One Path Chapter 35--A Moment in the Light
Title: A Moment in the Light
Author: Lionchilde
Summary: The Master's large eyes grew to almost twice their size. Another time, Ani might have laughed, but he felt a shift in Yoda's emotions that told him instinctively that something was wrong. He sucked in a breath and waited, hoping he hadn't managed to offend the oldest and wisest of the Jedi.
Rating: PG
Length: Around 2800 words
Category:Gen
Pairings/Charaters: Obidala mentioned; chapter centers on Ani and Yoda.
A/N: One Path Chapter 35. Set during an alternate RotS.
A Moment in the Light
It still felt slightly strange for Obi Wan to come to here. The Temple had been his home since infancy, but it was the center of a religious life of which he was no longer a part. He had chosen to leave this place and make his home on Naboo with Padme. His position in the Grand Army of the Republic still required him to spend time among the Jedi. The Jedi were the official commanders of that army; although they received their orders from the Galactic Senate, the Senate was mired down in conflict over Palpatine's policies, and except when the Chancellor himself intervened, they were largely content to let the Council wage the war. This meant that Obi Wan, as a Republic officer, reported to the Council. He had never felt any hint of rejection here, which both surprised him and didn't. The Jedi were his friends, his family, and they had accepted his decision to leave graciously. No one here enjoyed the war; they all hoped, as Obi Wan did, that they could find a way to end it now that Dooku had been eliminated. However, they were also glad that Obi Wan had also chosen to fight beside them, and they welcomed him here without condition or reservation. That in itself was surprising given the history of Count Dooku and number of Jedi who had fallen to the Dark Side over the last five years. He had expected at least some discomfort, even suspicion from those who knew him less well. Instead, he had found that the Jedi treated him, as much as circumstances allowed, exactly as before--as one of them. So it was that when he walked these ancient, familiar halls, the clothes he wore seemed ill-fitting. Despite having unequivocally made his choice, the war often made him feel as though he was living a double life, and he was never more conscious of the fact that he walked in two worlds than when he entered the Temple.
Ani's small hand slipped into his, and he looked down, a smile forming at his son's expression of wide-eyed wonder. "Didn't Uncle Anakin bring you here yesterday?" he asked.
"Mmm-mmm," Ani shook his head. "We were on the HoloNews. Then we went flying."
"Flying," Obi Wan sighed. "Lovely."
"That's what he told me you'd say," remarked Ani.
"Yes, I'm sure," Obi Wan replied.
"You wanna come next time?" the boy offered.
"Not really," Obi Wan shook his head.
"He told me you'd say that too," Ani smirked.
Obi Wan shook his head. "Come on. Master Yoda's waiting."
"Do you really know Yoda?" Ani asked as he followed his father through the wide, ornate hallway. The name of Yoda was as familiar to holonet viewers as Anakin Skywalker or Obi Wan Kenobi, although much of the public seemed to have lost their trust in the Jedi Order. Ani, however, held the ancient Master in almost the same class as his two heroes, and that brought another smile to his father's face.
"When I was your age, Master Yoda taught me the ways of the Force," he explained.
"I thought Qui-Gon was your Master," Ani frowned.
"He was. Younglings stay here in the temple before a Master chooses them to be his or her Padawan. There are training groups, like where your cousins go to school. Yoda instructed mine, and we became close," related Obi Wan.
"Like you and Uncle Anakin?" Ani tilted his head.
"No…I'd say a bit more like you and Qui-Gon," said his father as they stepped onto the turbolift that would take them to the hall outside of Yoda's quarters.
"Oh," Ani nodded. He paused for a moment, then looked up at his father again. "Dad?"
"Hmm?"
"Do you miss it here?" the boy asked.
"Sometimes," admitted Obi Wan. "But I wouldn't trade it."
"Why not?"
"Because if I had stayed here, I could never have married your mother, or had you, or Luke and Leia," smiled Obi wan.
"Oh," Ani gave another nod and his brow creased thoughtfully. He bit his lip, turning that information over in his mind. The lift stopped, and Obi Wan led the way into the corridor. Ani followed, still looking around with a mix of curiosity and awe. "Dad?"
"What?" Obi Wan restrained a laugh.
"I like it here," he said decisively. "It feels good."
"Yes it does," Obi Wan agreed, running a hand lightly over the boy's hair. The Jedi Temple was the greatest nexus of Force energy that the galaxy had ever known. Its ziggurat design focused the Force the way a that lightsaber's gemstone focused a particle stream. With thousands of Jedi here every day contemplating peace, seeking knowledge, and meditating on justice and surrender to the will of the Force, the Temple was a burning beacon. In this corridor, the light of that beacon was at its peak intensity. Already, there were echoes of Yoda, like gentle ripples that spread out from the pool of quiet wisdom and tranquility that was the venerated Master. To walk through the door at the end of the hall was like walking into the Force itself.
They made their way to the door, which slid open before Obi Wan had even pressed the chime. Yoda looked up at them, leaning on his gimer stick. Conscious of his son's utter shock at the sight, Obi Wan didn't quite manage to keep the grin off his lips, but he hid it with a deep bow and forced it away by the time he had straightened.
"Master Yoda, may I present my son," he said solemnly, slipping his right hand onto the boy's shoulder. "Anakin."
"A long time, has it been, young Kenobi," the Master said thoughtfully. "Grown, you have."
Ani stared, saying nothing for several seconds, then he gaped.
"Surprise you, do I, Anakin?" Yoda inquired gently.
"I--" the boy started, then broke off, peering up at his father again.
Obi Wan's fingers tightened on his shoulder in a reassuring squeeze. "It's all right, son. Don't be shy."
"I've never met anyone shorter than me before!" Ani exclaimed.
Yoda blinked.
Obi Wan ran a hand over his face. "I--did tell him that he must answer all of your questions truthfully, Master," he offered apologetically.
"Always the best choice, the truth is," nodded Yoda, his expression almost conspiratorial as he regarded the boy. "Come. Talk inside, will we. To the briefing now, your father will go."
Yoda stepped back, inviting Ani inside, and he stepped through the door. Then he hesitated, casting an uncertain glance back over his shoulder as Obi Wan's fingers fell away. His father winked.
"I won't be far," he promised.
Ani nodded, accepting that with an ease which gave Obi Wan a slight twinge. He waited for half a second, quelling the uneasiness that tightened his stomach, and turned to go. The door hissed softly closed as he moved away, and he purposely turned his focus toward the briefing room. Whatever happened between his son and Master Yoda was beyond his control. The job before him, however, was not.
***
Though he had only seen glimpses of the Jedi Temple, Ani decided that he liked Master Yoda's room best of all. The whole space seemed to be alive with the warmth of the Force, full of a quiet kind of strength that reminded him of his father and yet seemed different--infinitely greater. A hush fell over the usually talkative youngling as he followed the ancient teacher over to the pod chairs and took one while Yoda pulled himself into another.
"Like the temple, do you?" asked Yoda conversationally.
"Yes, sir," Ani replied.
"More of it, you wish to see?" the Jedi continued.
"Maybe," shrugged Ani. The truth was that he didn't particularly care what he did today, as long as he was allowed to be where his father was.
"Ahhh," Yoda murmured. "Miss your father, do you, young one?"
"Yes," Ani nodded. "I wish the war was over."
"Afraid for Obi Wan, are you?" Yoda inquired kindly.
"Sometimes," Ani told him.
"And your mother?" prompted Yoda.
Ani bit his lip. "I'm s'posed to protect her, but…"
"From some things, even the Jedi cannot protect another. Nor should we," Yoda told him.
"I have nightmares," Ani said softly, feeling tears begin to burn in his eyes. Usually, he fought them off, suppressed the pain he felt rather than worry Padme. Her heart was already so often burdened with sadness and worry. Obi Wan had asked him to take care of her, and he always had. He could tell that neither of his parents wanted him to know what they were most afraid of, and so he had never let them see that he understood those fears--that he had seen the same images that his mother had seen. "I see them dying."
Yoda nodded kindly and reached a gnarled hand across the space was between them. His skin was dry and leathery as his palm came to rest against the back of Ani's hand, but it was also reassuring--like his grandfather Ruwee or his grandmother Jobal.
"Hard to see, the future is," he said knowingly.
"I don't want them to die," Ani said.
"Death is a natural part of life. Rejoice for those around you who transform into the Force, young Anakin. Mourn them, do not. Miss them, do not," advised Yoda.
"How can I not miss them?" Ani scoffed. "They're my mom and dad!"
"Remember, you must that in the Force, those who die still remain," Yoda told him.
Ani frowned, considering this. In a way, he knew that Master Yoda was correct. Qui-Gon had become one with the Force long ago, before Obi Wan had even become a Jedi Knight, and he was never far away. He was always there when Ani needed him--sometimes when he didn't. As much as he loved Qui-Gon, though, he couldn't touch the Force Ghost, couldn't hug or wrestle with him, or even smell him on a discarded shirt or a scarf the way that he could his mother and father.
"That's not the same," he said sadly.
"No," agreed Yoda. "The same, it is not. But enough it must be. To crave more leads to obsession."
"Obsession?" Ani asked. He wasn't sure where he'd heard the word before, but it left him with an uncomfortable feeling in the pit of his stomach.
"Desire for what we cannot have, obsession is. Refusal to accept the will of the Force. Obsession destroys others, destroys love," the Master said. "In seeking to hold another past the proper time, destroy all around us, you will."
Ani felt himself grow pale and swallowed, nodding. "Like the Dark Man."
"Dark Man?" Yoda asked with a touch of surprise.
"The one in my dreams," Ani sighed heavily. "The one…he kills them."
"Know this Dark Man, do you, young Kenobi?" Yoda asked with the faintest touch of urgency.
Ani shook his head. "No one lets me get close to him. No one lets me see his face. I think maybe he doesn't have a face. But…I know we have to stop him. If my dad can't. Then we have to do it."
"Heavy are the burdens placed upon such young shoulders," sighed Yoda sadly.
Ani sat straighter, his chin jutting out in response. "I'm strong. Like my father."
"Much like him, you are," agreed Yoda with a trace of amusement. Then he grew serious. "Strong enough to let go of what you fear to lose."
"Let go?" frowned Ani.
"The fear of loss is a path to the Dark Side," explained the Master in a gentle tone, rich with understanding that eased the boy's troubled heart in a way he couldn't explain. "If allowed to rule over you, destroy you, these fears someday will. And destroy those you love most."
Ani let out a loud breath, considering that statement. His brow furrowed deeply. "But…why does my dad fight in the war? He says he wants to keep the Republic safe."
"Your father's duty, it still is to serve the Force--to protect life and peace, safeguard the Republic. Wishes his family to be safe, does he. But allow his fear for you to control his actions, Obi Wan does not," explained Yoda.
"Don't focus on your fears," Ani murmured, more to himself than the Jedi.
Though the statement wasn't directed at him, Yoda's sensitive ears swiveled slightly toward his guest. "Learned this from Obi Wan, have you?"
"Mmm-mmm," Ani shook his head. "From Qui-Gon."
The Master's large eyes grew to almost twice their size. Another time, Ani might have laughed, but he felt a shift in Yoda's emotions that told him instinctively that something was wrong. He sucked in a breath and waited, hoping he hadn't managed to offend the oldest and wisest of the Jedi.
"Qui-Gon Jinn, you speak of?" Yoda asked, his voice almost a whisper now. "Your father's old Master?"
Ani nodded, glancing over Yoda's shoulder as Qui-Gon materialized. The ancient Jedi appeared not to notice.
"Impossible this is," Yoda murmured pensively, but Ani knew that, like his father, Yoda was not disputing what he said, merely evaluating. "To be one with the Force, one cannot retain consciousness."
Qui-Gon gave the boy a half smile and nodded permission. Ani grinned back. "Master Yoda, he's right there…" he said, pointing over the Jedi's shoulder.
Yoda's eyes widened again, and he turned his head to follow the direction of Ani's finger. As he did so, Qui-Gon's smile also grew wider, and the Jedi Spirit stepped around to stand between the two chairs.
"Often, these past fifteen years has the Force spoken to me in your voice, Qui-Gon," Yoda said, his tone holding the same faint amusement that Ani had detected earlier.
"And now you understand why, my old friend," Qui-Gon replied. "When I became one with the Force I made a great discovery. There is a way to join with the Force, yet retain consciousness. The ability to defy oblivion can be achieved, but only for oneself. It was accomplished by a Shaman of the Whills."
"Eternal consciousness," Yoda's voice trailed off in thought.
"The ultimate goal of the Sith, yet they can never achieve it; it comes only by the release of self, not the exaltation of self. It comes through compassion, not greed. Love is the answer to the darkness," said Qui-Gon.
"To become one with the Force, yet influence still to have..." Yoda mused. "A power greater than all, it is."
"With my help, you can join your light to the Force forever. In time, you will learn to let go of everything. No attachment, no thought of self. No physical self," Qui-Gon told him.
Ani, listening, felt as though he were on the edge of understanding the Masters' discussion, but that grasp remained just out of reach. He wondered if he might someday understand it, and as the thought entered his mind, Qui-Gon glanced at him.
It can be yours to learn, if you wish it. But for now, patience, he heard.
"Much to learn, there still is," Yoda said pensively.
Before either Jedi could say more, the door chime sounded, and Ani started to scoot out of the pod chair. He quickly remembered himself, though, and halted, awaiting dismissal from Yoda. The Master waved a hand gracefully toward the door, and Ani turned to see it open. Both Obi Wan and Anakin crossed the threshold and came to stand beside the chairs. They bowed respectfully, then Obi Wan looked curiously from Ani to Yoda and back again.
"Are we interrupting, Master Yoda?" he asked. Qui-Gon's smile became distinctly mischievous, and it was then that Ani realized that his father and uncle were still unaware of his presence. He stifled a laugh.
"Nearly finished, are we," replied Yoda. "Only one question remains to be asked. A question for which you also must be here, Obi Wan."
Obi Wan's face betrayed no surprise. In fact, he showed no reaction whatsoever. Despite this, Anakin Kenobi could feel both hope and trepidation in his father. He didn't have to wonder what question it was that Yoda wanted to ask. He closed his eyes as the dream images began to flash through his mind, and he knew what his answer would be.
"Before you, this path has been placed, Anakin," the ancient Master said quietly. "Yours alone, the decision must be. Make it for you, your mother cannot. If wish it you do, remain here you may, and learn the ways of the Force as my own Padawan."
Ani bowed his head, then looked slowly up into the wizened old face. "Master Yoda, I want to stay with my father," he said simply and without apology.
Author: Lionchilde
Summary: The Master's large eyes grew to almost twice their size. Another time, Ani might have laughed, but he felt a shift in Yoda's emotions that told him instinctively that something was wrong. He sucked in a breath and waited, hoping he hadn't managed to offend the oldest and wisest of the Jedi.
Rating: PG
Length: Around 2800 words
Category:Gen
Pairings/Charaters: Obidala mentioned; chapter centers on Ani and Yoda.
A/N: One Path Chapter 35. Set during an alternate RotS.
A Moment in the Light
It still felt slightly strange for Obi Wan to come to here. The Temple had been his home since infancy, but it was the center of a religious life of which he was no longer a part. He had chosen to leave this place and make his home on Naboo with Padme. His position in the Grand Army of the Republic still required him to spend time among the Jedi. The Jedi were the official commanders of that army; although they received their orders from the Galactic Senate, the Senate was mired down in conflict over Palpatine's policies, and except when the Chancellor himself intervened, they were largely content to let the Council wage the war. This meant that Obi Wan, as a Republic officer, reported to the Council. He had never felt any hint of rejection here, which both surprised him and didn't. The Jedi were his friends, his family, and they had accepted his decision to leave graciously. No one here enjoyed the war; they all hoped, as Obi Wan did, that they could find a way to end it now that Dooku had been eliminated. However, they were also glad that Obi Wan had also chosen to fight beside them, and they welcomed him here without condition or reservation. That in itself was surprising given the history of Count Dooku and number of Jedi who had fallen to the Dark Side over the last five years. He had expected at least some discomfort, even suspicion from those who knew him less well. Instead, he had found that the Jedi treated him, as much as circumstances allowed, exactly as before--as one of them. So it was that when he walked these ancient, familiar halls, the clothes he wore seemed ill-fitting. Despite having unequivocally made his choice, the war often made him feel as though he was living a double life, and he was never more conscious of the fact that he walked in two worlds than when he entered the Temple.
Ani's small hand slipped into his, and he looked down, a smile forming at his son's expression of wide-eyed wonder. "Didn't Uncle Anakin bring you here yesterday?" he asked.
"Mmm-mmm," Ani shook his head. "We were on the HoloNews. Then we went flying."
"Flying," Obi Wan sighed. "Lovely."
"That's what he told me you'd say," remarked Ani.
"Yes, I'm sure," Obi Wan replied.
"You wanna come next time?" the boy offered.
"Not really," Obi Wan shook his head.
"He told me you'd say that too," Ani smirked.
Obi Wan shook his head. "Come on. Master Yoda's waiting."
"Do you really know Yoda?" Ani asked as he followed his father through the wide, ornate hallway. The name of Yoda was as familiar to holonet viewers as Anakin Skywalker or Obi Wan Kenobi, although much of the public seemed to have lost their trust in the Jedi Order. Ani, however, held the ancient Master in almost the same class as his two heroes, and that brought another smile to his father's face.
"When I was your age, Master Yoda taught me the ways of the Force," he explained.
"I thought Qui-Gon was your Master," Ani frowned.
"He was. Younglings stay here in the temple before a Master chooses them to be his or her Padawan. There are training groups, like where your cousins go to school. Yoda instructed mine, and we became close," related Obi Wan.
"Like you and Uncle Anakin?" Ani tilted his head.
"No…I'd say a bit more like you and Qui-Gon," said his father as they stepped onto the turbolift that would take them to the hall outside of Yoda's quarters.
"Oh," Ani nodded. He paused for a moment, then looked up at his father again. "Dad?"
"Hmm?"
"Do you miss it here?" the boy asked.
"Sometimes," admitted Obi Wan. "But I wouldn't trade it."
"Why not?"
"Because if I had stayed here, I could never have married your mother, or had you, or Luke and Leia," smiled Obi wan.
"Oh," Ani gave another nod and his brow creased thoughtfully. He bit his lip, turning that information over in his mind. The lift stopped, and Obi Wan led the way into the corridor. Ani followed, still looking around with a mix of curiosity and awe. "Dad?"
"What?" Obi Wan restrained a laugh.
"I like it here," he said decisively. "It feels good."
"Yes it does," Obi Wan agreed, running a hand lightly over the boy's hair. The Jedi Temple was the greatest nexus of Force energy that the galaxy had ever known. Its ziggurat design focused the Force the way a that lightsaber's gemstone focused a particle stream. With thousands of Jedi here every day contemplating peace, seeking knowledge, and meditating on justice and surrender to the will of the Force, the Temple was a burning beacon. In this corridor, the light of that beacon was at its peak intensity. Already, there were echoes of Yoda, like gentle ripples that spread out from the pool of quiet wisdom and tranquility that was the venerated Master. To walk through the door at the end of the hall was like walking into the Force itself.
They made their way to the door, which slid open before Obi Wan had even pressed the chime. Yoda looked up at them, leaning on his gimer stick. Conscious of his son's utter shock at the sight, Obi Wan didn't quite manage to keep the grin off his lips, but he hid it with a deep bow and forced it away by the time he had straightened.
"Master Yoda, may I present my son," he said solemnly, slipping his right hand onto the boy's shoulder. "Anakin."
"A long time, has it been, young Kenobi," the Master said thoughtfully. "Grown, you have."
Ani stared, saying nothing for several seconds, then he gaped.
"Surprise you, do I, Anakin?" Yoda inquired gently.
"I--" the boy started, then broke off, peering up at his father again.
Obi Wan's fingers tightened on his shoulder in a reassuring squeeze. "It's all right, son. Don't be shy."
"I've never met anyone shorter than me before!" Ani exclaimed.
Yoda blinked.
Obi Wan ran a hand over his face. "I--did tell him that he must answer all of your questions truthfully, Master," he offered apologetically.
"Always the best choice, the truth is," nodded Yoda, his expression almost conspiratorial as he regarded the boy. "Come. Talk inside, will we. To the briefing now, your father will go."
Yoda stepped back, inviting Ani inside, and he stepped through the door. Then he hesitated, casting an uncertain glance back over his shoulder as Obi Wan's fingers fell away. His father winked.
"I won't be far," he promised.
Ani nodded, accepting that with an ease which gave Obi Wan a slight twinge. He waited for half a second, quelling the uneasiness that tightened his stomach, and turned to go. The door hissed softly closed as he moved away, and he purposely turned his focus toward the briefing room. Whatever happened between his son and Master Yoda was beyond his control. The job before him, however, was not.
***
Though he had only seen glimpses of the Jedi Temple, Ani decided that he liked Master Yoda's room best of all. The whole space seemed to be alive with the warmth of the Force, full of a quiet kind of strength that reminded him of his father and yet seemed different--infinitely greater. A hush fell over the usually talkative youngling as he followed the ancient teacher over to the pod chairs and took one while Yoda pulled himself into another.
"Like the temple, do you?" asked Yoda conversationally.
"Yes, sir," Ani replied.
"More of it, you wish to see?" the Jedi continued.
"Maybe," shrugged Ani. The truth was that he didn't particularly care what he did today, as long as he was allowed to be where his father was.
"Ahhh," Yoda murmured. "Miss your father, do you, young one?"
"Yes," Ani nodded. "I wish the war was over."
"Afraid for Obi Wan, are you?" Yoda inquired kindly.
"Sometimes," Ani told him.
"And your mother?" prompted Yoda.
Ani bit his lip. "I'm s'posed to protect her, but…"
"From some things, even the Jedi cannot protect another. Nor should we," Yoda told him.
"I have nightmares," Ani said softly, feeling tears begin to burn in his eyes. Usually, he fought them off, suppressed the pain he felt rather than worry Padme. Her heart was already so often burdened with sadness and worry. Obi Wan had asked him to take care of her, and he always had. He could tell that neither of his parents wanted him to know what they were most afraid of, and so he had never let them see that he understood those fears--that he had seen the same images that his mother had seen. "I see them dying."
Yoda nodded kindly and reached a gnarled hand across the space was between them. His skin was dry and leathery as his palm came to rest against the back of Ani's hand, but it was also reassuring--like his grandfather Ruwee or his grandmother Jobal.
"Hard to see, the future is," he said knowingly.
"I don't want them to die," Ani said.
"Death is a natural part of life. Rejoice for those around you who transform into the Force, young Anakin. Mourn them, do not. Miss them, do not," advised Yoda.
"How can I not miss them?" Ani scoffed. "They're my mom and dad!"
"Remember, you must that in the Force, those who die still remain," Yoda told him.
Ani frowned, considering this. In a way, he knew that Master Yoda was correct. Qui-Gon had become one with the Force long ago, before Obi Wan had even become a Jedi Knight, and he was never far away. He was always there when Ani needed him--sometimes when he didn't. As much as he loved Qui-Gon, though, he couldn't touch the Force Ghost, couldn't hug or wrestle with him, or even smell him on a discarded shirt or a scarf the way that he could his mother and father.
"That's not the same," he said sadly.
"No," agreed Yoda. "The same, it is not. But enough it must be. To crave more leads to obsession."
"Obsession?" Ani asked. He wasn't sure where he'd heard the word before, but it left him with an uncomfortable feeling in the pit of his stomach.
"Desire for what we cannot have, obsession is. Refusal to accept the will of the Force. Obsession destroys others, destroys love," the Master said. "In seeking to hold another past the proper time, destroy all around us, you will."
Ani felt himself grow pale and swallowed, nodding. "Like the Dark Man."
"Dark Man?" Yoda asked with a touch of surprise.
"The one in my dreams," Ani sighed heavily. "The one…he kills them."
"Know this Dark Man, do you, young Kenobi?" Yoda asked with the faintest touch of urgency.
Ani shook his head. "No one lets me get close to him. No one lets me see his face. I think maybe he doesn't have a face. But…I know we have to stop him. If my dad can't. Then we have to do it."
"Heavy are the burdens placed upon such young shoulders," sighed Yoda sadly.
Ani sat straighter, his chin jutting out in response. "I'm strong. Like my father."
"Much like him, you are," agreed Yoda with a trace of amusement. Then he grew serious. "Strong enough to let go of what you fear to lose."
"Let go?" frowned Ani.
"The fear of loss is a path to the Dark Side," explained the Master in a gentle tone, rich with understanding that eased the boy's troubled heart in a way he couldn't explain. "If allowed to rule over you, destroy you, these fears someday will. And destroy those you love most."
Ani let out a loud breath, considering that statement. His brow furrowed deeply. "But…why does my dad fight in the war? He says he wants to keep the Republic safe."
"Your father's duty, it still is to serve the Force--to protect life and peace, safeguard the Republic. Wishes his family to be safe, does he. But allow his fear for you to control his actions, Obi Wan does not," explained Yoda.
"Don't focus on your fears," Ani murmured, more to himself than the Jedi.
Though the statement wasn't directed at him, Yoda's sensitive ears swiveled slightly toward his guest. "Learned this from Obi Wan, have you?"
"Mmm-mmm," Ani shook his head. "From Qui-Gon."
The Master's large eyes grew to almost twice their size. Another time, Ani might have laughed, but he felt a shift in Yoda's emotions that told him instinctively that something was wrong. He sucked in a breath and waited, hoping he hadn't managed to offend the oldest and wisest of the Jedi.
"Qui-Gon Jinn, you speak of?" Yoda asked, his voice almost a whisper now. "Your father's old Master?"
Ani nodded, glancing over Yoda's shoulder as Qui-Gon materialized. The ancient Jedi appeared not to notice.
"Impossible this is," Yoda murmured pensively, but Ani knew that, like his father, Yoda was not disputing what he said, merely evaluating. "To be one with the Force, one cannot retain consciousness."
Qui-Gon gave the boy a half smile and nodded permission. Ani grinned back. "Master Yoda, he's right there…" he said, pointing over the Jedi's shoulder.
Yoda's eyes widened again, and he turned his head to follow the direction of Ani's finger. As he did so, Qui-Gon's smile also grew wider, and the Jedi Spirit stepped around to stand between the two chairs.
"Often, these past fifteen years has the Force spoken to me in your voice, Qui-Gon," Yoda said, his tone holding the same faint amusement that Ani had detected earlier.
"And now you understand why, my old friend," Qui-Gon replied. "When I became one with the Force I made a great discovery. There is a way to join with the Force, yet retain consciousness. The ability to defy oblivion can be achieved, but only for oneself. It was accomplished by a Shaman of the Whills."
"Eternal consciousness," Yoda's voice trailed off in thought.
"The ultimate goal of the Sith, yet they can never achieve it; it comes only by the release of self, not the exaltation of self. It comes through compassion, not greed. Love is the answer to the darkness," said Qui-Gon.
"To become one with the Force, yet influence still to have..." Yoda mused. "A power greater than all, it is."
"With my help, you can join your light to the Force forever. In time, you will learn to let go of everything. No attachment, no thought of self. No physical self," Qui-Gon told him.
Ani, listening, felt as though he were on the edge of understanding the Masters' discussion, but that grasp remained just out of reach. He wondered if he might someday understand it, and as the thought entered his mind, Qui-Gon glanced at him.
It can be yours to learn, if you wish it. But for now, patience, he heard.
"Much to learn, there still is," Yoda said pensively.
Before either Jedi could say more, the door chime sounded, and Ani started to scoot out of the pod chair. He quickly remembered himself, though, and halted, awaiting dismissal from Yoda. The Master waved a hand gracefully toward the door, and Ani turned to see it open. Both Obi Wan and Anakin crossed the threshold and came to stand beside the chairs. They bowed respectfully, then Obi Wan looked curiously from Ani to Yoda and back again.
"Are we interrupting, Master Yoda?" he asked. Qui-Gon's smile became distinctly mischievous, and it was then that Ani realized that his father and uncle were still unaware of his presence. He stifled a laugh.
"Nearly finished, are we," replied Yoda. "Only one question remains to be asked. A question for which you also must be here, Obi Wan."
Obi Wan's face betrayed no surprise. In fact, he showed no reaction whatsoever. Despite this, Anakin Kenobi could feel both hope and trepidation in his father. He didn't have to wonder what question it was that Yoda wanted to ask. He closed his eyes as the dream images began to flash through his mind, and he knew what his answer would be.
"Before you, this path has been placed, Anakin," the ancient Master said quietly. "Yours alone, the decision must be. Make it for you, your mother cannot. If wish it you do, remain here you may, and learn the ways of the Force as my own Padawan."
Ani bowed his head, then looked slowly up into the wizened old face. "Master Yoda, I want to stay with my father," he said simply and without apology.