DARK!OBI 12
QUI-GON WRAPPED HIS ROBES AROUND HIMSELF, COVERING HIS FACE AS HE WALKED THROUGH THE TEMPLE. HE MADE HIS WAY SWIFTLY TO HIS DESTINATION, MAKING USRE THAT NO ONE SAW HIM. HE HAD ALMOST BEEN SPOTTED ON HIS WAY TO SEE MACE BY SOMEONE WHO WAS STRIKINGLY FAMILIAR. QUI-GON DIDN'T PAUSE TO BE LET IN WHEN HE GOT TO THE DOOR, HE JUST WALKED IN, HIS EYES WIDENING WHEN HE SAW THE CONDITION THAT MACE WAS IN.
MACE SAW HOW QUI-GON WAS WATCHING HIM, AND SIGHED, "I'M FINE, OLD FRIEND. IT COULD BE WORSE."
QUI-GON PUT HIS HAND ON MACE'S ARM, "WHAT HAPPENED? YOU ONLY SAID IT WS BAD. WHERE IS THE REST OF THE COUNCIL?"
MACE SHOOK HIS HEAD, "YOU REALLY HAVE BEEN OUT OF THE LOOP LATELY, HAVEN'T YOU, QUI?" MOTIONING FOR QUI-GON TO SIT DOWN, MACE BEGAN TELLING HIM WHAT HAD HAPPENED.
--- OBI-WAN & ANAKIN'S QUARTERS ---
ANAKIN RACED INTO HIS QUARTERS, CONFUSED. HE WAS SURE HE HAD FELT QUI-GON'S FORCE PRESENCE, BUT THAT WAS IMPOSSIBLE, AS THE JEDI HAD DIED OVER A DECADE EARLIER. "OBI-WAN," HE CALLED OUT, NOT SEEING HIS MASTER ANYWHERE, "WE NEED TO TALK. I THINK I'M LOSING MY MIND."
OBI-WAN WALKED OUT OF HIS BEDROOM, SITTING DOWN ON THE COUCH NEXT TO THE YOUNGER MAN, "WHAT IS IT, MY ANI?"
"I FELT... IFELT QUI-GON. HERE.. IN THE TEMPLE..."
OBI-WAN'S EYES WIDENED, "THAT'S NOT POSSIBLE. HE'S DEAD. I SAW HIM DIE. MY FATHER DIED IN MY ARMS YEARS AGO, ANI. YOU HAVE TO BE MISTAKEN."
ANAKIN GLARED AT OBI-WAN, SNARLING, "I KNOW WHAT I FELT, VANE. I AM NOT MISTAKEN."
--- LATER ---
QUI-GON SIGHED, PACING IN FRONT OF THE DOOR TO HIS FORMER PADAWAN, HIS SON'S, QUARTERS. HIS HAND KEPT GOING UP TO ANNOUNCE HIS PRESENCE, BUT SOMETHING KEPT STOPPING HIM. SOMETHING WASN'T RIGHT INSIDE, AND HIS MEER PRESENCE THERE MIGHT MAKE IT EVEN WORSE. HE FELT SOMEONE WALK UP BEHIND HIM, AND TURNED TO SEE A YOUNG JEDI HE DIDN'T RECOGNIZE, BUT AS HE HAD BEEN OUT OF TOUCH FOR SO LONG THAT WASN'T THAT HARD TO IMAGINE.
AHSOKA LOOKED AT THE JEDI IN FRONT OF HER, STUDYING THE SADNESS ON HIS FACE, "CAN I HELP YOU, MASTER?" SHE GESTURED AT THE DOOR, "ARE THEY NOT ANSWERING? COME IN I'LL GET THEM FOR YOU."
NUMBLY QUI-GON FOLLOWED THE YOUNG WOMAN INTO THE QUARTERS, QUARTERS HE HAD LIVED IN FOR MANY YEARS WHEN OBI-WAN WAS HIS APPRENTICE. HE WAS QUICKLY SLAMMED INTO A WALL, A GROWLING OBI-WAN IN HIS FACE.
"WHAT KIND OF SICK JOKE IS THIS. WHO ARE YOU?" OBI-WAN SNARLED, ANAKIN STANDING BEHIND HIM HANDS CLENCHED INTO TIGHT FISTS.
QUI-GON LOWERED HIS EYES, "OBI-WAN, I CAN EXPLAIN EVERYTHING. YOU HAVE TO TRUST ME."
OBI-WAN BACKED AWAY SHAKING HIS HEAD, RAGE POURING OFF OF HIM IN WAVES, "TRUST YOU? TRUST YOU? I DON'T EVEN KNOW WHO YOU ARE! HOW THE HELL AM I SUPPOSED TO TRUST YOU?"
QUI-GON WALKED TO THE COUCH, STARING AT HIS FEET, "YOU WEREN'T TO BE TOLD. THE COUNCIL DECIDED..."
OBI-WAN GROWLED, "THE COUNCIL DECIDED WHAT?"
"THEY NEEDED ME TO DISAPPEAR, NEEDED ME TO GO DEEP UNDERCOVER, OBI-WAN. WITH THE SITH REAPPEARING, THEY NEEDED SOMEONE TO TRACK DOWN AS MUCH INFORMATION AS POSSIBLE."
ANAKIN LAUGHED BITTERLY, "GOOD JOB, REALLY. WHAT WERE THEY THINKING." HE SAT DOWN NEXT TO OBI-WAN, WRAPPING HIS ARM AROUND THE MAN'S SHOULDERS. "IT WILL BE OKAY, OBI. SOMEHOW EVERYTHING WILL WORK OUT."
OBI-WAN NODDED, RESTING HIS HEAD ON ANAKIN'S SHOULDER,. "I KNOW, ANI. BUT AFTER EVERYTHING..." HE TRAILED OFF, SIGHING DEEPLY.
QUI-GON'S EYES WIDENED. IT COULDN'T BE... THE YOUNG MAN WITH OBI-WAN COULDN'T BE... "ANI?"
ANAKIN NODDED WITH A GLARE IN QUI-GON'S DIRECTION. SIGHING HE LOOKED OVER AT HIS PADAWAN, "SNIPS, CANCEL OUR DINNER PLANS. I DON'T THINK WE'LL BE GOING OUT TONIGHT."
AHSOKA NODDED, WALKING INTO HER ROOM.
--- MEANWHILE ---
PADME COULDN'T CONCENTRAIT, THE DOCTOR'S WORDS REPLAYING OVER AND OVER IN HER HEAD. 'PREGNANT. I'M PREGNANT. OH, HOW AM I GOING TO TELL ANI?' SHE STARTED WHEN A HAND RESTED ON HER SHOULDER, LOOKING UP TO SEE AERITH SMILING AT HER.
"I KNEW YOU WERE PREGNANT BEFORE WE WENT, PADME. I COULD FEEL IT. OUR BABIES WILL BE STRONG IN THE FORCE. LIKE THIER FATHERS, AND IN MY CASE ME," SHE SAID WITH AN EVIL GRIN.
"THIS IS BAD, HOW WILL I TELL ANAKIN? THEY'LL KICK HIM OUT OF THE ORDER IF, NO WHEN THEY FIND OUT ABOUT THE BABY."
THE SITH SMILED AT HER, "DON'T WORRY ABOUT IT, PADME. HE WON'T BE KICKED OUT OF THE ORDER, THEY NEED HIM TOO MUCH."
PADME NODDED, TAKING COMFORT FROM THE OTHER WOMAN'S CERTAINTY.
--- JEDI TEMPLE ---
QUI-GON WATCHED AS OBI-WAN PACED, THE YOUNGER MAN CURSING. HE KNEW THAT COMING BACK WOULD BE HARD ON OBI-WAN, BUT THIS WASN'T WHAT HE HAD BEEN EXPECTING. SOMETHING HAD CHANGED IN HIS SON, SOMETHING HAD... BROKEN FOR LACK OF A BETTER TERM. THERE WAS A DARKNESS FILLING OBI-WAN, QUI-GON WAS SURPRISED THE COUNCIL HADN'T SEEN IT BEFORE THEY HAD DIED. HE KNEW MACE WAS SURE THAT SOMEONE WITHIN THE ORDER WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE DEATHS, AND HOPED THAT IT WASN'T OBI-WAN.
"WHAT?" OBI-WAN SNARLED, PULLING QUI-GON OUT OF HIS MUSINGS.
"YOU'VE... YOU'VE CHANGED," QUI-GON SAID SOFTLY, TRYING NOT TO ENRAGE THE OTHER MAN ANYMORE THAN HE ALREADY WAS.
"YOU THINK?" OBI-WAN SNAPPED BACK ANGRILY, DOWNING A SHOT FORM ONE OF HIS BOTTLES.
ANAKIN GLARED AT THE OLDER JEDI, "HE HAD EVERY RIGHT TO CHANGE. AND YOU... YOU HAVE NO RIGHT TO WALK BACK INTO HIS LIFE AND TELL HIM HE'S WRONG. YOU COULD HAVE SAID NO TO THE MISSION, JINN"
QUI-GON SIGHED, SADDENED BY HOW HIS SON AND ANAKIN HAD TURNED OUT. HE WAS WORRIED HOW THEY WOULD EFFECT ANAKIN'S PADAWAN.
TBC