Obi-Wan was walking down the hallway, towards the Room of a Thousand Fountains to get some meditation in after his studying in the library when he noticed Bant and Master Vokara Che walking towards him, looking as irritated as any Jedi could, and he did his best to hide his smirk, having a good idea at why they were irritated.
"Good afternoon, Master Che. It's good to see you looking well, Bant," Obi-Wan said, using as bland a tone as he could achieve.
"Don't even start with me, Obi," Bant scolded, and Che actually nodded in approval at the sharp tone.
"He's escaped again, has he?" Obi-Wan asked, confident in the answer.
Bant's eyes narrowed. "Well, aren't you perceptive."
Obi-Wan grinned. "Well, in the two weeks he's been awake, he's 'escaped' from the Halls of Healing nine times. You really should just consider releasing him."
"We'll release him when we feel he's ready to be released, Padawan Kenobi," Che retorted sharply. "I never thought I would find a Jedi worse than you on listening to my instructions, but you're an amateur compared to him. He's little better than a youngling when it comes to doing as he's told."
Obi-Wan smirked. "I guess I should tag along. I was on my way to visit him and bring him another datapad, and I'm sure I know where he is."
"Know where he is, we all do," a voice said, and all three turned to see Yoda in his hover chair, moving towards them. "Working on his ship, he is. Very attached to that ship, he is," Yoda said, and Obi-Wan was shocked to see that the ancient Jedi Master was actually amused by the attachment, and about how Kastor was causing an uproar in the Temple nearly every day, though Obi-Wan knew some of the other Masters were not as amused.
Kastor did stay in the Healing Hall for most of each day, meeting members of the Order who deigned to visit him or introduce themselves or reading the various holobooks and data pads that he convinced those who visited him to bring him. However, every day, he would 'escape' from the Halls of Healing to work on the Ebon Hawk, which he was determined to outfit, modify, and refurbish for use in this modern age.
As a group, they started moving down to the Temple Hangers, and Obi-Wan could barely hide his smile when every now and then they'd pass a Jedi who would take one look at Che and Bant and either shake their head in disapproval or immediately have to hide their smiles or laughs, the vast majority favoring the latter expression. The Temple was not nearly as reserved or lacking in joy as people outside the Order believed. Many Jedi appreciated levity and mischief as much as anyone.
It didn't take them long before they entered the hangar and saw the man they were looking for, on top of the Ebon Hawk, still slowly working on upgrading the hull so that it would stand up to modern armaments. Unsurprisingly, he had managed to recruit Siri, their other friends Garen and Reeft, and even a few other Jedi from the Starfighter Corps, many of whom seemed just as eager as Kastor to upgrade and modernize the famous and incredibly old craft. Obi-Wan was surprised to see that even Master Plo was among the Jedi fixing up the craft.
Obi-Wan knew Garen thought the concept of making a four-thousand-year-old ship faster than anything in the sector and perhaps anything in the galaxy was hilarious and also a great challenge, and thus was completely on board with the plan, especially since Kastor intended to continue being a Shadow and had already confided his plans to use the Ebon Hawk for undercover smuggling operations.
"Must we do this every day, Kastor?" Che called up in exasperation.
Kastor glanced at them with a grin. "It seems so Vokara," he called back. "This ship won't fix itself and I really can't stay in the Halls of Healing all day."
"That ship belongs in a junkyard!" a voice boomed, and Obi-Wan glanced over to see Master Windu had joined their group. "It's going to cost us more to repair, refurbish, and modify that ship than it would for us to buy a new freighter!"
"A true smuggler ship isn't bought!" Kastor protested, though Obi-Wan could just see a hint of mischief in his eyes. "We won't have to hide the records of this belonging to us, and this ship can only be found in historical records, something which no one will do. Besides, modifying a new freighter would cost us just as much as it would to refurbish and modify this one."
"We don't need to own a smuggler ship, let alone a modified one! We're Jedi! We acquire what we need from the Republic for whatever missions you are assigned, Shan," Windu retorted, and then he glared at Plo. "I would have thought better of you, Plo."
"I felt that Master Shan's idea had merit," Plo responded evenly, in his rumbling voice. "Some of the larger crime syndicates do have the influence and wealth to expose where our Shadows might have obtained their ships, and that has come back to bite some of our operatives before."
"You just wanted to work on a historical ship," Windu snorted in response. "All of you from the Starfighter Corps are just as bad as he is."
"This ship was owned by Knight Revan and Knight Meetra Surik!" one of the Starfighter Corps Jedi responded, proving Windu's point. "This ship saw the end of two Sith Wars! It has historical relevance to the Order. How can we not refurbish it?"
"Because there is no need to refurbish a hunk of junk when our resources could be better utilized," Windu retorted firmly.
"That's twice you've insulted my ship!" Kastor called down at them. "Prepare to duel at noon tomorrow, Windu!"
"What in the blazes are you talking about?" Windu demanded, looking exasperated.
"Padawan Tachi introduced me to several holofilms, and in some of them, people resolved issues with duels at noon," Kastor explained, and Obi-Wan could almost literally feel the mischief flowing off the troublemaking Jedi Master.
Windu, among others, glared over at Siri who just smiled impishly, not even looking repentant, though Obi-Wan would have been more surprised if she had.
"You're not dueling anyone," Che said dryly. "Certainly not when you're supposed to be in the Halls of Healing. If you keep this up, I'm going to put you back into a coma that will hopefully last another four thousand years, making you someone else's problem."
"Finally, someone presents me with a reasonable proposal," Windu said, with his arms crossed.
"You wound me," Kastor responded dramatically, showing a fake hurt look before he grinned. "Alright, I'm coming down. Before that though, Master Yoda, did you get a hold of that friend of yours in the Corellian Engineering Corporation?"
"Indeed," Yoda responded, his ears perking up, as the majority of the room shot surprised looks at the Grandmaster, save for Windu who was glaring at him. "Most willing, he is, to help provide new engines and a hyperdrive. Look forward, I do, to seeing the impressive speed of the Ebon Hawk when complete, it is."
"You meddling troll!" Windu accused the Grandmaster of their order. "You're enabling his attachment to a ship not worth repairing."
"Harmless, this minor attachment is. No more than he or any Jedi feels for their lightsaber or a nice pair of robes," Yoda responded, his eyes twinkling. "No more than you feel for your starfighter, which needlessly painted purple, you did. Overcome this attachment, he will, if the Force wills it to happen."
Windu's eyes narrowed as the collective group did their best to avoid laughing at how the Master of the Order had been outmaneuvered by the Grandmaster.
"We can discuss this later," Che broke in. "For now, my patient needs to return to the Halls of Healing until I deign to release him."
"Alright, Vokara," Kastor said, reaching down and grabbing a bag off of the hull, Force jumping off the top of the ship, and landing lightly in front of her, smiling at her rancor-like scowl, one which would have made Obi-Wan run for the hills. Kastor reached into the bag he had over his shoulder and pulled out two meiloorun. "I have a gift for you."
Obi-Wan's eyes widened in shock as Che's eyes narrowed, but her lips undoubtedly twitched towards a smile, and she grabbed the fruit eagerly. While he did like the healer, she tended to have a sharp tongue for her patients, and her disposition was generally prickly, so he generally avoided interactions with her outside of the official ones. He had certainly never seen her soften or give in to a patient like that. How the hell did Kastor manage to do that?
Kastor then reached back into his bag and pulled out a small bottle with some sort of liquid that he handed to Bant, who looked at it and almost squealed in joy.
"How did you even get this, Master Shan?" Bant asked, looking at the small bottle in wonder.
"Oh, I have my ways," Kastor responded with a sly grin.
"Just like that, you two have let him off easy," Windu grumbled, looking severely put out to have lost his two main allies in subduing the time-displaced Jedi.
"What is it?" Obi-Wan asked curiously.
"It's a scent that I can apply to the humidifiers in my room," Bant answered happily, her earlier annoyance apparently gone. "This particular scent comes from my homeworld, Mon Cala, and will make my room smell like the reef where I was born."
Obi-Wan wanted to laugh, but wisely kept his humor internal.
"Obi-Wan, you might as well join us in the Halls of Healing," Kastor said, turning to him. "You can bear witness to the cruelty these healers inflict, something I'm told you know the truth about."
Obi-Wan grinned at that, as Bant and Che rolled their eyes and shook their heads in exasperation.
"Also, Qui-Gon was going to come by for tea later on, and frankly, if I'm going to be poisoned by whatever 'delicacy' your Master has found today, then you're getting poisoned with me."
Obi-Wan groaned, his humor fading as he followed the ancient Master along with the two healers back to the Healer's ward, glancing back to see Windu continuing the argument with Plo and Yoda, while everyone else continued to work on the Ebon Hawk. Obi-Wan contained his grin knowing the powerful Korun Master wasn't going to win this fight. Kastor had picked his allies wisely.
**The Will of the Force*
"I can't believe they let you out," Obi-Wan muttered as he left the Halls of Healing only a few hours later with Kastor and Qui-Gon.
"Why wouldn't they?" Kastor demanded, a mischievous glint in his eyes. "I'm a picture of perfect health."
"I'd say it depends on who takes the picture," Obi-Wan muttered, and he saw Qui-Gon's lips turn towards a smile as Kastor chuckled amusedly.
"Let's go to the training room," Kastor said, rubbing his hands together. "I haven't been able to run through katas in two weeks . . . well two weeks that I've been conscious," he added. "I could use a spar."
Admittedly, Obi-Wan was eager to see the time displaced Master duel. He was the only living Jedi who could claim to have killed a Sith Lord and based on his Temple records (which Obi-Wan had viewed purely for academic reasons), he had defeated many, a feat which many Jedi, even back during the Sith Wars, could not claim. He was also one of the few Jedi from that time period who had survived a duel with the infamous Jedi Killer, Darth Malgus.
"I'd be happy to oblige, Master Kastor," Obi-Wan answered, and the trio walked to the training room, where many Jedi, of all levels, were practicing their forms.
As usual, Master Cin Drallig, the Battlemaster was present, overseeing initiates and Padawans practice their forms, and Obi-Wan couldn't decide if he was surprised or not to see Siri there, sparring with her own Master. He was interested to see Master Yan Dooku, who was rarely seen about the Temple these days, and was even more surprised to see Master Windu. Both Masters rarely showcased their abilities, but both, along with Yoda and Drallig, were acknowledged as the greatest duelists in the Order. He knew he shouldn't hope for it, but depending on Kastor's abilities, which he suspected were quite good even after his hibernation, he might be able to see a duel between Kastor and some of the top duelists in the Order.
"So, Qui-Gon, would you like to duel, or are you going to give Obi-Wan the first crack at me?" Kastor asked with a raised eyebrow.
"I think I'll let my Padawan attempt to teach you some manners," Qui-Gon replied dryly, before adding, "He is more likely to give you a challenge anyway."
Obi-Wan felt pride rise up as well as a blush at his Master's praise of his abilities, something which was quite rare. Nodding at the other Master's questioning look, Obi-Wan moved to the center of a dueling circle, opposite Kastor.
After bowing to each other, they each ignited their blades, Kastor's white blade drawing the attention of many of the other Jedi in the room who now realized who he was. Obi-Wan noted that Kastor did not draw his second blade. Did he normally use Jar'Kai or had he brought out both blades because he had been facing four opponents?
Obi-Wan felt the Force surround him, and he got into his normal Ataru pose. Kastor's eyes narrowed, and he assumed a stance that Obi-Wan recognized belonged to Soresu. Obi-Wan himself had considered improving at Form III, and he wondered if that was Kastor's preferred form, having seen him use that stance on the Ebon Hawk.
Focusing on the fight, Obi-Wan used the Force to propel him forward engaging Kastor who fluidly blocked his blows, a smile starting to form on the man's face as he twisted, spun, parried, and ducked around Obi-Wan's blade.
Normally, Obi-Wan's swift attacks that were enhanced with Force acrobatics were enough to put most of Obi-Wan's opponents on their toes, trying to keep up with him, but Kastor did not show any of the normal strain. He certainly wasn't finding much to use against Obi-Wan, but Obi-Wan didn't feel like he had the upper hand.
They continued to trade blows back and forth, Obi-Wan continuing to be thwarted no matter what he tried, and honestly marveling at the fluidity that Kastor moved with. Sure, his body had shown no atrophy from his thousands of years in Force hibernation, and he had been coming from an undercover mission on the Sith capital, so really, Obi-Wan should have expected a good fight, but he was still surprised that the ancient Jedi seemed to have lost nothing.
Obi-Wan took a bit of pride in his skill with a lightsaber. His Master was one of the best swordsmen in the Order, and he'd certainly passed on everything he knew, and even before that, Obi-Wan had always been one of the best in his creche. In the last few years, the only person among his contemporaries that ever gave him a challenge was Siri, so he was a bit humbled to see that he was making no ground against the time displaced Jedi, who didn't seem to be struggling at all, despite not having held a lightsaber in a month after being frozen for 3600 years.
Obi-Wan jumped and flipped over the man, landing behind him and spun quickly to the right only for Kastor to spin away and then rush forward. Obi-Wan backed up to put some distance between himself and the aggressive attack, but he finally made a mistake when he fumbled with his footwork as he tried to parry Kastor's blade. Kastor knocked Obi-Wan's blade away easily with Obi-Wan's off-balanced weight, and then his blade came to a stop quickly, inches from Obi-Wan's throat.
Kastor smiled, sweat coating his face. "Not bad. Not bad at all. You're quite the duelist. I suspect someday, I'll be the one at the other end of a defeat."
"Thank you, Master Shan," Obi-Wan replied before he frowned.
Kastor might be complimenting him, but it didn't seem to Obi-Wan that Kastor had been close to losing at any point of that duel, no matter what Obi-Wan had tried.
Kastor looked like he was going to say something when a voice broke the silence.
"Master, would you be willing to spar with me?"
Obi-Wan and Kastor both turned to see Siri standing there, looking eager to prove herself. Obi-Wan almost wanted to smirk, knowing the competitive side of her was determined to do better than Obi-Wan rivalry had defined the early part of their friendship after all.
Kastor smiled. "Of course, Padawan Tachi."
Obi-Wan moved out of the dueling ring while Kastor moved back to his starting spot and Siri took her place opposite of him. They both bowed again before they ignited their blades and Siri took a stance that Obi-Wan was interested to see was based in Makashi. It was bold of her to use that style when arguably the greatest user of it in the history of the Order was in the room watching the match, but also smart if Kastor's preferred form was Soresu.
Kastor seemed to nod to himself before he matched her stance, and Obi-Wan saw Siri's eyes narrow slightly.
"What, did you think I'd use the same style against you as I did Kenobi?" Kastor asked, with humor in his voice. "Let's see what you're made of!"
Siri's eyes glinted with determination, and Obi-Wan knew she was going to give everything she had to show him exactly what she was made of. Siri didn't back down from a challenge. It was one of the things he admired about her.
Siri moved forward and started striking with the precise jabs and light cuts that Makashi favored, compared to the more sweeping blows of Shii-Cho. Kastor continued to parry, returning each jab, and attempting to remove Siri's blade from her grasp with each parry. Siri was quick and agile, but Obi-Wan could see Kastor's footwork was keeping her more on the defensive. Makashi was all about quick footwork, and Obi-Wan could see that Kastor was the more agile of the two, at least at this point, but Obi-Wan also knew that Siri couldn't have been studying Makashi for that long, so her keeping up with him was quite impressive.
Siri seemed to realize that she was going to lose if she kept with Makashi, for she quickly shifted from Makashi back to her Ataru roots, increasing the speed and ferocity of her attacks. Kastor grinned as his footwork sped up to counter her speed, still staying with Makashi. Obi-Wan glanced around to see Dooku looking mildly intrigued with the time-displaced Jedi, and mild intrigue was about as much as anyone could get from the man.
Siri pressed the attack, but it seemed to be what Kastor was waiting for as he met Siri's blade and then gave a quick twist of his wrist and Siri's blade left her hand, only for Kastor to step forward and put his blade inches from her chest, effectively ending the match.
Siri sighed, conceding defeat, and Kastor nodded at her before saying something that Obi-Wan couldn't hear. Obi-Wan started to approach, planning to inquire a bit about Kastor's lightsaber skills when someone else beat him to it.
"Have you Mastered all seven forms?" Drallig asked, having approached Kastor.
"No," Kastor responded, with a shake of his head. "I'm competent with five of the seven contemporary forms and have a basic knowledge of one other, and I am very proficient in Jar'Kai."
Drallig nodded, his gaze looking for Kastor to expand on his response.
"I have the basics for Form I down, but have never really put any effort into it," Kastor said, seeming to acknowledge the battle Master's unsaid inquiry. "I've put no effort into studying Form VI."
"You use Form VII?" Drallig asked with interest.
That question piqued the interests of many in the room, since there were very few Jedi who used Form VII or its variant, since most who tried fell to the dark side.
Kastor seemed a bit hesitant to answer but nodded. "I picked it up near the end of the first war and had mastered it by the beginning of the second war. As a Jedi Shadow who often had to pretend to be a fallen Jedi, I . . . well I have experience handling the dark emotions needed for Form VII. Soresu and Juyo are the two main forms I stick to, with Djem So, Makashi, and Ataru being my fall backs depending on my opponent's style and abilities. I am quite adept at Jar'Kai as well but tend not to use it unless severely outnumbered."
Drallig nodded, looking interested, and Obi-Wan couldn't help but hope that Drallig would ask to spar with Kastor. His hopes were initially dashed when Drallig seemed to be done with the conversation, but to Obi-Wan's shock, Dooku walked over and gazed at Kastor.
"If you would be obliged, I would like to get a measure of your abilities myself," Dooku said curtly and Kastor nodded in acceptance.
"Do you wish me to try and compete with your Form II, or are you looking for a spar in full, Master Dooku?" Kastor asked, and nearly the entire room waited eagerly for the reply.
"Use whatever methods you feel are necessary to defeat me, be they lightsaber or of the Force," Dooku responded, and Drallig used that as his cue to move everyone out of the dueling circle that constituted the full arena, though nobody was going to protest, since nearly everyone was eager to see this duel. Siri ended up right next to Obi-Wan and they exchanged glances, both seeing the eagerness to witness this duel in each other's eyes and feeling it through their bond that they'd slowly been opening.
Obi-Wan glanced at Kastor, wondering what the man was thinking, now that he was going up against one of the greatest duelists and Force users in the Order, and possibly one of the greatest duelists in the history of the Order. Despite what was to be his third duel, he seemed at ease and unconcerned with who his next opponent was. That raised a question; was he confident in his own abilities, or simply unconcerned with the future loss that was likely heading his way?
Kastor and Dooku bowed to each other before they assumed their ready positions, both taking the stance associated with Makashi. Unlike with the previous two duels, Kastor took the offense first moving forward and starting an exchange of strikes that Dooku countered.
They continued to trade blades back and forth, though unlike when he was against Siri or Obi-Wan himself, they could all see that Kastor was the inferior when it came to his Makashi, even though he was quite skilled. Dooku just had a fluidity and understanding of Makashi that nobody could match. Dooku was even starting to look disappointed when Kastor grinned and swiftly switched to a strike that was clearly Djem So.
Dooku's eyes narrowed as Kastor's attacks picked up in ferocity, the strikes coming faster and stronger. Dooku's blade speed increased as he started to push the attack, trying to outmaneuver his opponent.
To say many of those watching were impressed was an understatement, but Obi-Wan finally saw Kastor's energy start to falter from using such powerful attacks and having already completed two duels, and Dooku started to push the Jedi Master back, a cold smile on his face.
"It seems we've found your limitations," Dooku said in a clipped voice as he continued to push Kastor back, clearly winning, but unable to finish the duel. "You have fought valiantly, though part of me expected better."
Obi-Wan frowned as several of the watchers around the room gasped at the insulting words. The initiates and Padawans were looking a bit disheartened at the fact that Dooku apparently didn't think Kastor's skill was enough when he was much better than most of them, and clearly better than most Knights and Masters in the Order.
Kastor frowned at the words.
"I'm afraid, Master Dooku, we aren't at my limits just yet," he responded, taking a swift step back and disengaging from the duel. "I just wasn't sure I wanted to actually commit, but if you insist."
That's when Obi-Wan felt it. A definite shift in the Force. A slight chill, and it was clearly coming from Kastor.
Dooku put himself in a ready stance just as Kastor's face hardened and he launched himself forward with the Force and started releasing a relentless barrage of attacks that the Makashi Master was actually struggling to repel.
Obi-Wan had never seen anyone actually use Form VII. He knew Drallig had mastered it, but rarely if ever used it, and he knew that Windu had created his own variant, Vaapad, but also rarely if ever showcased it, using it only on his missions. Obi-Wan could feel the undercurrent of dark emotions and wondered what the ancient Master was using to call forth those emotions to fuel his strikes, while also being amazed that they were clearly held in check, since Obi-Wan could only sense balance from the Jedi Master.
The two Jedi Masters exchanged a flurry of quick blows, and Obi-Wan was amazed to see that Dooku's disappointed look had fled and was now replaced by determination. In fact, Dooku was clearly on the defensive now.
Obi-Wan watched as Kastor slashed, stabbed, spun, and hacked with relentless speed, nearly overwhelming the graceful moves required of Makashi. Dooku used the Force to jump and somersault over Kastor's head, spinning and reaching out with his hand, using the first offensive force power of the duel.
Kastor didn't go flying like he'd expected, instead having lifted his hand in counter, and to Obi-Wan's amazement, seemingly absorbed the Force push that Dooku had released. Dooku also seemed surprised, but that might have been due to Kastor's flick of the wrist that created some sort of Force whirlwind that started picking up the older Jedi Master and spinning him around, the wind rolling off the tornado forcing everyone else in the room back due to the strong gusts.
Dooku let the Force explode out, destroying the whirlwind and dropping him to his feet, looking shocked and irritated, as Kastor rushed forward, and then with a flip, jumped over Dooku and re-initiated a barrage of blows.
Dooku jumped back, throwing a kick at Kastor who was forced to duck under and roll away. Dooku once again lashed out with the Force to launch Kastor, but once again seemed to absorb the blow with some sort of manipulation of the Force, and then he launched back his own wave, launching Dooku back.
Nobody had ever seen Master Dooku at a disadvantage like this . . . at least none that hadn't known Dooku when he was young. It was clear that Kastor's battle instincts and experience were far greater than any of them had assumed.
This was a Jedi who had survived the Galactic and Great Galactic Wars. This was a Jedi who had battled Sith warriors most of his life. This was a Jedi who had spent more time learning to use the Force as a weapon and countering lightsabers than learning how to negotiate, how to solve disputes . . . how to keep the peace.
Dooku looked extremely surprised and irritated by being overpowered in the Force and he reached out one last time and launched a giant Force wave at Kastor who deflected the wave with some sort of barrier, and Obi-Wan felt the wind blow through the training hall.
"Enough, that is," Yoda called, and Obi-Wan realized that the Grandmaster had just entered the training room. "Powerful you both are. Take this to the end, you need not."
Obi-Wan glanced around the room to see many of the initiates looking awestruck, but he could also sense a little fear at the display of power and skill, especially when mixed with the dark emotions that Kastor had let forth. Windu and Drallig were both frowning at the two duelists, probably unhappy with their lack of restraint. Siri glanced at him, only showing the amazement he felt, though he sensed a bit of anger on Kastor's behalf for the words Dooku had said. The time-displaced Master certainly had endeared himself to the both of them.
Kastor closed his eyes and took a breath, and Obi-Wan felt all of the dark emotions leave the man in an instant. He reopened his eyes, smiled and nodded at the diminutive green jedi.
"Of course, you are correct, Master Yoda. Thank you for the duel, Master Dooku," Kastor said, turning back to Dooku and bowing.
Dooku bowed back, though Obi-Wan almost felt like he could see a hint of frustration on the man's face before the calm face of a Jedi returned. Kastor turned and walked over to where Obi-Wan, Siri, Qui-Gon, and Adi were gathered.
"I went a bit overboard there," Kastor said, looking a bit sheepish, but still grinning. "Still, some of the most fun I've had in 3,600 years."
As Kastor started walking ahead, chatting with Adi and Qui-Gon, Obi-Wan fell back slightly and walked with Siri.
"Your skill with Makashi was really impressive," he offered up, and she smiled at him.
"You've gotten much better at Ataru," she returned, and he felt some pride rise up. "Perhaps you might even be able to challenge me now."
Obi-Wan grinned. "Oh, please. We both know that I was always the better duelist. Perhaps with your Makashi, you might actually be able to keep up with me."
Siri's eyes narrowed and, in her eyes, he could see the mischief, but he could also see that she was interested in the challenge. She always was.
"I guess I just have to show you how mistaken you are," she replied, and Obi-Wan grinned, nodding in acceptance and enjoying the fond feeling he felt across the bond.
**The Will of the Force**
Obi-Wan and his Master seemed to have been exempt from going on missions for the next month though he was sure it was just an absence of missions that suited them, and to his surprise, but happiness, Siri and her Master also seemed to be grounded at the temple.
While much of his time was certainly spent trying to learn new Force techniques, sparring, learning the history and culture of other nations that he might get sent to, and meditating, he also enjoyed spending time with many of his friends who also seemed to have been in the temple. Bant and Garen, in addition to Siri, were all present, and while Kastor had been cleared for duty by the Healers, he hadn't received any assignments yet, so Obi-Wan was happily spending some time with the unorthodox Master who was fast becoming a good friend, despite the age difference and station.
Kastor spent most of his time refining his abilities, making sure they hadn't gone rusty during his hibernation and subsequent time in the Halls of Healing, while also doing his best to study history and modern technological achievements, all of which Bant, Siri, and Obi-Wan himself were happy to help with. When he wasn't doing that, he was working on the Ebon Hawk, with Garen and Siri as his main helpers, though Obi-Wan helped out often as well, Qui-Gon often encouraging him to broaden his knowledge, not that he required much encouragement to spend further time with the ancient Master and his friends.
The Ebon Hawk was almost completely restored. The hull had been fixed or replaced where needed and then reinforced, and the wiring for the ship redone, with new stabilizers, a main computer, new sensors and a new life support system. Kastor, with his helpers had done a few updates or modifications on the ship, one of which was making the ship itself a fair bit bigger in height and width on the outer parts, thus allowing them to convert the garage into a hangar that could support the landing or takeoff and storage of a one man fighter easily. The hangar doors were concealable and would generally remain closed and concealed since there was no fighter to be stored at the moment. This also made the cargo hold bigger, and widened the two dormitories, though the main hold, cockpit, corridors, and security hold remained roughly the same. In addition, Kastor added two small refreshers in front of both dormitories removing the original one in the cargo hold, using space that had simply been part of the hull in the original design. Kastor had happily added three more beds to each dormitory, doubling the sleep capacity of his freighter, and strategically looked forward to all the excess space with which he could transport anything. Lastly, he converted the storage compartment in the main hold into a small refectory and added ray shields instead of a security door in case he needed to use that compartment as a prisoner cell.
Yoda had come through and acquired new engines, a new hyperdrive and also a new navigation system and Kit had used a contact in the Mon Calamari Shipyards to get them advanced deflector shields, some of the best in the galaxy. Windu had been right in that they had basically built a brand-new ship, and an expensive one at that, but everyone involved, and even some not involved, were quite proud of the results. It was easily one of the fastest ships in the galaxy and was almost ready for duty. The only thing missing was a new armament. Kastor had been adamant about wanting a Mandalorian's input, and had come to Obi-Wan eagerly, since he'd heard from Garen that Obi-Wan had done a mission on Mandalore, which had led to the first thing that truly shocked the man: the Mandalorians were attempting to become a pacifist culture.
He'd been frozen in time for thousands of years, come back to find everything and everyone he knew gone, the Order changed, and an uncertain future, but the first thing to truly stagger him was the concept of peaceful Mandalorians. Go figure.
Thankfully, with some reaching out on Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon's part, they learned that not all of the warriors had retired, and that the society wasn't completely peaceful as of yet, so with the help of a Mandalorian from Clan Wren, they had managed to order the weapons that would be put onto the ship and were at this point waiting for them to arrive.
Obi-Wan was walking towards the Room of a Thousand Fountains to meditate when he felt the presence of Siri through their bond already in the Room. Smiling, he entered to find her near his favorite spot, one that they had shared many a conversation at, deep in meditation.
As he approached, her eyes opened, and she smiled at him.
"Hey, Kenobi," she greeted.
"Tachi," he responded with a nod. "Seems we both were thinking the same thing."
"This will be my last time here for who knows how long, so I figured I should take advantage of it," she replied, and Obi-Wan realized that she and Adi must have gotten assigned a mission. "I figured you and I could grab Bant and Garren for one last dinner."
"I'm sure it won't be hard to convince them," Obi-Wan said with a smile, though internally grimacing at the coming separation.
He knew that this was going to happen eventually, either with his departure or Siri's. It was inevitable, and this is what Kastor had been talking about. Their friendship was back on track, and only the Force knew if they would be more, but separations like this were tests to prove they could keep their bond.
"Ah, speaking of departures, it seems I'm finally leaving as well," a voice said, and Obi-Wan turned to see the man he'd just been thinking about. "The Mandalorian armaments came in today. Garen, Plo, and I managed to install them, and the Ebon Hawk is finally ready for duty. I've got my first assignment."
"Shadow work?" Siri asked, and Kastor nodded, looking pleased.
"I need to start building contacts in the underworld if I want to help take down or at least counter any of the bigger syndicates," Kastor responded. "I came to say my farewells before I leave within the hour."
"Quick departure," Siri remarked, and Kastor smiled reassuringly.
"I have a long way to travel, but we can talk about that the next time we see each other."
Both Siri and Obi-Wan nodded, knowing that with a Shadow's life, it could be a very long time, if ever, before they saw Kastor again.
"I have something for the both of you, before I leave," Kastor said, and they both glanced at him in surprise as he pulled out two objects that they recognized as holocrons. "I've been the guardian of one of these for a very long time, and the other one I recently acquired from the holocron vault," he said, handing one to Obi-Wan and one to Siri. "Neither of you have much practice with holocrons, do you?"
"No, Master," Siri said. "As Padawans, we rarely interact with holocrons. Madam Jocasta will let us use them in the library, but she is very stringent on which ones we can use, and they cannot leave the library. Since we have Masters to teach us, it is generally agreed by the Order that we don't need them, unless the Master wants to check one out themselves. I do know that many Knights carry a holocron on them, but even those are restricted by Madam Jocasta."
"Well, I don't believe Madam Jocasta knows about the one I had because I'm sure she would not let it go if she did. It was taken from me with my lightsabers when I collapsed aboard the Ebon Hawk, but your Masters gave it directly to the Council who kept quiet about it until I awoke, and then returned it to me. Even if she did, I don't think either are ones she would let you both have, but that's not her decision," Kastor said firmly. "Someday, I would like both of these back, partially because I do owe the one back to the library, but also because of the sentimentality, but before you return them, learn all that you can, and then trade with each other."
"Who's holocrons are these?" Obi-Wan asked with a frown.
"The one that I checked out, that Siri is now holding, belonged to my wife, Elena Shan," Kastor said softly. "She was a tremendous Jedi Sentinel and Shadow, one who I know a young Sentinel like yourself could learn a lot from."
Siri looked down at it reverently, knowing that she was holding the memories and teachings of one of the most successful Shadows of the Galactic War and Great Galactic War, and one who meant everything to the man giving it to her. She knew how much he must have wanted to keep it for himself.
"The other, which I guarded and learned from for many years, was made before he disappeared," Kastor said a bit nervously. "It's the holocron of Revan, after the end of the Jedi Civil War, after he defeated Malak and became the Prodigal Knight, after he married Bastila Shan, and before he disappeared to be lost to the Sith Empire."
Obi-Wan stared at the holocron in his hands, knowing he held the holocron of one of the most powerful and infamous Force users in history. A man who had been both hero and villain, and a very powerful Jedi Guardian.
"I actually met Revan in person, when he was released from his prison," Kastor said quietly, and Obi-Wan glanced at him in amazement, and Kastor nodded. "I was at the Battle of the Foundry and that's where I met him. My ancestor. He was as impressive as I'd heard, and frankly the version of him I saw was only a fragment of him, and not all he had been. He gave me time to get away once it was clear the fight wasn't going our way, and I owe my life to him for that."
Kastor sighed.
"Revan and Elena have much that they can teach the both of you about the force and lightsaber combat, but there is also something else they can help you with. Do you understand why I gave you these holocrons?" Kastor asked, looking at them both, hoping they understood.
"These were both powerful Jedi that can teach us much about the ways of the Force and being Jedi, but they were also Jedi who chose to go against the Council and marry and understood balancing attachment with duty," Obi-Wan said solemnly.
Kastor smiled, nodding in approval.
"Thank you for this, Master Kastor," Siri said, still looking at the holocron in her hand. "We will use them well."
Kastor nodded in approval again. "I'm sure you will. Now, it's time for me to be off."
"May the Force be with you, Master," Obi-Wan said solemnly, which Siri echoed.
"May the Force be with you both," Kastor said with one last smile, and then turned and walked back the way he came.
"We'll see him again," Siri said quietly, before she glanced back at the holocron she'd been given. "I'm sure of it."
Obi-Wan nodded, and then he felt her grasp his hand with her own and they spent a quiet afternoon together before they had one more night among friends.