CHAPTER FIVE
"Qui-Gon, have you any idea what time it is? Why aren't you in bed, and what do
you want?" Xan's sleepy tones slurred over the audio connection.
"Has Obi-Wan's presence already been announced via the gossip chain and registered
in the Temple register?" A yawn kept the Councillor from replying immediately.
Qui-Gon tapped an impatient finger against the desk.
"Xan? Has it?"
"I believe it has. I sincerely doubt anyone is discussing him at this particular
hour, however."
"Then I've a favor to ask you. Don't list his rank in the records, hmm?"
"Don't list his rank?" Xanatos sounded incredulous. "This is the pressing emergency
you had in the middle of the night? Data entry?"
"It's not been listed, has it?"
Silence met that question. The screen flickered, with a scowling Xanatos coming
into view. "Posted or not, Obi-Wan's rank can't be much of a mystery for anyone
capable of coherent thought--which excludes former Padawans so rudely awakened
by pushy former Masters. Kenobi is too young to be a Master, and he hasn't a braid,
so he's obviously not a Padawan. No one needs to look it up in the records to
figure that out."
"XAN!"
The councillor sighed. He paused to rub irritably at one eye as the other drifted
closed. "Of course it's listed. I do recall it correctly; his Council knighted
him before he left. Qui, what are you up to?"
"Up to? Nothing."
"Then you're checking up on my thoroughness and attentiveness to detail again.
Master, your obsessive tendencies are truly annoying at times." He squinted at
the chronometer. "Two thirty-three is definitely one of those times, as it happens
to fall in the middle of my sleep cycle." "Would the Council object to my acclimating
Obi-Wan to our world?"
Another yawn, followed by a deeper scowl. "I can't see why we'd object, unless
you plan to start awakening the other Council members as well. Someone needs to
help Obi-Wan, and you're not on active duty right now so you're as good a choice
as any. But what has this conversation to do with your not wanting Knight Kenobi's
rank in the files?"
"Good, good." Qui-Gon beamed at him. "I'll begin taking him about, showing him
things in the morning. Thank you for your help, Xan. My apologies for waking you."
"Qui--"
The connection was severed abruptly--a sure sign that Qui-Gon Jinn plotting something.
Reaching a long finger, Xanatos flicked the key that would terminate his end of
the conversation as well. Only then did he allow himself a slow, satisfied smile,
followed by a low chuckle.
"That was what a certain green troll and myself intended all along for you to
do," he whispered at the now-silent screen. "So nice of you to cooperate." He
spared the screen a parting mock glare. "But you're not the least bit sorry for
awakening me."
With that, Xanatos went back to bed, well-satisfied with the conclusion to the
events of the day.
* * *
Obi-Wan awoke slowly, flexing his stockinged feet beneath the covers and feeling
warmer and safer and more secure than he had in months. Drawing a deep breath,
he rolled over and just lay there for a few minutes, absorbing how good it felt
to just be alive. Breakfast scents wafted from the kitchen, he could hear his
Master moving about in the common area, and all was right in his world. He'd obviously
been allowed to sleep in, which meant that the day would be long and lazy, with
kata practice and perhaps some quiet discussion about their next mission.
Obi-Wan's eyes flew open as he remembered the scenario that he was thinking about
was long gone. Memory returned with a blow that was almost physical in its shock:
he was no longer a Padawan, no longer in his own familiar Temple, and the man
moving about in the next room....
Flinging back the covers, Obi-Wan leaped to his feet and looked about frantically
for his clothing. It took him a moment to realize that he was still in them. His
robe was folded neatly on a chair beside the bed, with his belt laying across
it. His boots stood safely beside them.
/My lightsaber!/ he thought, panic welling in his heart. /I didn't see it last
night. Where--/
There it was, on the desk. Bounding across the room, he snatched it up and fastened
it to his belt. His brain scarcely registered the presence of the object sitting
next to it, glimmering in the sunlight. Obi-Wan had turned away and was reaching
for his boots when he realized what he'd seen, but not seen. Turning back slowly,
he stared at a second lightsaber sitting on the desk. /That's mine./
He stared harder. Yes, it was his. Same plain design, same metallic sheen. Reaching
out, he poked it with a finger. It rocked gently in its cradle, the metal beltloop
clicking gently against the casing. He dared to pick it up, settle it properly
in his hand. The handle fit snug against his palm, his fingers taking their usual
position to wrap around it securely. He couldn't resist thumbing the button to
activate it. A familiar blue blade sprang forth, thrumming up his arm. He made
a couple of experimental passes before shaking his head mournfully, turning off
the weapon, and replacing it carefully in its cradle. The lightsaber he left behind
felt smaller and less substantial--much as he'd felt as a junior Padawan. It was
a weapon he'd designed whene his dreams of becoming a Knight had still shone in
innocence and ignorance. It belonged to his childhood; he preferred to carry his
Master's weapon now.
/Mine, not mine, used to be mine. My own was melted down in that pit on Naboo
last month, along with a lot of other things inside of me,/ he thought sadly.
/That one over there belonged to someone who belonged to that man out there./
Gathering his boots and sitting back on the bed to pull them on, Obi-Wan finally
took the time to look around the room. /This used to be mine, too. Some of it,
anyway, and it feels the same as my quarters at home. Weird./
The furniture was the same, but beyond that and the saber, the room seemed stripped
of all personality. The Padawan who had lived here had long since gone. Except
for the saber, hadn't this Qui-Gon Jinn held onto anything that had belonged to
his Obi-Wan? It wasn't exactly a question an intruder could ask over breakfast.
Fastening his boots, Obi-Wan reached for his cloak and was grateful for the full
night's rest he'd been given. He felt a little better, though his stomach roiled
at the thought of encountering the man he knew was waiting for him beyond that
door. He remembered this Qui-Gon talking the night before, vaguely remembered
being steered inside these rooms, but beyond that Obi-Wan's overstressed brain
had simply shut down. What had this Qui-Gon said? For that matter, what had Obi-Wan
said or done? /What sort of fool did I make of myself last night? I remember crying
in from of him. Gods. Some knight you are, Kenobi./
The answers to his questions lay on the other side of the door. Unable to escape
the prospect of facing this Qui-Gon Jinn, Obi-Wan slung the cloak about his shoulders.
/Come on, sooner started, sooner finished and out of this Master's hair, one way
or another./
Running his fingers through his own hair, Obi-Wan took a deep breath before all
but slinking from the bedchamber. His gaze immediately went to the tall man standing
before a painfully familiar antique desk, thumbing through an assortment of memory
wafers. The long limbs were encased in the familiar Jedi robes, the profile was
exactly as it should be with its high forehead and crooked nose. Gray-streaked
hair flowed over broad shoulders, and for a moment, Obi-Wan stood frozen and stared.
Yes, this was his Master and yet, something vibrated in the man's aura that hadn't
been there before. Puzzled, Obi-Wan reached out to it, poked it tentatively with
his Force-sense.
/What is that?/
He hadn't time to analyze it, as Qui-Gon turned in that moment and commanded Obi-Wan's
full attention. The smile he offered was warm and relaxed. It crinkled the corners
of his blue eyes, making Obi-Wan feel as if this man were truly happy he was there.
Somehow, it only increased Obi-Wan's anxiety, as though this Qui-Gon knew something
Obi-Wan did not.
"Good morning," came the familiar baritone. "Did you sleep well?"
Offering a nod and a formal half-bow, Obi-Wan murmured, "I slept very well. Thank
you for letting me use your room, Master. I apologize for intruding; I didn't
mean to be an inconvenience."
Qui-Gon didn't answer immediately. He was too startled at the elegant formality
his visitor offered, as well as the assumptions behind the cultivated tones. Last
night's frantic conversation had offered no hint of this wonderful voice. The
other, younger Obi-Wan's way of speaking had been pleasant to listen to, but it
had offered nothing like this splendid delivery. Qui-Gon also knew that the urbane
elegance was very much at odds with the worried, almost panicked expression in
those green eyes.
Slowly and deliberately tucking his disks into one of the desk's mnay cubby-holds,
Qui-Gon said, "Obi-Wan, you're not an intruder; you are my welcome guest. You
seem to have forgotten that I invited you up here. And you're certainly not an
inconvenience. Pointing a weary young man at a bed really is not all that taxing
a chore."
He smiled at Obi-Wan, but the Knight remained frozen in the doorway, still staring
with that worried expression. /Hmm. Try again. Smaller words, perhaps?/
"You are here because I asked you to come here," Qui-Gon tried again. "I'm happy
to do anything within my power to help settle you in this world." Locking gazes
with the younger man, Qui-Gon sent reassurance rippling through the Force. "Do
you understand?"
Obi-Wan frowned and thought about that a moment. "Then... Council is allowing
me to stay?"
"That's right. Isn't that what you wanted?"
Looking puzzled, the young knight nodded.
"Then it's good that you're staying, though one would hardly know it from your
expression." Qui-Gon considered for a moment. "How much of our conversation do
you remember from last night?"
Standing a little straighter, Obi-Wan tucked his hands into his robes and focused
on the wall several inches over Qui-Gon's head. The knight now looked as though
he were addressing the most senior, most difficult member of the Council.
"I remember leaping over your head, Master. Please allow me to apologize for my
reaction to your presence."
/Am I intimidating him?/ Qui-Gon wondered. /I don't mean to. Gods, what a confusing
young man. What am I doing to provoke these strange reactions?/
Obi-Wan seemed rooted to the space before the bedchamber door. Qui-Gon considered
inviting him to sit down, but thought his guest would only refuse the invitation.
/For now, let him remain where he is./ Only a moment before, Obi-Wan had looked
ready to bolt. Qui-Gon could sense humility warring with apprehension, along with
what seemed to be embarrassment over what had happened the night before.
"It was a most impressive leap, Obi-Wan. No apology is necessary." His guest didn't
seem inclined to comment, so Qui-Gon took charge of the conversation.
"I'll tell you again what I told you last night, if I may?" He held up a hand
to forestall the next apology he sensed was coming. "I don't mind repeating myself,
and you were exhausted. Anyone would be, after undergoing a mindsweep. I was."
Obi-Wan looked startled. "You, Master?"
"Yes. Certain mission events had to be shared in vivid detail some years ago."
Qui-Gon suppressed a shudder. "I know how traumatic an experience it is, so please
don't feel that you need to apologize for anything you said or did last night."
"Yes, Master."
Qui-Gon nodded his approval. "We'll discuss matters further over breakfast." Rather
than wait to see if Obi-Wan approved--which he probably did not, given the tension
in his frame that said he still wanted to bolt out of the Master's quarters and
probably out of his life as quickly as possible--Qui-Gon led the way into the
small kitchen. He was fairly certain that Padawan training, if not simple manners,
would demand that the young knight follow him.
"Everything is ready. If you'll just sit here, I won't be a moment." Pulling out
a chair, he gave Obi-Wan little choice, short of refusing outright to sit down.
"Master, I should go...."
/So we're going to try outright refusal, hmm?/ Halting abruptly in the entrance
to the kitchen, Qui-Gon turned, drew himself up straighter, and nailed Obi-Wan
where he hovered near the chair he'd been assigned. "Why should you go? Do you
have somewhere else to be?"
"I...."
"Are you so eager to be free of my company? My reputation as a tyrant has reached
you already?"
"No, Master! It's just that--"
"Then I would be very grateful if you'd sit down and have some breakfast with
me, Obi-Wan Kenobi," Qui-Gon said kindly, lowering his voice and letting some
warmth sneak in. "A meal is always better with good company. After that, I hope
you'll let me show you around this world."
Qui-Gon hesitated as the impact of his words seemed to bring the worry in those
green eyes to even greater heights.
I would be pleased to introduce you to some of the knights and key staff members,"
the Master explained hurriedly. "Everyone will have all sorts of questions to
ask you, and the initial encounters might not be nearly as intimidating if you
have a guide." He dreaded his next question, but knew that it needed to be asked.
"Would you prefer another guide?"
Obi-Wan's green eyes went wide at the fear of rejection flashing so briefly in
Qui-Gon's blue eyes. The Force trembled with it as well, and just for an instant
it was as though there was a training bond between the two of them: Obi-Wan could
feel and read this Jedi's emotions as clearly as had read his own Master's.
"NO!" Dropping abruptly into the chair with an impact that made it rock sideways
on two legs, Obi-Wan swallowed hard. Not for the world would he hurt the man standing
before him; certainly not over something so harmless as breakfast.
"No," he repeated more softly, shrugging almost frantically out of his cloak so
that the sleeves didn't trail into whatever fare Qui-Gon would offer. "I'd be
happy to eat with you. And I would be grateful for your instruction and guidance
through your world. I'm sorry, I didn't understand. I didn't want to impose."
Sidling closer, Qui-Gon dared to lay a hand on the young knight's shoulder. "You
could never be an imposition, Obi-Wan. I want to do this. Will you let me do this?"
Obi-Wan felt open concern and genuine affection flowing through the Master's touch,
just as Qui-Gon intended him to feel. Obi-Wan didn't remember one of the things
he'd said during the mindsweep, but Qui-Gon did: "When my Master touched me, I
could feel how he felt about me."
Bowing his head, Obi-Wan instinctively leaned into Qui-Gon's touch. Massaging
gently, Qui-Gon braced his hip against Obi-Wan's shoulder for a moment. Dropping
his shields slightly, he sent calm reassurance, and waited.
/He's not feeling impatient or irritated,/ Obi-Wan thought, startled. /He really
doesn't seem to mind that I'm here, or that he's saddled with showing me around./
"Are you hungry?" Qui-Gon asked after a long moment of silence had passed, and
the muscles beneath his fingers had begun to relax, just a little.
A hesitant nod.
"Silly question. I know that Xanatos is a lousy host, and he wouldn't have fed
you yesterday. That's at least two meals missed." He gave that shoulder a proprietary
pat. "Let me get our breakfast. It's simple, but it will fill the empty spots."
He headed off into the small food prep area, and Obi-Wan could hear the clatter
of dishes being pulled out.
"I'm not much of a cook," Qui-Gon called back from the kitchen. "But I can manage
a few things well enough."
"I know," Obi-Wan answered softly.
The Master brought a six-grain cereal with honey, thayla berries and tea. Setting
them before Obi-Wan, he watched the knight's brow furrow, his fingers tense into
fists where his hands had settled on his thighs. The Master took his seat opposite
the young man.
"Is something wrong?"
It was plain that his guest wanted to answer, but reticence won out, and he shook
his head.
"What is it, Obi-Wan? Please, tell me?"
The answer was softly mumbled. "Masters shouldn't serve Padawans."
/But you're no longer a Padawan./ The reply sprang instantly to Qui-Gon's mind.
Realization of what Obi-Wan meant dawned in the next moment, and he was very glad
he'd not spoken aloud.
/Gods, he doesn't even think of himself as a knight! If ever I needed any confirmation--and
I didn't, not really, but it's good to have it nonetheless--this proves beyond
any doubt that he was knighted before he was ready. Poor boy, there's nothing
positive about his rank for him. When you dream all your life of becoming a Jedi
Knight, there should be nothing but joy on the day you finally surrender your
Padawan braid and take your place with the other Knights. How terribly sad, how
terribly tragic that he's never known any of that joy. I want to change that.
I will find a way to change that./
Qui-Gon nodded and carefully modulated his tone to hide his anger at Obi-Wan's
previous world. "But there's nothing wrong with a host serving a guest, or a friend
bringing a dish to a friend, is there?"
He could see the frantic scrabble in Obi-Wan's confusion as the young man struggled
to mentally align himself with either category. Offering a soft chuckle, Qui-Gon
added sweetener and cream to his tea.
"I'm not a Master who requires constant service, Obi-Wan, nor do I object to serving
a Padawan on occasion. And now that you have my offering in front of you, whether
you approve the delivery or not, would you care to eat it?"
Hastily picking up a spoon, Obi-Wan poked at the cereal and nibbled at a bite.
"As for a few other things you may wish to know..." Pushing back from the table,
Qui-Gon stretched his legs before him and sipped his tea. "Late yesterday, Coucil
decided to welcome you into our Temple and to make you part of our Order. While
they've certainly assigned you your own quarters by now, you'll stay close to
me until you've acclimated to this universe and are comfortable living here. If
you have questions or curiosities about anything, I'll answer them."
"Yes, Master."
Was it Qui-Gon's imagination, or was Obi-Wan relaxing, just a little, as he explained?
/Good... That would mean he's flexible and capable of changing directions quickly--when
he's decided the situation warrants it. But Force help me to move him if he's
decided otherwise. I sense that he's every bit as obstinate as I can be./
What Qui-Gon knew wasn't his imagination was the way Obi-Wan was staring at him
in between pushing his breakfast around in his bowl, and whenever the Knight thought
that Qui-Gon wouldn't notice. Obi-Wan had taken only a few bites of the food set
before him. That didn't bother Qui-Gon nearly as much as did the staring; sooner
or later, Obi-Wan would settle and his appetite would return. Sooner or later,
would he also stop staring holes through his companion?
"Padawan, do you mind if I ask you a question? What do you see when you look at
me?"
"Um. I see..."
Qui-Gon could feel the inner argument Obi-Wan was having with himself: should
he answer honestly, or apologize for staring in the first place?
"I see my Master," he finally answered, but didn't seem inclined to explain further.
"Is that a bad thing?"
Obi-Wan shook his head. The Force shivered with a fair amount of solace, as well
as an underlying sorrow. "I am glad to see you... looking so well."
/As opposed to very messily dead, I assume. How very discretely you phrase it,
young one. I must be aware of what you don't say, as much as the meaning of the
few words you do actually get out./ "Then please, feel free to stare all you want,
Padawan."
Was it his imagination or did his newest charge just relax an infinitesimal bit
more at that permission? Yes, the shoulders seemed not quite so tense.
/So,/ thought Qui-Gon, /it's not necessarily a bad thing for Obi-Wan to have his
Master back in whatever way I may provide, just as it's not necessarily a bad
thing for me to have my Padawan return to me? Force willing, I think we both may
be able to work with that./
Setting his empty mug aside, Qui-Gon leaned forward and braced his arms on the
table. "The first order of the day is to visit Stores and get you outfitted."
The spoon halted in its determined rearrangement of the now-soggy grains in the
bowl. "Outfitted, Master?"
The blue eyes twinkled with amusement. "I'm sure that you'll agree that a change
of clothing is a pleasant thing to have upon occasion. And something else for
sleeping, perhaps? Even a few toiletries?"
"Yes, Master. You're right, of course. I appreciate your thoughtfulness and attention
to my oversight." Obi-Wan returned to embarrassed scrutiny of a thayla berry not
yet mashed into helplessness.
"We take care of our knights in this world, Obi-Wan," the older man offered gently,
"and you are one of us now."
Qui-Gon rose, collecting his bowl and coming around the table to where Obi-Wan
had finally succeeded in reducing the hapless berry to a purplish stain in the
mush that was once cooked grains. He paused to run a reassuring hand across Obi-Wan's
back, ending with a slight sqeeze to the far shoulder in a non-threatening sort
of hug. Before Obi-Wan could react, Qui-Gon withdrew his hand and pulled the dish
out from under the destructive efforts of the spoon.
"You're not going to eat this, so let's move on. But you'd best eat with me tonight,
or I'll think that you're objecting to my culinary expertise."
The reproach was softened by a grin, and Qui-Gon bumped Obi-Wan with a companionable
elbow as he turned to take the dishes away. "At least drink the tea. That, I can
make properly."
And oh, it was proper tea. Tea made to such careful, painfully familiar specifications
that it made Obi-Wan want to weep. His Master's touch with the blending and steeping--always
an art form--obviously extended to this world as well. Obi-Wan sipped at the dark,
fragrant liquid, stared into the cup, and rolled the familiar, sweet taste across
his tongue. This, for some reason, his traitorous stomach welcomed, even if the
cup was wrong. The tea should be in the grey-flecked mug Obi-Wan himself had picked
up on Qelan, and across the table should be a chipped and stained relic that Qui-Gon
had picked up Force knew where--
"You like my tea?"
Startled, Obi-Wan pulled his gaze from the depths of the cup. "Yes, Master, very
much."
The smile that answered his statement was genuinely pleased. "It's not everyone
that appreciates a good cup of tea. I think we're going to get along very well,
indeed."
Obi-Wan was startled to feel a small smile of his own forming in answer. It felt
strange. How long had it been since he smiled? The muscles felt peculiar as they
moved--
"Are you finished there? If so, let's go get the basic knight kitting from Stores
and make sure that you have everything to make your Temple life comfortable. I'll
introduce you to Master Santros. There's a bit of a knack to getting around him,"
Qui-Gon confided in conspiratorial tones. "He seems to regard everything allocated
to the Jedi as his own personal stock until its actually out of his hands, so
you have to know just how to ask for something to make him let go of it--and enough
of what you want to make the asking worthwhile. Some of the Padawan consider it
to be a game of negotiating skill; they're forever comparing scores."
The voice was cheerful and relaxed. The words began running together as Obi-Wan
closed his eyes and allowed himself the sheer luxury of simply hearing Qui-Gon's
voice once again. Alive. In the moment. Not as part of a recorded file from years
before Obi-Wan's birth or from a day long gone, but here and now. He could feel
the aura of his Master, could feel the familiar vibration through the Force. It
was a gift he'd never even dreamed of feeling again. No matter what happened,
Obi-Wan would cherish this memory always. He'd asked for just a few more minutes
with his Master, and the Force had granted this childish wish so completely that
Obi-Wan dared not waste even a heartbeat.
"Come on, let's be off." Another pat on the shoulder was his only warning before
Obi-Wan's hood was being pulled up over his head in a gesture of playfulness.
Rising to his feet, Obi-Wan shrugged properly into the voluminous material and
shoved back the hood in unconscious rebellion. He did want to see where he was
going, this morinng. When he looked up, Qui-Gon was waiting in the open doorway.
"This way, Padawan. Our adventures are beginning."
Feeling somewhat braver and more optimistic than he had since the day Anakin Skywalker
had come into his life, Obi-Wan followed his new Master.
The afternoon passed pleasantly, with Qui-Gon treating Obi-Wan to lunch in the
Initiate's commisary.
"I come here as often as I can," Qui-Gon announced, ushering Obi-Wan through
the line and encouraging him to sample whatever fare he wished. The Master towered
over the Initiates, who all called greetings and grinned up at him as if he
were a frequent visitor in their world.
"That's good an' that's good..." a young Initiate behind Qui-Gon told him and
his friend, all but climbing up on the railing to point out his choices. "But
stay away from the purple stuff. Nobody knows what it is yet, or where it's
from."
Obi-Wan took the Initiate's advice, happy to see several familiar items on the
menu that were not only served in his home universe, but which he also enjoyed.
"The food's better here than in our section of the Temple," Qui-Gon revealed
in a low voice. "I'm also far less likely to be asked awkward questions about
my latest mission, or what the Council said to me when last I reported to them
when I eat here. Of course, the Initiates also gather round and ask for stories,
so you'd best be prepared to entertain the Padawans-to-be if you follow my example."
"I've plenty of stories, Master." Obi-Wan followed the older man to a corner
table.
"I hope to hear them all one day."
They ate in peace, if not quiet. Secretly, Obi-Wan was glad they weren't visiting
the central dining center; he didn't think he was ready to be introduced to
the other Masters and their Padawan, much less field the questions his presence
would have generated. By now, he suspected that the gossip chain would have
informed everyone of his arrival. It was far more peaceful to be here, among
youngsters who didn't care who he was, where he'd come from or where he was
going. Qui-Gon's sensitivity to his mood was startling; the man seemed to understand
Obi-Wan without his having to ask or explain a thing. It was unique to have
a companion--much less a Master--who seemed to keep his needs and insecurities
in mind. Obi-Wan knew all too well that Most Masters didn't have the time or
the inclination to cosset newly arrived knights. 'Welcome to the Temple, here's
your room. We're sure you'll be just fine and, by the way, check for your mission
assignment in a few clicks,' was about all he had actually hoped for, and that
from the quartermaster. If he'd hoped for anything.
Pushing aside his tray as Qui-Gon finished his own meal and began surveying
the room, Obi-Wan plunged into saying something he had felt needed to be said
for at least the last two hours. "Master, how can I thank you for your kindness?"
"Hmm? What kindness?" Puzzled blue eyes met his.
"This...." Obi-Wan spread his hands. "Your taking care of me, explaining things
to me, watching out for me. I've never known such kindness before--never needed
it before, I suppose. It's... a unique experience and I just wanted to say thank
you. Is there something I can do for you in return?"
Qui-Gon's eyes grew solemn. Reaching out his hand, he covered Obi-Wan's hand
and spoke softly, with an almost urgent intent. "You can be happy here, Obi-Wan.
You can tell me if there's something I can do to help you be happy."
He shook his head. "I can't think of anything, Master. You've done it all."
That won him a chuckle. "I've scarcely begun, Padawan. I've done nothing but
show you a small part of your new home."
/Home.../ Obi-Wan liked how that sounded. Part of him had even begun believing
that this could be home for him.
"Come, Obi-Wan. There's much more to see."
* * *
Qui-Gon led him back into the main Temple, pointing out landmarks and information
kiosks at every level.
"I think I can find my way around now," he said with some confidence, following
Qui-Gon into the lift.
"Where do you wish to go next, then?" Folding his arms, Qui-Gon indicated that
Obi-Wan should push the buttons instructing the conveyence where to take them.
"The meditation gardens, I think."
"We have many gardens, none of which are centralized. What do you have in mind?"
"Do you have anything like the Room of a Thousand Fountains?" Obi-Wan asked.
"Yes, but that's reserved for Masters and the Council. Still...." Qui-Gon considered
for a moment. "I think level six may have what you're looking for."
Obi-Wan touched the required button, and they were off. A few clicks later,
and he was walking with Qui-Gon down a cool, quiet corridor. Only a few Jedi
wandered here. They moved silently, their hoods raised and their heads bowed.
The narrow corridor fed into an indoor garden larger than any Obi-Wan had seen
before. Stepping off of the usual tile, his boots touched grass. It smelled
fresh and clean, so alive that Obi-Wan longed to take off his boots and sink
his toes into it. To feel the living Force in each blade and stay there for
a time.
Trees were everywhere--old and peaceful ones, as wise as the Masters who walked
beneath them. They watched and listened, absorbed all that might be thought
or felt beneath them. Stretching to the sky, they reached for a greenhouse roof.
"It's for protection only," said Qui-Gon. "Fresh air constantly circulates,
and we pull back the canopy for ten hours a day, so that they can feel the warmth
of the sun, the wind through their branches and the rain on their leaves. They're
most grateful, as you can see."
"What about the birds?" asked Obi-Wan, catching sight of an abandoned nest cradled
in the heart of a weeping willow.
"They're welcome as well. There are many more here in the spring. We offer materials
for their nests, food for their young. Many of the same pairs return, year after
year. It's a bit difficult to meditate after the chicks hatch, however."
Obi-Wan laughed softly. "I'd imagine so."
A small animal with dappled fur and a plumed tail darted acros an overhead branch.
Settling on its haunches, it chittered at the two Jedi, daring them to walk
beneath its tree.
"We ask safe passage, little one," said Qui-Gon. The creature scolded all the
louder. With a sigh, Qui-Gon offered stepped closer to the tree and offered
a slight bow. Reaching up a finger, he stroked carefully between the thing's
beedy little black eyes. "Will you allow us to walk beneath your tree?"
It drooped and then dropped as if drunk under the Jedi's ministrations. Only
when it was sprawled across the limb, its small, clawed paws lax and a silly
smile on its thin face, did Qui-Gon return to Obi-Wan's side.
"*That* is a lerril," he announced, taking Obi-Wan's elbow and urging him forward
before the thing woke up or changed its mind. "They're somewhat greedy for affection.
If you don't acknowledge their territory and their magnificence, they're liable
to attack you."
"Attack?"
"Leap at your head and continue to complain. Their claws are sharp, if small."
"And you let them live here?"
Qui-Gon cast him a startled glance. "This is their home, Obi-Wan. They were
here first, and we are the intruders who built walls around them, many years
ago. If we're going to fence them in, it's only fair that we respect their needs."
/That's a different way of looking at it,/ Obi-Wan acknowledged. "On Coruscant,
we'd have just relocated his kind."
"Your Jedi would never have shared his world or learned to interact with im?
His kind would simply be shunted aside?"
"I'm afraid so, Master. On the Coruscant I knew, at least."
"Lerrils live only on Coruscant," Qui-Gon commented. "There are no others like
him anywhere in this universe. What value has the living Force to your Jedi
if they refuse to live side-by-side with all life?"
Obi-Wan hesitated before answering. "Master, I think that 'my Jedi' may have
lost their way a very long time ago about a great many things. Our Force application
is outward, rather than inward most of the time. We use meditation, but it's
a morning and evening activity, or merely a grounding, coping exercise than
the way of life it appears to be in your world. We use to Force to heal, to
guide us in battle, to help defend those in need, but we do not teach those
outsideo of the Temple to use it. I've never heard of it being used to cohabit
peacefully with a native lifeform.
"Some, like Yoda, try to Far-see using the universal Force, but even his efforts
are frustrated most of the time. 'Hard to see, the future is....'" Obi-Wan thought
for a moment. "I know that my Master was a master of the living Force. He had
much empathy for creatures like your lerril, and was forever bringing them home
to heal and then release them back into their native habitat. For the most part,
though, he used his powers in negotiation, to help bring peace to warring planets,
to influence and to guide those less fortunate in our world. He was a man of
great compassion, and he helped save many lives, but the majority of them were
what our culture had already decreed sentient. Those who were not... tended
to get trampled where I came from.
"I saw my Master communicate with other life forms, much as you just did, but
not on Coruscant. Coruscant has been dead to the living Force for a very long
time. The focus of my world is money and greed, with the Jedi trying to act
as a fulcrum against that. Does that make sense?"
Qui-Gon's brow furrowed. "It makes a very sad sense, Padawan. Your world is
missing out on a great many things."
"Yes, Master. It is. Perhaps you can understand why I'm not missing much of
my world."
They continued down the path unmolested by further chittering. Obi-Wan couldn't
resist touching the leaves of various trees, basking in the soothing calm they
projected. The air was breathable here, the atmosphere peaceful. This sort of
connection was what he needed, what he wanted. What had been lacking in his
own life. He felt comfortable here, with Qui-Gon and among the growing things.
No conversation was needed and no tests were pending. To just exist this moment
was enough.
"This garden is part of a meditation level, not far from my quarters," Qui-Gon
said softly. "You're free to come here any time."
"Thank you for showing me. I'll probably visit as often as I can."
They wandered in companionable silence for a few more clicks until Qui-Gon asked,
"Is our Temple entirely foreign to your own, as well?"
"Your main building, library, and the Council chamber is the same," he said.
"The medical center is in the same place, and your quarters are in the same
tower as at home, Master. Beyond that, this Temple is more sprawled."
"Sprawled?"
Obi-Wan nodded. "My Coruscant is one big city, which is a major reason why most
of our animals and vegetation are all but extinct. Those that still exist have
been shunted into nature domes."
Stopping in the corridor, Qui-Gon stared down at him. "Those, I assume, are
artificial constructs housing life that was once natural to the planet?" Off
of Obi-Wan's nod, Qui-Gon continued heatedly. "I am convinced now that your
Order is dead to the living Force."
"It's not the Order's fault," Obi-Wan protested. "There are millions of citizens
on Coruscant alone, and only ten thousand Jedi throughout the entire galaxy."
"TEN THOUSAND?" Qui-Gon nearly shouted, and several Masters turned to stare.
Turning away from the annoyed glances, the Jedi spoke more quietly. "So few?
How can this be?"
"Well, how many do you have?"
"At least ten times that. Two thousand on Coruscant alone, with many more Temples
spread throughout the galaxy."
"And Force users throughout the populace as well?"
Qui-Gon nodded. "Parents teach children, and there are civilian Temples established.
The Force is part of everyone's life, here. We're all connected."
"It's not that way where I come from. We don't teach the populace any use of
the Force because they're not really interested. Or they're afraid of it. Depending
on the species and the world involved, they tend to think of us as sorcerers
or sages. Your Senate answers to the Jedi here, but in my world, the Jedi serve
the Senate. The Chancellor sends us wherever he will."
Qui-Gon looked confused. "How can someone who is not Force sensitive know what
will bring peace out there? How can he or she know which Jedi to send?"
"Considering the missions my Master and I were sent on, I don't think anyone
has ever thought to ask such a thing." Obi-Wan closed his eyes, feeling a weariness
that was soul-deep. "I wish they had. Chancellor Valorum is a good man, but
sometimes...." He rubbed the bridge of his nose as if to rub out the memories.
"Sometimes the Jedi are sent into situations that make me wonder how any of
us manage to survive. The Force seems so far away, sometimes."
Strong arms wrapped around him. He was cradled against a barrel chest that was
solid and blessedly real, while long fingers combed through his hair. "I'm so
sorry, Obi-Wan."
He stiffened beneath that touch, only to will himself to relax in the next moment.
Qui-Gon waited it out and just continued stroking, let the sorrow and compassion
he felt flow past his shields to wash over his charge. /Calm... calm.../ said
those emotions, and Obi-Wan listened. Sliding his arms around the taller man,
he released the harsh memories into the Force. They were the past; this man
and his affection, his support, were the present. Nothing was as blissful as
feeling Qui-Gon touch him, and nothing felt so safe as the garden where they
stood. Obi-Wan had the feeling that if he'd needed Qui-Gon to stand there all
night and do nothing but stroke through his hair, the Master would have done
it.
/How can anyone care this much for a stranger like me?/ Obi-Wan wondered. Taking
a deep breath, he stepped out of the embrace, regardless he wished he could
stay there forever. "Thank you, Master."
Sunlight danced over Qui-Gon's shoulders, setting off the silver streaks in
his hair. His blue eyes were calm and steady as they regarded Obi-Wan. "I'm
glad that you're well away from that universe, Padawan. Are there other worlds
in your universe as barren as Coruscant?"
"Some are. Some aren't." Obi-Wan gathered his robe about himself, began wandering
the path again. "They're self-governing, so they're free to do as they will."
"I see. And what they will is to destroy?"
"Sometimes, yes. Unfortunately. Our history is very different from yours."
"It is, indeed. Come, let me show you something."
Making his way through the garden, Qui-Gon led Obi-Wan back onto the granite
tiles and down another hallway, which dead-ended at an ornate wooden door. No
modern creation this, its hinges looked dark with age. Brushing his hand across
Obi-Wan's forehead, Qui-Gon said, "Close your eyes."
He did so. He heard the door creak open, felt warm air waft across his cheeks.
"Allow the Force to guide you inside, Obi-Wan."
It was a simple exercise. Reaching out with his senses, he passed the door and
walked into the chamber. The wood itself had a living presence in the Force--swirling
colors that held a heavy maturity, welcoming him into the chamber it guarded.
Qui-Gon follow after. Wherever they were, the Force surrounded the two Jedi
easily, to the point that it teased Obi-Wan's closed eyelids and danced inside
his mind. The door creaked closed behind them, entombing him and Qui-Gon in
what felt like a womb of Light. The sound of delicate chiming caressed Obi-Wan's
physical senses, complimenting his Force sense.
"Open your eyes." Qui-Gon's spoke in only a whisper, but the sound still echoed
around the chamber.
He opened his eyes to see that the Force-dance behind his eyelids was echoed
in the room itself. Dancing rainbows of light surrounded Obi-Wan, caressed his
skin and his sight. It touched him everywhere, flashing across his face and
over his hands when he raised them to the light. Bright blues and deep greens,
rich reds and playful orange made him laugh aloud tilt back his head to look
up and up and up, to find the source of the light.
Hundreds of prisms dangled from the ceiling of the transparent-domed chamber.
Swinging in the breeze, they touched and tangled in the sunlight, dancing an
intricate dance. As they touched, they sang, connecting through light and sound.
Sunshine streamed through the dome, dancing across the prisms to explode through
them in a neverending parade of color and music.
"It's beautiful," Obi-Wan whispered.
"It's like the Force," said Qui-Gon, coming to stand beside Obi-Wan and looking
up to survey the rainbows. "The prisms themselves are physical and visible,
penetrating matter and space, just as does the Force. At the same time, part
of their light is invisible to us, but there nonetheless. We can sense it, just
like the Force."
Bringing up his hand, Qui-Gon let a rainbow play across his palm. "On a universal
level, you and I are living in one of these spectrums--perhaps in the blue universe,
or the green." He traced the colors with his finger. "Perhaps you came from
the red universe, into this one. We all live in a prism of time and eternity,
Obi-Wan." With a sweep of the hand, Qui-Gon indicated the entire dome. "Welcome
to a prismed world of unending possibilities. The Force has truly blessed you,
for you've stepped into a new beginning."
"Yes, Master. It has."
The warmth in Obi-Wan's voice made Qui-Gon look down at him, only to discover
the younger man wasn't looking at the prisms nor at their rainbows. Obi-Wan
smiled up at him--a smile containing such beauty and light that Qui-Gon's heart
skipped a beat. The green eyes were unshadowed, their hope unmistakable. This
was no shattered Knight, come to beg for healing and a place within their Order.
This was a soul on fire, knowing his place in the universe and ready to act
in it. This was a strength and a beauty Qui-Gon had never seen in his Padawan,
all revealed in the power of Obi-Wan's smile, the laughing delight in his eyes.
In deliberate immitation of a certain Master now dead, Qui-Gon lifted one hand
to stroke down Obi-Wan's cheek. Tracing the trail of long-dried tears. "Welcome
to my world, Obi-Wan."