seem surprised, Arl looks a little uncomfortable.
"He had a very different life."
"Is Obi-Wan going to be okay?" Garen asks in a small voice, Arl walks over without hesitation and puts her hands on his shoulders, slightly stretching to reach them. He was a fifteen-year-old boy, nearly sixteen and she was a ten-year-old girl, there is quite a bit of height difference.
"He is surrounded by his family, he will be okay." She says with a reassuring smile.
"You said that before, family, Jedi do not really have kin, it is attachment." Ki-Adi tells her, she smiles at him, a look of slight pity before she walks to the centre of the room to address everyone.
"Someone very wise once told me that everyone in this temple was kin, that they loved everyone in this temple and I must say I agree with him. If we have no kin, no care, no attachment, then what do we have to fight for? To protect? Attachment is at the very nature of who we are whether you admit it or not. We are told to release our feelings yet have compassion, my brother once said he would define compassion as unconditional love. So yes, the Jedi do have family, we have family in each other, it is a family that once you have, you have it for life and beyond." Arlie tells them with the serenity of a Jedi Master, before she bows, "Masters." And leaves the room to allow them to ponder her words.
"Two replacements on the council we require, look far we need not." Yoda says closing his eyes and feeling the peace in the force, a peace he has not felt in a long time.
"You agree with her?" Mundi asks in surprise.
"Mmm, my words saying she was." Yoda tells them honestly before smiling at them and leaving as well.
"Can no one leave this room without making a dramatic exit?" Terza says incredulously before walking out as well.
"She says before doing the same." Bellan mutters with a fond smile before following after her Master.
Qui-Gon arrives back at his quarters and sees Obi-Wan wandering around the room touching everything with a kind of reverence saved for the dead.
"Qui-Gon died" Arlie had said, Qui felt it important to keep this in mind when speaking to his Padawan.
"Are you your future self as Arlie is? Or is it different for you?" Qui asks curiously.
"Arlie did not say everything. The truth is she never grew up here, so for her it is simply more life to live. I grew up here, I am growing up here. I remember both but I did not just continue on to here as she did, my memories were brought back rather unnaturally. So, although I remember that other life, it is not really me that lived it. No, I am not that version of me, I merely have his memories. I am still your Padawan, I am still me." Obi-Wan replies honestly, "It is difficult right now to separate my life and his in my mind because everything is sort of jumbled. Sleep and meditation will help, but mostly it is just time, time to sort through it, to reground myself in this reality."
"Know that I am here for you, whatever you need Padawan." Qui-Gon tells him, Obi smiles gratefully.
"I am sorry I tried to kill your former Master." Obi says with only a slight hint of distaste in his tone.
"You really do not like him much, do you?"
"I do not like the man he became in the other timeline. My sister's influence on him has changed him a great deal but I can still remember before that, when he was exactly the same as I remember him being in the other life. It sets me on edge, however Arl trusts him around Anakin, that is all the information I need."
"Arl is your sister?" Qui asks confused.
"Step-sister technically, and I suppose not yet. But Arlie told me the truth before this, she told me a lot about the other timeline including our parents getting married, she also told me that, to her, I had been her brother long before that, and that I always would be. So yes, she is my sister." Obi says smiling, Qui nods his head, understanding, as he thinks of Tahl.
"Obi-Wan, do you…I mean, do you hate?" Qui asks, Obi-Wan freezes his exploration of their quarters before continuing.
"If you are asking if I am fallen, I…well, I suppose it would depend on your definition." Obi admits with a rueful smile. "I have not been a Jedi in a very long time." He says sadly, pain shining in his eyes, "I no longer use either side of the force, there was an incident and it was just safer that way."
"Will you be able to again?"
"With you by my side Master, I can do anything." He replies with a wide smile, oh so reminiscent of his padawan that Qui truly believed things would be okay.
"I was not by the way, asking if you are fallen I mean. I merely wished to know the extent of your feelings about Sith. For future dealings with them." Qui explains, Obi looks at him in confusion.
"Tell me why you really wish to know." Obi requests though it was really more of a demand, "I interrogated many people during the war Qui-Gon, I can tell lie from truth." He tells him before thinking things over and relaxing his posture, "Well, technically he did, but I've retained that ability it seems."
"You need a different name to refer to other Obi-Wan as. It will help keep it straight in your head and make it easier for everyone when speaking about it."
"People called him Ben." Obi suggests, Qui nods encouragingly, "All right well, Ben interrogated people a lot."
"I am concerned how you may react to Xanatos." He tells him, Obi can sense the half-truth and raises his eyebrow however Qui-Gon offers no more.
"I hate Wrath, really and truly hate him. But I would not ever blame a victim of mind invasion. I know my brother-padawan well Master, I realise I reacted badly to Dooku, but at that point all I could see was Darth Tyranus." Obi says spitting out the name. "I do not hate him, but I have a very severe dislike of him, he killed Xanatos."
"I was under the impression that Xanatos succeeded in jumping into the acid in the other timeline." Qui says flinching at both the idea of Xanatos killing himself and also Obi's anger at Dooku's name.
"No, I lied and told everyone he did, he went underground. Helped Arl, Anakin and I, and our parents from the sidelines when he could. He disappeared entirely when the war started, we knew no more until Dooku told Arl he had killed him."
"All right." Qui-Gon says doing his best to hide the pain he feels, knowing that if he ever had a chance of his Padawan accepting him for who he truly was, these memories had robbed him of it.
"Honestly, I do not hate Dooku so much as what he represents. When he was killed, well when she found out, Arlie told us we had just lost the war. I did not understand what she meant then, but somehow, I believe she knew. Knew what that act meant for Anakin, knew what he would become. I suppose, despite it being Wrath's fault entirely, I associated Dooku with Anakin's fall as much as Sidious himself." Obi-Wan tells his Master who nods thoughtfully.
"I shall not pretend to understand what you have gone through padawan mine, but my Master would never harm you, nor Anakin." Obi smiles in a way that shows he does not quite believe it, but is willing to accept it for now.
"Would you meditate with me Master?" Obi requests, Qui nods taking solace in the fact that his padawan did not yet know of his true nature and did not hate him. "Master, over the next few days I may need your guidance to avoid getting lost in…Ben's old life."
"I will be there to do so, for however long you need me, I'll be there." Obi-Wan smiles hearing the truth ringing in the force and believes, maybe, with his Master by his side, everything will work out in the end. Later that night Obi-Wan decides he owes his Master the truth seeing as it will likely come out sooner rather than later anyway, so he tells him. About his father, his mother, his siblings, his Uncle, everything about his biological family. Qui-Gon feels guilty when he finds out, knowing that he knew more of it than Obi thought, though he had not known it was Obi-Wan's family. Qui-Gon merely reminds him that he made his own choices and his family does not define the man he becomes, only he can, and that Qui-Gon would be with him through it all.