Master Apprentice Archive Quick search:

Pairings: Obi/Mace, Obi/Qui, Obi/ofc, Qui/ofc.

Rating: R++

Archive: Master Apprentice and my webpage: http://home.earthlink.net/~beaglepack/Fic.html

Rating: R-ish

Notes: Set ten years after Episode One and has no canon in any other part of the Star Wars universe except the Jedi Apprentice books 1-16, which are referenced and TPM until a certain scene DID NOT happen

Feedback: always

Special Thanks to Zerena - she's always there when I need her.

Originally published as a novella in 2002 - it has been re-edited/slightly rewritten and all mistakes are my own.

Obi-Wan walked through the makeshift medical ward the healers had set up in what used to be the grand ceremony hall in the Governor’s palace. The once grand building with its gilded gold walls and large mirrors to reflect the large candle wall sconces were tarnished and broken from the smoke of the fires burning all around them. All around him were palates of wounded and dying. He helped where he could - aiding in healing the minor injuries, and giving Force nudges to those who needed to sleep but were haunted by nightmares of their city going up in flames. And, when he could, he tried to radiate a feeling of calm to those who were near death from injuries too severe to be dealt with without more sophisticated medicines, more experienced healers and bacta tanks. Many bacta tanks.

He'd been sent to Epona in hopes of negotiating a lasting peace between the factions, both of whom were vying for control of the lush planet. Peace, however, was not what the factions had in mind. No matter how hard he tried, he was helpless to even find some sort of middle ground from which he could start the peace process. So bitter was the feud between them that it seemed that all any of them wanted was total control, and the destruction of the other factions. Obi-Wan knew it wasn't a good place from which to start peace negotiations. But until a reason for the feud could be determined his hands had been tied. The leaders all knew the reason, they all talked around it but none of them were willing to let him in on their secret.

When he'd been assigned this mission, Mace had warned him it would probably be the hardest negotiation he'd ever have to face. Mace hadn't lied. There had been Jedi delegations going to Epona for eight years with no luck. He was just another Jedi negotiator in a long secession of failed attempts. The fact that he knew the Governor hadn't been a plus in his favour as they had all hoped it would be. He knew little more than the other Jedi before him. It had been thought that the Governor was the one keeping the factions from going to war but after spending several weeks among each of the factions, getting to know them and their ways, he knew that wasn't the case. In fact, he found a lot of the animosity between the factions had its root with the Governor and his family, but there was a secret he hadn't been able to uncover. A secret that was the key to everything that held the two factions apart and a secret that uncovered could either bind them together once again or tear the people further apart.

"Let the light guide you," the Jedi Master had told him during their last communication before Obi-Wan landed on the fertile planet. There hadn't been much guidance from the force save warning him when the attack on the Governor began.

The attack on the palace had come in the dark of the night, when everyone was asleep. Even he, who had only been dozing while keeping aware for fluctuations in the Force, only had a few moments warning before the bombs started going off. It was just enough time to don his tunic and go running toward the Governor's private chambers before the cannon began firing. The first shell to land was a direct hit on the sleeping quarters of the Royal family.

Unable to help the Governor or his wife and older children now, Obi-Wan turned and ran to the Crèche where the youngest of the heirs and their nurse slept. He would protect the infant and toddler from further harm. Finding them safe, but unsure how long they would stay that way, he'd hidden the children and their caretakers until he could get them safely off the planet.

Cannon fire left the city in ruins forcing civilians into hiding and the military to fight hand to hand. When the fighting was reduced to sniper attacks and isolated battles well away from the palace, an unnatural quiet settled over the city. With the break in the fighting, Obi-Wan was able to contact the Council and give them the sad news. He requested a Jedi replacement to try to work with the factions, and transport for himself and the children away from the planet and into the protection of the Jedi. As well as put in a request for more healers and an even larger supply of bacta pacts.

Reaching the end of the great hall, Obi-Wan ended his musing on the tragic events that had taken place over the last several days. Dwelling on what he could not change would not help him face what might come before the transport arrived and he was safely off the planet. There was no telling if any of the factions would once again take up arms and begin to fight again or if they had accomplished what they had set out to do. He could only hope the next negotiating team would be able to bring them back to the table and find out more about what tore them apart in the first place.

"Obi-Wan?"

Stopping when he heard his name, Obi-Wan turned to see who might be calling to him. He did not know many of the general population of Epona, and the remaining officials he knew were being housed somewhere out of the city and away from the palace for fear of another attack. In the injured and aged face lying on the bed he saw the girl he'd once known.

"Lady Nava.... But..." Obi-Wan faltered.

"Shh...," she said, putting fingers a finger to her lips before motioning him over.

The child who had been attending his once-friend backed away, allowing Obi-Wan to kneel next to the platform.

"I'm just Nava, now, Obi. Lady Nava died many years ago."

"But how? Why?" Obi-Wan stuttered as he tried to find the words to ask her how he could be seeing her before him, when he'd been told she'd died in childbirth.

"It's a long story, Obi-Wan," she said.

He sat holding her hand and wiping the dampened towel across her feverish forehead as she told him about her child, and how she'd refused to allow her father's hard-line advisors to kill the infant who should have been a good omen for their people. But their race was only minorly Force-sensitive, and fearful of the child who had been born with what they considered too much ability. When he questioned how the child could have that much force ability to scare the people, she'd explained to how her daughter of ten had been conceived on her 'First Night' and not afterward as he'd always assumed.

Obi-Wan stared at her, unable to find the words to express his shock. He would never forget the mission that brought him and Qui-Gon to Epona as Jedi representatives to the second marriage of the Governor. At Qui-Gon's arrangement, Obi-Wan had been given permission to take leave of most of the formalities in order to befriend the sullen girl who was Governor's eldest and only child from his late wife, Lady Nava Li. Her mother had died only a year before and she was still mourning her. Obi-Wan had been her friend and evidently the only person willing to listen to her talk about her mother and the plans the former first lady had for her daughter. Her father's new wife wanted nothing to do with Nava and went out of her way to alienate the young girl.

Nava had turned eighteen just after the wedding and, as was the custom of her people, she was to undergo the First Night Rite, in which she would choose someone appropriate to teach her the intimate pleasures. It was the Eponian way of ensuring their children were properly taught the art of loving, so there would be no uneducated fumblings between young couples. As they had a free society that anyone having reached the age of majority and was unwed could partake in sexual liaisons freely with only a few restrictions until they were wed.

He'd come to find that one of those restrictions forbid him as an apprentice and still under instruction from being intimate with anyone especially a member of the Royal Family. His being over the age of majority and being experienced didn't matter. At the time, he'd felt some measure of comfort when she'd chosen his Master. He knew Nava was having a hard time emotionally with the wedding and the new 'mother' being forced on her. Obi-Wan knew Qui-Gon would be gentle and patient with her - it wasn’t his way not to be. And more than he wanted to be with her, he wanted her to have a beautiful night. He wanted his new friend to have even a small bit of happiness in what had been a less than happy past year. He also knew that in her choosing Qui-Gon, she was fulfilling her mother's wish for her.

What no one knew, though, was that once the rite was completed, she'd come to him and had continued to come to him for the remainder of his and Qui-Gon’s stay on Epona. They loved each other, physically and emotionally, as only a young couple finding love for the first time could. They'd kept in touch over the next several months. The bloom of their feelings wore off and they found they had become good friends. Confidants. He'd known about her relationship with another boy after he and Qui-Gon left. He'd known about the baby. He'd known about her fears and her hopes and shared his secrets with her. He was happy she'd found a love that would be with her for years to come. His path had laid in other directions - away from marriage and fatherhood - but the thought that the Force-sensitive child whom Nava's father’s aides had wanted to destroy could possibly be his made him feel things he never expected to feel, or could even explain.

"Obi-Wan, please," Nava whispered, motioning for the child to come closer. "Take Mar'ee back to with you. Train her to be a Jedi, if you can. If you can't, teach her the healing arts. She cannot stay here. She will never be accepted; her Force signature is too strong, even I know that. Most would kill her before allowing her to live among them," she pleaded as the child took her hand.

All Obi-Wan could see was the top of the girl’s head as she knelt next to her mother, the reddish brown hair falling forward to hide her face from his view. His breath caught at the color; it was the same one he saw every morning when he looked in the mirror. But yet every other part of her from her eyes to what he felt coming from her through the force told him she was Qui-Gon's daughter. Taking Nava's hand, he told her, "Nava, you must know - your father is dead, as is the rest of his family except the two younger children. You are the heir, Nava; your people need you," he implored.

"No, Obi-Wan. They need someone, but not me," she told him as coughs racked her body. "I fear my injuries are too severe to permit me to do anyone any good. That is why I'm asking you to take Mar'ee."

"Nava, my ship will be here by midday tomorrow. I will take Mar'ee with me along with your siblings, but I am not leaving you behind. You will come back with us," he informed her, ignoring her protests and using the Force to nudge her to sleep. Leaving her was not an option and he didn't want to argue about it and waste what little reserve of energy she had.

He didn't know how long he had stood at the window, watching as the sky went through its dawn changes, while Nava lay sleeping on the palate behind him with Mar'ee curled up next to her. The dark night sky gave way to the first tinges of light streaking the sky with pinks and orange to the full brightness of morning.

If he looked out past the crumbling, burned-out rubble of what once was the beautiful Capital City of Epona, he could forget the passing of the past eleven years. The valleys and the farmland below looked the same as they did in his memory. If he closed his eyes, he could almost hear the nationalistic music that had played during the Governor’s and his family's ceremonial entrance. He could hear the orchestra that played during the First Rite choosing ceremony, when he had danced with Nava even while knowing she could not choose him.

"Where are you?" a voice asked weakly from behind him.

Obi-Wan turned and smiled at Nava, who was lying on a cot. "The past," he said solemnly.

"The past is too sad. Tell me. What do you see out there?" she asked, whispering as to not wake Mar'ee and changing the subject.

He looked back out the window and began to describe what he saw. "There is a fog lying over the fields below. It's thick enough to blur the scene, but not so thick the valley disappears the darkened shadows of the buildings and the low hills are still visible. You can see the mountains above the fog, and the sun is shining in the narrow band between the fog in the valley and the low hanging clouds. There was snow in the lower elevations last night; you can see it between the tall timbres. The sun is shining, making the snow-covered peaks showing above the fog shine almost silver," he described, trying to give her as much detail as possible, since she might never see her homeland again, if they weren't able to get her back to Coruscant as soon as possible. She was weakening more and more as time passed and it frustrated him that he could not help her more. Healing had been Qui-Gon's forte not his and now he wished his old Master were here to help their injured friend.

"Thank you for sharing it with me. I can remember days like this and picture them in my head."

"Nava," he said, feeling her sadness.

"Obi-Wan," she said seriously. "Promise me something."

He came to her bedside and took her hand. "Anything, Nava." And he meant it. Right now he would promise her the world if it gave her hope and the will to hold on for her daughter. He remembered how much losing her mother had hurt Nava, he didn't want to see Mar'ee to go through that same pain.

"As much as you and Mar'ee insist I will survive, I don't believe it. Promise me you'll take care of her. She is destined for more..."

Obi-Wan kissed her fingers and smoothed back the hair from her forehead. "I promise." He would do anything in his power for her, and taking care of Mar'ee was a vow he had every intention of keeping. He also intended for her to live. The transport from Coruscant was due to arrive in a few hours, and he would take Nava, Mar'ee and the rest of the royal family back to the temple with him.

The transport pilot, the Jedi Master the council had sent to replace Obi-Wan in the negotiation attempt, and the Mountain people loyal to Nava escorted them and the two small children to the landing pad, surrounding them to ensure their safety. Obi-Wan, with Mar'ee by his side, guided the medi-bed containing Nava, while he quickly briefed the other Jedi Knight and handed over the data pad with all his notes. The nanny and the Governor’s remaining children followed him.

Once his passengers were safely on board and they had taken off from the planet, Obi-Wan was finally able to put in a private call to Mace Windu.

"Obi-Wan."

Obi- Wan took in the disheveled appearance of the Jedi Master's holograph, and winced. "Sorry Mace, I forgot about the time difference." He watched as the Jedi Master shook his head and smiled.

"I should be used to you waking me in the middle of the night by now. What can I do for you?"

Obi-Wan smiled at Mace's comment, understanding its double meaning, then replied, "I need to talk to the Council."

"What about?"

"Epona, and the fact that Lady Nava Li and her daughter are alive," Obi-Wan informed him and watched the shocked expression form on Mace's face.

"Alive! But.... We were told she died in childbirth. In fact, if I remember correctly, her 'death' was the final blow to the long-standing peace between the factions. What political gain would breaking that peace have?"

"Honestly, I don't know. I hadn't been able to find out anything as I traveled between the factions. They were very tight lipped. Nava told me what happened to the peace. The mountain faction resented the way Lady La’ree’s, Nava’s mother’s, memory had been desecrated by the attempted sacrifice of Nava's daughter and Nava's supposed death. Nava is not just the Governor’s heir, but she is also the last of a long line of Royal family descending from the Mountain people who first settled Epona. The rest is a long story, which I'll let her tell when we arrive. I have her daughter and the Governor's other two surviving children on board with me. All but Nava are in good health."

"How bad is she?"

"Not good, but better than she was. Mar'ee and I have been using the healing Force to help her, and Nava is at least conscious and stable. There has been some cranial damage, and her eyesight is diminishing as time goes on. She'll need time in the bacta tank to fully heal."

"There are bacta packs on the ship. I had an extra supply added when you called for transport. Use those on the worst of Lady Nava's injuries."

Obi-Wan nodded, and knew there was more on Mace's mind than bacta and Nava's injuries. Although the Jedi Master hadn't expressed his thoughts yet, Obi-Wan knew it would have something to do with the fact that Mar'ee could use the Force. There was no way the Jedi Councilor would let that bit of information slip through without comment.

"Obi-Wan. The girl. You said she used the Force. Tell me."

He was right about what had caught Mace's attention. "Nava is more Force sensitive than most of the Eponians. Qui-Gon said when we were here eleven years ago she could have been trained as a Jedi if she had been found as a child. It was only because of her lineage that she was kept out of harms way from those who do not like the stronger force sensitive people. Mar'ee is stronger than her mother."

"How old is the child?"

"She is ten," Obi-Wan answered.

"She is too old. She has had no training."

He knew that would be Mace's argument. It had been the same with Anakin, all those years ago, and he wouldn't expect Mace to change his views now. "On the contrary, she has; just not Jedi training," he corrected, setting the record straight right off the bat so there would be no argument later. Nor would there be anything used to compare Mar'ee to Anakin, who had arrived at the temple completely untrained. "She already has a good command of the living Force for her age. Better, in fact, than mine was when Qui-Gon took me on as Padawan. Nava has been training her as a healer, and I've meditated with her several times.”

"You want to take her as Padawan?"

Mace knew him well. "Yes. I do."

"Why her? Why not an initiate? You've been a Knight for ten years now. What is it about this girl that makes you want her as your student?"

Obi-Wan closed his eyes. This was the moment he'd been dreading, but he had to tell Mace the truth, not just because of their relationship but also because, if he wanted the Jedi Master's support in confirming Mar'ee as his Padawan, Mace would have to know the full story. "Because I cared about her mother once, and she could have been my child if things had been different."

"Obi... Whose child is she?"

"Qui-Gon's," Obi-Wan admitted quietly. "Nava said the child was conceived during her First Rite Ceremony, and Qui-Gon was the one to share first rites with her." He heard Mace's hiss, and knew he wasn't going to like the discussion that followed.

"Are you doing this to get back at Qui-Gon? The two of you haven't been close since Naboo."

"No, that's not it at all," he clarified, knowing, as a Council member, Mace had to ask that question. "Whatever happened between Qui-Gon and me has nothing to do with my desire to take Mar'ee as Padawan Learner. It has everything to do with my desire to ensure that the force sensitive daughter of the woman I cared about and once called a good friend is trained and taken care of."

He saw Mace sigh in resignation and knew there would be more explaining to do when he got back to the temple. There was no way he was going to be able to avoid it.

"I'll talk to the Council for you. When do you go into hyperspace?"

"In about thirty minutes," he told the Jedi Master and watched as Mace rubbed his face, thinking.

"The Council won't meet for another four hours. Send me a brief report of her abilities so I have it to take to the other councilors, and then contact me when you drop out of hyperspace."

"Thank you."

"You're welcome. You can make it up to me when you return."

"I look forward to it," Obi-Wan said with a smile.

"May the Force be with you."

"And with you," Obi-Wan replied before closing the link between him and Mace. He had to believe his friend would be successful in convincing the Council to allow him to train Mar'ee. He just didn't know how Mace was going to get it past Qui-Gon since his former Master was now sitting on the Council. Checking for any more messages on his link, Obi-Wan closed his communications channel after answering a few personal ones and then headed out to check on the other passengers before they went into hyperspace. Then, he planned to meditate. He had a lot to work through, including his motivation for wanting to take Mar'ee as padawan.

Obi-Wan was restless. They had been in hyperspace for two days now, and he was more than ready to reach Coruscant. He was anxious to hear news of the Council's decision regarding Mar'ee, and his concern for Nava was increasing as she was growing weaker even with the bacta treatments. To pass the time and occupy their minds, had begun to instruct Mar'ee in the simplest of katas. She caught on quickly to the saberless exercise and soon began urging him to move faster and teach her more. He was in the middle of designing a variation of the first form when his comlink beeped.

"Yes," he answered.

“Knight Kenobi, sir, we are ready to come out of hyperspace."

"Thank you," he told the young pilot. "How long before we reach Coruscant?"

“Over half a day, sir."

Obi-Wan thanked the pilot again, then glanced at his chrono. It would just be past evening meal at the temple, and he hoped he would be able to reach Mace to let him know when he'd be arriving. As soon as he felt the slight shutter of the vessel signaling the return to normal space, Obi-Wan punched in the code he used when he wanted to contact Mace directly. He took a deep breath as he waited for the connection to be made and only opened his eyes when he heard Mace's voice.

"Mace," he said, smiling as he watched Mace look at his chrono.

"Wait, it's too early. I'm not asleep."

Obi-Wan grinned at Mace's gentle teasing and ran his hand through his loose hair. "Would you rather I woke you when we landed at the temple?"

"You're close?"

"Half a day, which should put us at the temple about the time I usually wake you up," he told the Jedi Master, smiling.

"So you will be getting me out of bed one way or another this night?"

Obi-Wan couldn't help but laugh. "Seems so," he said, then took a breath and asked what he'd been wanting to know. "Do you have any news for me?"

"Your request for a teaching assignment has been approved, and you and your Padawan will be based at the temple until further notice. I must say Master Yoda was quite pleased that you decided to grace us with your presence for longer than a few days."

Catching on quickly that Mace had company and it was someone other than Yoda, whom Obi-Wan had assumed by his statements that Mace had confided in, Obi-Wan played along. "If you could do me one favour though - I’ve realized that I was negligent in securing new quarters for Mar'ee and myself."

"I've already taken the liberty of doing that for you. However, your quarters will not be ready for a few more days. I would be honored if you and your apprentice stayed with me."

"That would be a kindness," Obi-Wan answered, using one of his own Master's phrases.

"How are your other passengers?"

"The children are in good health as, is their nurse. My other passenger isn't as lucky. The extra bacta packs you supplied me with were of great help, but she will need immediate attention," Obi-Wan answered wondering exactly who Mace's other guest was since the name of his 'guest' still wasn't mentioned. He has a sneaking suspicion it was Qui-Gon.

"The healers will be on standby and awaiting your arrival, as well as the Crèche Master to help attend to the other children."

Obi-Wan thanked Mace, knowing the Jedi Master would have everything under control from that end and there would be nothing to worry about until he faced the Council. Hearing Mace's farewell, Obi-Wan clicked off the comlink. A quiet voice behind him broke the concentration he’d been focusing on the older Jedi.

"Obi-Wan?"

He turned and smiled at the child behind him. "Hello, Mar'ee."

"Are we going to be at Coruscant soon?" she asked, nervous and curious at the same time.

"Yes, although we still have about a half a day to travel," he told her, reaching out to clasp her shoulder.

"Oh," she said sadly.

Obi-Wan knelt down and put his hand under her chin, tilting her head up to look at him. "I have news for you," he told her, then continued when he saw her eyes light up at a possible surprise. "Remember when I told you I asked permission to train you as a Jedi?"

She nodded, and Obi-Wan could feel the anticipation rolling off her. "The Council has granted me that permission. All we need to do is to go before the Council for final confirmation."

"Yippee!" she cheered, throwing her arms around Obi-Wan's neck and hugging him.

"Come, let’s go tell your mother the good news," Obi-Wan said, guiding the excited young girl down the hallway. He hoped the good news would give Nava the will to hold on just a little longer. She was failing fast, and he didn't want to lose her so close to her being able to receive the treatment she so desperately needed.

Mace closed the comlink and turned toward his guests. He knew he was going to be questioned about his call from Obi-Wan; there was no way to avoid it. He just wasn't sure he'd be able to give the answers that were wanted.

"Why didn't I know that Obi-Wan has finally taken a Padawan?"

"You and Anakin were off-planet when it was brought to the Council." Mace didn't bother telling Qui-Gon he'd sent the pair on an errand while he brought up the matter to the Council. Qui-Gon didn't need to know the child Obi-Wan was bringing back with him was, in fact, Qui-Gon’s daughter. There would be plenty of time for him to find that out later.

"Then why is there no record of it in the Council logs?” Qui-God demanded. “I reviewed them when I returned this afternoon, as I always do after I’ve been away.” "Objective you are not, about your former apprentice. Told you we did not," Yoda said, speaking for the first time. His words and the tone of his voice left no room for further discussion. At least, not in his presence.

Qui-Gon looked from one senior Council member to the other, and shook his head. He knew he wouldn't get anywhere questioning either one of his friends. Mace could be as close-mouthed as Yoda when he wanted to be, and Qui-Gon had a feeling neither man was willing to tell him what was going on with Obi-Wan. Just because he hadn't spoken to or seen Obi-Wan in ten years didn't mean he wasn't interested. Most people, in fact, seemed to think he didn't care. They couldn't be more wrong. He cared and kept abreast of what his former Padawan was doing. Grabbing his cloak, he disappeared out the door without another word. It was pointless to stay where he wouldn't get any answers to his questions. He knew the only answers would come from Obi-Wan himself, he just didn't know how he was going to face his former apprentice that first time.

Mace watched his long-time friend leave, then turned back to Yoda. "You know he'll confront Obi-Wan now," he stated.

"About time, too, think you not?" Yoda replied, his ears twitching.

"Long past for many things. It's been ten years since Naboo," Mace said quietly.

"Worried you are, for what you will lose?" Yoda asked, being one of the few who knew the nature of the friendship between Mace and Obi-Wan Kenobi.

"Yes and no," Mace answered, simply and honestly. The relationship he enjoyed with Obi-Wan, while good, was not one of grand passion or love for either one of them. He would miss the young Knight as a lover; however, he knew they would maintain the base of their relationship - their friendship.

"Come, Mar'ee. We have many things to attend to before we reach Coruscant," Obi-Wan encouraged. In all her excitement the girl had worn out her mother, and it was time to let Nava rest and rein in Mar'ee enthusiasm a bit.

Walking down the hall hand in hand, they stopped at Obi-Wan's quarters to retrieve a bundle which he kept hidden in the folds of his cloak. As they reached the cargo bay, Obi-Wan led them to a quiet corner, where they would have some privacy, and sat on some empty containers.

"As an apprentice, there will be many things you will need to learn about how to conduct yourself. But first, I want to give you a few things to make you look like a proper apprentice when we reach the temple," he explained.

"Will they make fun of me for not knowing as much as they do?" she asked quietly, showing her nervousness about going to the temple for the first time.

Obi-Wan nodded. "Some might. You have to understand most of the initiates have been living at the temple and training since they were toddlers. They will be jealous of you, especially since many of the older ones have vied to be my apprentice for several years."

"Did you have a Master?"

"Yes, I did. Our bond formed before he chose me. He is a great Jedi, and I learned a lot from him," Obi-Wan explained. Closing his eyes, he took a deep breath. It was the first time he'd spoken of Qui-Gon to anyone but Mace or Master Yoda. Most thought that just because he and Qui-Gon hadn't spoken in years that his Master was a forbidden topic. It wasn't that he didn't want to talk about Qui-Gon, it was that he didn't know how to answer their questions because he didn't know the answers to them himself. "Who was your Master?" she asked, curious about the man who had taught the Jedi who was about to become her Master.

Opening his eyes, Obi-Wan looked down at her and into blue eyes that looked so much like the ones that had looked down at him for a large part of his life. "My master was Qui-Gon Jinn, your father."

Mar'ee looked up at him, her mouth gaping in surprise. She reached up and touched her long hair. "But... I thought you were my father." Holding out a bunch of hair, she continued, "Look, it's the same color. Mother use to tell me about the Jedi she met and was close to. She told me how you'd confide in each other and how you were her friend. I don't understand."

Unclenching her fist, Obi-Wan quietly said, "I wish that were true. Maybe this," he said, soothing her hair back into place and offered her the only explanation he could come up with, "is a reflection of our closeness and friendship." He kept to himself the fact they had consummated their relationship in secret. That was something only he and Nava knew about and hopefully that secret would never have to come out. It wasn't that he was ashamed of their brief affair, he wasn't. It, however, was against the laws of Epona and he knew the Council would have more to say about it than he wanted to hear.

She nodded in understanding, but was still sad that he wasn't her father as she'd always thought. Hearing her mother talk about Obi-Wan had given her dreams of a Jedi Knight coming for her and taking her back to the temple to be trained. When she saw Obi-Wan for the first time, she thought her dreams had come true, that he had finally come for her.

While she came to terms with the news he’d given her, Obi-Wan unpacked the bundle he'd kept hidden and watched as she finally took interest in what he was doing and eyed the items curiously. Picking up the knife first, Obi-Wan began to explain what they were going to do. "First, I will trim your hair to a reasonable length."

"You won't cut it all off, will you?" she asked, interrupting him.

Knowing that Eponians valued their long hair, he smiled. "No. I will only cut it to about here," he said, touching a spot between her shoulder blades. "Okay?"

"Okay," she said, smiling a little reluctantly, fearful of how she'd feel with shorter hair.

"Turn around," he instructed, and when she complied he began to brush the very long hair. When it was smooth, he used his knife to begin to cut the length away until it rested just below her shoulders. "Face me," he instructed when he was finished.

When she had complied, he continued. "The symbol of a Padawan is a braid worn here," he said, touching the side of her head right above her ear. He separated out a portion of hair. "Hold this," he instrucrted, giving her what he'd separated out to hold while he plaited the rest so it hung in a thick braid down her back.

Mar'ee watched as he then uncoiled a long braided loop of hair that had been part of the bundle he’d brought with him.

"This was my Padawan braid," he said, holding up the hair. "I wore it until I was knighted ten years ago, on a small planet called Naboo. Master Yoda was the one who knighted me and severed the symbol of my Apprenticeship," Obi-Wan explained, stroking the braid as he spoke.

"I thought Qui-Gon was your Master?" she asked, confused. "Why didn't he do it?"

"Qui-Gon had been injured and was healing in a bacta tank at the time."

"Oh..." she replied, seemingly satisfied with his answer.

Seeing her easy acceptance of his answer, he wished that all the answers he would have to give over the next several days would be as easily accepted or understood. Continuing with her preparation, Obi-Wan took the bottom portion of the braid, where his own hair had been fused with Qui-Gon's, and cut it. Taking the bunch Mar'ee was holding, he started to explain what he was doing.

"I'm going to cut this piece of hair shorter, and fuse it with the section I cut from my old braid. Normally, I’d cut some of my own hair, but I think this will hold a great significance. It is the portion of my braid where my Master fused his own hair to mine. It will represent not only the beginning of your life but also the beginning of your Jedi training."

As he spoke, he used gentle Force manipulations to fuse the hair together. When he had finished, he plaited the braid together and tied it off with a small leather thong he'd taken from the bundle.

"There," he stated, rubbing his hand down her Padawan braid.

Mar'ee tentatively touched the braid, running her hand along its length. "Wow," she whispered in awe.

It was time to form the bond between them. Obi-Wan took her hand, telling her, "Close your eyes and allow me to guide a meditation." When she nodded and closed her eyes, Obi-Wan shut his own. Clearing his mind, he focused on the child and gently guided her down a meditation path, catching glimpses of her childhood, until the Force bound them together. When they finished he could feel her in his mind, in a spot that had been empty since his training bond with Qui-Gon had withered away with unuse.

Mar'ee looked at him, a little confused and a little in awe of what she now felt. Obi-Wan took the last item from the bundle and handed it to her. "I adjusted these to fit you. While they aren't proper Padawan attire, they should at least get you through your first hours at the temple, until we can get you proper tunics. Then you may keep these for leisure." He watched as she ran her hand over the soft olive green moleskin tunic. He suppressed a smile at the thought of what Mace would say when he saw what he'd done with his gift. "Now, young lady, it is time for you to go to sleep. I will wake you in time to get ready before we land."

"But..." she tried to protest until Obi-Wan raised his hand. She stopped and bowed her head. "Yes, sir."

Holding his hand out for her to take, Obi-Wan escorted her back to her quarters. Once she was settled in bed, he regaled her with a story from his own apprenticeship before giving her a nudge to sleep. She would need to be rested for their arrival and he needed the next couple of hours to collect himself for what was to come.

The chime of the comlink next to his bed woke him. "Windu," he said, coming awake immediately.

"Master Windu. The Marksman will be arriving in thirty minutes at landing pad C."

Mace recognized the voice of Anakin Skywalker and wondered if the young Padawan had also contacted his Master with the news of Obi-Wan's arrival. "Thank you, Padawan Skywalker. Has Master Yoda and the healing corps also been notified?"

"Yes, Master. They were first on the list. Obi-Wan - I mean Knight Kenobi - requested you also be notified of his arrival."

"Thank you. Windu out," Mace replied and disconnected the link. His being contacted was standard operating procedure in a situation like what had happened on Epona, but the special request that he be contacted was not usual. He wondered what the Padawan grapevine would make of it. He'd known for years about the wagers placed on Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon. It seemed most of Obi-Wan's yearmates, and most of the Knights and Masters that had known the pair before Obi's knighting, figured they would be bonded as soon as he was knighted. What they didn't know, however, was the cause of the rift between the pair just before just before the knighting ceremony. In fact, very few knew the nature of the rift between Master and Apprentice only those closest to either man knew how they felt.

Mace had spent long hours talking to Qui-Gon of them in those first days after his friend came out of the bacta tanks. He learned of Qui-Gon's disappointment with himself for betraying everything he'd built over the twelve years he and Obi-Wan. He'd tried to talk to Obi-Wan for his friend but the more he learned of the young Knights feelings the more he knew there was nothing he could do to bring his friends together again. Even now, he remembered the hurt Obi-Wan had felt as a result of Qui-Gon's rejection of him for Anakin and for Obi-Wan that had been the tip of their problems. He realised the only way for Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan to come together again was for them to talk to each other and after all these years he and Yoda despaired of that ever happening. But every time he was with one of them and the subject of the other came up, he could see the feelings that weighed on them both. He knew it had just become easier for them not to speak to one another than to try and explain their feelings than to face their feelings. He, too, hated the rift between them - the Order had lost an excellent working team because of it.

As a man, however, not as a Council member, he valued the relationship he had formed with the young Knight. Obi-Wan challenged him intellectually at every turn and brought a playfulness Mace hadn't experienced since his own Knighthood, long before he’d become a member of the Council. Their friendship began from the long conversations they shared and only increased until they were at the stage they were now.

As he dressed and headed out to meet the transport, he couldn’t help but wonder where the Force would guide them all over the next few weeks. There was potential for great problems as much as the potential for a reunion between Master and Apprentice.

"Mar'ee," a soft voice called to his apprentice.

"Momma."

"Be a good girl for Obi-Wan. Learn your lessons and be a good Jedi," Nava instructed weakly from the medi-bed.

"I will, Momma," Mar'ee replied quietly. She was worried about her mother and a little afraid of leaving her for fear something would happen and she'd never see her again.

Obi-Wan stood and watched the interaction between mother and daughter. They were both handling the prospect of being separated with no question, at least on the outside. He could feel the apprehension coming from Mar'ee through their newly-formed bond. He was worried about what would happen when Nava was healed and ready to leave Coruscant. Right now, however, he had to focus on his Master's often-given advice to be mindful of the moment. They had just landed, and the healers were coming for Nava. Her health was the priority; the rest could wait.

"Knight Kenobi."

Obi-Wan greeted the two healers he knew from his own days at the temple. "Healer Tambi. She's ready to go; I used the last of the bacta packs on her this morning and we have been doing limited force healing tonight."

"We must hurry, then. Do you have..." Healer Tambi started to ask.

Obi-Wan handed Tambi a medical data pad. "Everything you need is in here, including my and Mar'ee's notes and observations."

"Thank you, Obi-Wan," Tambi said, tucking the data pad into his sash as he began to push the medi-bed from the bay. "Oh, Obi-Wan," Tambi said turning. "Bring the girl by once you get settled. I was told she was being trained as a healer."

Obi-Wan smiled as the healer walked out the door.

"Obi!" a deep voice called down the hall as Obi-Wan and Mar'ee started to follow Nava and the healers.

Obi-Wan spun around. "Saul!" he exclaimed. He hadn't seen his yearmate since before his knighting. Saul and his Master had been like him and Qui-Gon, and were away more often than they were at temple. "What are you doing here?"

"Settling down," Saul answered. 'I'm the Crèche Master now. If you'd actually spend some time at temple you might know things like that," he teased his old friend.

"Well, we'll have time to get caught up now. I'm going to be teaching for a while." Obi-Wan reached back and guided Mar'ee forward. "This is my Padawan, Mar'ee. Mar'ee, this is..."

"Master," Saul supplied, knowing that his friend might not have realized that his status had changed with his new assignment.

"Master Saul."

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Mar'ee. I hope you keep him on his toes," Saul told the girl, teasing his old friend at the same time. Turning to Obi-Wan after greeting Mar'ee, Saul said, "I have to get the children settled. I'll find you later, and we can talk."

"I'd like that," Obi-Wan said, then followed Saul, Mar’ee falling into step slightly behind him. They stopped just before the door of the transport. Turning to face his new apprentice, he dropped his own bag and helped her adjust her tunic and sash, and smoothing her cloak. Giving her braid a slight tug, he smiled and asked, "Ready?"

She nodded, and he picked up his bag once again.

"Remember everything we went through?"

"Yes, Master," she replied with a smile.

Smiling, Obi-Wan told her, "Good girl," and they headed down the ramp. He didn't look beyond the two people waiting for them at the foot of the ramp, he didn't want visual confirmation of the man he could feel watching from the shadows. He'd felt Qui-Gon's presence the minute he stepped into the doorway. Their old bond had vibrated for the first time in ten years. He knew there would be a time when he and Qui-Gon would have to talk, but now wasn't it. Not when he had Mar'ee with him and not when he didn't know how he was going to answer Qui-Gon's questions about her. Once her place with him had been formalized, then, hopefully, he would know how to talk to Qui-Gon about her and maybe other things that had been kept silent between them for so long.

"Master Yoda. Master Windu," he acknowledged as he reached them.

"Obi-Wan," they both said with a smile.

"Masters, may I present Mar'ee LiJinn." Obi-Wan motioned for her to come forward. "Mar'ee, this is Master Yoda and Master Windu," he said as he pointed to each of the Jedi Masters respectively, and watched as she looked between the two men - one short, the other very much taller. She had never seen different races and species before, and he imagined there would be questions later.

"Greetings," she said, bowing her head respectfully.

"Begun her training already, you have?" Yoda said, his ears twitching in amusement.

"Yes, Master."

"Better clothes she will need. Not appropriate, your old clothes," Yoda scolded, whapping Obi-Wan's leg with his cane.

Ignoring the pain running through his leg from the impact of the stick, Obi-Wan simply nodded, bowing his head to hide his amusement at Yoda's scolding. "Yes, Master Yoda. It was the best we could do on such short notice," he explained, managing to keep a straight face.

"Understand I do. At the temple now, care for your Padawan you will," Yoda instructed.

"Yes, Master," Obi-Wan again said. He watched as Yoda turned to Mace. "Help him, you will," he heard the ancient Jedi say. Yoda's instructions surprised him. Did the old Master think the rift between him and Qui-Gon was such that they would never be able to repair it? Or was request made because of his relationship with Mace? He'd have to remember to ask Mace about it later.

"It would be my honor," Mace replied, hiding his smile.

Yoda made the decision they had stood there long enough, and the foursome headed toward the temple doors at Yoda's pace. Obi-Wan caught Mace's eye as they followed the wizened Jedi, and offered a smile. The quirk of Mace's lips told him the elder Jedi was also amused by Yoda's attitude.

"Welcome home, Obi-Wan," Mace finally got to say as he wrapped an arm around Obi-Wan's back.

When they reached the temple doors, Obi-Wan finally asked, his curiosity getting the better of him, "When did you put in the request for a room change for me?"

"When my guests left after our conversation today," Mace said almost matter-of-factly.

Obi-Wan couldn't help but laugh at the Jedi Master. "What am I going to do with you?"

"I'm sure you'll think of something. You usually do," Mace whispered close to Obi-Wan's ear, giving in, to Obi-Wan's joy. The young Knight's answering smile was all the answer he needed.

With what Obi-Wan called his Council-member's face back in place, Mace then suggested, "Why don't you take Mar'ee to my suite and get her settled? She must be tired, and you could use some sleep yourself." Then, oddly formal, he added, "Yoda will want us to wait until we have some word on Lady Nava's condition before I will be able to turn in."

"Thank you. I think I will," Obi-Wan said taking up Mace's invitation.

Mace bowed his head and watched as Obi-Wan guided Mar'ee toward the nearby door.

"Oh, Obi, did it have to be the green tunic?" Mace asked before the door closed behind the new Master and Apprentice.

Shrugging, Obi- Wan suggested, "You can always buy me a new one..."

"Impertinent whelp," Mace uttered, just loud enough for Obi-Wan to hear; the Knight's laugh was the only response needed.

Qui-Gon stepped out from the shadows after Obi-Wan had entered the temple. He'd heard the temple rumors about Mace's friendship with Obi-Wan - it was hard to miss the talk in the training rooms about the two of them sparring together whenever Obi-Wan was at temple. He just hadn't realized how close the two of them were, until now. The conversation he'd overheard between Mace and Obi-Wan earlier had given him the first inkling that there might be more to their friendship. Mace wasn't an open person, except with those who were important to him. Nor did Mace Windu casually give people access to his suite, and Obi-Wan not only had his own entry code but also a standing invitation to come and go at will. That bit of information was the final piece of the puzzle.

"Qui-Gon, you really need to stop skulking in the shadows and talk to Obi-Wan. Do you think any of us didn't know you weren't here?" Mace said, coming to stand next to his long time friend.

"I thought you were following Obi-Wan."

"I will, eventually. I wanted to talk to you first, and then I have to go see our new guests settled," Mace explained, still leaving out the true identity of their new visitor.

"And when will I get the report about our guests and Obi-Wan's apprentice?" Qui-Gon asked bitterly.

"When it is time for you to know," Mace said, pulling his leader of the Council tone with his friend. "It's not my report to give. Nor is it my decision as to when it should be given."

Frustrated with the lack of information he was getting, Qui-Gon once again turned and walked away without saying another word, leaving Mace standing there looking after him and shaking his head.

"Obi-Wan!"

The Jedi knight turned to see a tall Padawan running toward him, braid flying. As the figure got closer, he realized it was Anakin. The boy he remembered had grown into a fine young man.

Out of breath, Anakin huffed, "Obi-Wan... I mean Knight Kenobi, I wanted to welcome you home."

Obi-Wan couldn't help but smile at the young man. He'd never borne the boy any ill wishes. He'd simply been hurt by his Master's actions, and asked for caution when dealing with the boy. "Anakin. It's good to see you again. Walk with us," he said, clasping the young man on the shoulder. "This is Mar'ee, my Padawan," Obi-Wan introduced the young girl next to him.

Anakin looked down at the girl and smiled. "Welcome to the temple. If you need any help catching up, I'll be glad to assist. I know what it's like not to be temple-raised and to have to catch up," Anakin said, showing just how much he knew about the girl.

Mar'ee smiled at the older apprentice. "If Obi..., I mean, Master allows it, that would be a kindness."

Anakin raised his eyebrow at the phrase he had heard so often from his own Master, and wondered if Obi-Wan realized just how much like Qui-Gon he really was.

"You should also check with your Master, Anakin. But if it is acceptable to Qui-Gon, then I would not be opposed," Obi-Wan said looking from one to the other.

"Thank you," they replied in unison.

"Obi-Wan... I mean..."

"Anakin, it is all right for you to call me Obi-Wan when we are in private; just remember - both of you," he said, looking at Mar'ee as well, "to use the proper form of address in public."

"Yes, Master," they both said with smiles, with a tone of voice Obi-Wan remembered having frequently used on Qui-Gon.

He shook his head at the two Padawans, who seemed to have bonded instantly, and knew he and Qui-Gon would have their hands full with the two of them. It would be good for Mar'ee to not only have a friend, but to have one who knew what she would be going through.

When they reached Mace's suite of rooms, Anakin stopped at the door. "I'll leave you to get settled," he said graciously, not inviting himself in to the Council member’s quarters. "Obi-Wan, will you come see Master Qui-Gon? I know he has missed you, even if he hasn't said it."

Obi-Wan took a deep breath. Anakin had grown up, and Obi-Wan knew the boy was trying to mend a rift he - and most everyone else - thought he was the cause of. "I will, once things are more settled with Mar'ee and we are sure her mother is once again in good health," he agreed, hoping to appease the young man. He meant his words, and really did want to see his former Master, but he was unsure about approaching him.

"Great!" Anakin said enthusiastically. "I'll leave you now. Good night," he said before bolting back down the hallway.

Remembering the days when he used to do the same thing, Obi-Wan just shook his head and muttered, "Ah, youth," before palming the door open. Ushering Mar'ee inside, he directed her to the second, unused, bedroom and instructed her to get settled and ready to sleep. It had once been a Padawan's room, but it had been a long time since one had resided there.

After showing Mar'ee her room, Obi-Wan wandered around the common room taking in the changes Mace had made since his last visit. When Mar'ee poked her out to tell him she was finished he rejoined her, encouraging her to climb into the bed that seemed too wide for her petite frame. He sat next to her, and allowed her snuggle up against him

"Sleep well," he whispered as she started to drift off to sleep. He continued to rub her back as she slept. His own thoughts drifting as he absently watched the traffic seemingly float past the window.

Mace walked into his chambers, having spent the better part of the last few hours in the medical bay conferring with the doctors as they operated on Lady Nava and settled her in the bacta tank to heal, and then checking on the two children and their nurse. Peering into his bedroom, he expected to find Obi-Wan curled up in his bed, but was surprised to find it empty. The Council member checked the loungers in the common room, figuring Obi-Wan might have fallen asleep there, as he was sometimes known to do as he waited for him to return, but he found them empty as well. The last place he looked was the long-unused Padawan's room where Mar'ee was to sleep.

He smiled at the site that greeted him. Obi-Wan had fallen asleep, his head lolled to one side, one arm curled possessively around the girl resting against him.

"Obi-Wan," Mace prompted quickly as he touched the Knight's shoulder.

"Mace," he said, startled.

"Come on, Obi. You need to sleep," Mace said as he walked around the room, darkening the windows so the perpetual light from the city, combined with the sun that was about to rise, wouldn't wake the girl. "She needs her sleep as well."

Watching as Obi-Wan untangled himself from the girl, Mace noticed how much she resembled both Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon. Just as Anakin had brought changes with his arrival, he couldn't help but wonder what changes her presence would bring to all of them. He waited by the door as Obi-Wan finished tucking the blankets around her shoulders and gave her sandy hair one last stroke.

"You are treating her as if she is your child," Mace observed as they walked toward his room.

He knew there was something else; he could feel the shifting in the Force around Obi-Wan and knew the Knight had something else to reveal. Obviously, it was something he couldn't say over any innerspace channel. Mace watched as Obi-Wan sat heavily on his bed and scrubbed his face with his hands, and knew that whatever it was, was about to come out.

"She could have been my child. If she didn't look so much like Qui-Gon, I'd say she was mine," Obi-Wan finally admitted.

Mace sat down next to Obi-Wan, stunned at his admission. It wasn't what he'd been expecting. "I thought you said she chose Qui-Gon? Even Qui-Gon's records stated that she was a virgin and refused all others afterward. In fact, the mission reports say she was in your company for the last few days of your stay on Epona. What am I not seeing?" he asked, knowing full well it was against the laws of the country for Obi-Wan, in his apprentice state, to have been sexually involved with a member of the ruling family.

"How much do you know about the Eponian people?" Obi-Wan asked, not answering Mace's question.

"Admittedly, not a lot, without researching them," Mace answered.

"You know they are mildly Force-sensitive?" he commented, looking over at Mace.

Mace nodded, wondering where Obi-Wan was going with his statement.

"They are an emotional people and to ensure they do not broadcast their sexual pleasure during intimacy their sleep chambers are shielded. It gives them privacy in both their intimacy and in their dreams. The only intimate time that isn't shielded is during the First Rite Ceremony. For some reason, then they want the emotions of the sexual act to be felt by the people. Maybe it is to ensure the people know the heirs are unviolated before the ceremony, or maybe it is used as a tool to increase the desires of the fertile population, thus increasing their numbers," Obi-Wan explained.

"What are you saying?"

"I'm saying that during this mission Qui-Gon and I had separate sleeping chambers, and Nava came to me after her First Rite Ceremony and every night afterward until we departed," he admitted.

Mace Windu was speechless. The truth Obi-Wan had revealed to him was the last thing he'd expected to hear. He knew Obi-Wan had cared for and maybe even loved Lady Nava - he'd admitted as much - but he'd never expected Obi-Wan to say they'd broken laws to consummate that love. "Obi-Wan, do you think this child could be yours?"

"No," Obi-Wan answered immediately, sure in his belief. "I truly believe she is Qui-Gon's. She looks like him. Their eyes are the same, and she 'feels' like him in the Force. It's as if a piece of Qui-Gon's Force signature is inside her. Don't you feel it, too?" he asked.

Mace concentrated, allowing himself to feel the flow of the Force in the area. He could feel the shining brightness of Obi-Wan, and he felt the muted presence of Qui-Gon's more earthy Force signature. "Yes, I can," he said as he brought himself back to his own centre. "What would you have done if she had been your child?" he asked.

Without hesitation, Obi-Wan answered. "If Qui-Gon didn't have Anakin, I would have asked him. He trained me, after all, so why not train my child? But he has Anakin, so I would have asked either you or Master Yoda to train her." Obi-Wan shifted on the bed so he could better see Mace. It was important to him to see the council member's face as he replied. For as long as he'd been at the temple and had heard of and known Mace Windu, the Council member had never taken a Padawan Learner.

Mace smiled. "I would have been honored, and I'm sure Master Yoda would have been as well.

Obi-Wan tried to answer but, unexpectedly, yawned instead.

"I think our conversation is over for tonight. I know a certain Knight who needs to sleep. I have to leave early for a Council meeting to discuss the Epona situation," Mace said, standing and pulling Obi-Wan to his feet.

With occasional help when exhaustion caused him to fumble, Obi-Wan shed his tunic. Mace also shed his own clothing, laying them across a chair where they would be in reach when he rose for his early morning Council meeting, Mace lay back in the large bed and waited for Obi-Wan to join him. Pulling the young man into his arms, he settled Obi-Wan against his side and felt the young man fall asleep almost instantly. He, however, didn't sleep right away, so he lay and enjoyed the feel of Obi-Wan's lithe body pressed against him, and wondered how many more times he'd have this privilege. He could feel a turning in the force but didn’t know which way it would go what it would bring for all of them.

Mar'ee had been a surprise, and he knew Obi-Wan truly believed Qui-Gon was her father. By all appearances, he had to agree. There was something else, however, something he couldn't put his finger on; but knew that she, like her father and her Master, would shake up the Council.

Planting a kiss on Obi-Wan's forehead, Mace tightened his embrace and allowed himself to drift off to sleep.

Obi-Wan drifted slowly awake. He realized immediately that the body pressed against his wasn't Mace's large frame but rather the small fragile one of his apprentice. In that moment he was immensely glad he'd gone to bed in his sleep pants instead of stripping like he normally did when he slept with Mace. Although, he had to admit when he normally slept with Mace, they did much more than sleep. Untangling himself from the girl's embrace before his body gave way to his thoughts about his lover, he slipped out of bed and straightened the blankets over her, running a hand down her back.

Grabbing the first thing he touched to slip on over his pajamas, he headed to the common room, following the sound of voices. He stopped by the door, ready to palm it open, when he heard, "Why are you keeping me from seeing him?" and Mace's voice answering, "I told you. He is sleeping."

Obi-Wan waved his hand across the sensor and walked through the doorway, wearing Mace's robe, before the door fully opened. "Correction. I was sleeping." His lack of politeness was due to the fact he was still half asleep and their raised voices had woken him. Looking at the people in the room, he asked, "A mini Council meeting?"

"Before the Council tomorrow you will be," Yoda said, setting his cup down and standing. "Came to see how feeling you are."

Obi-Wan nodded and bowed slightly. "I'm sorry, Master Yoda. I am still tired from the mission lack of sleep."

"Extended yourself healing the girl's mother, you have."

"Yes, Master," Obi-Wan admitted. He’d known he had and used the adrenaline to keep himself going until he could finally rest.

"Rest now. See the Council tomorrow, you will. Spend today caring for your apprentice, you must."

Again, Obi-Wan bowed slight slightly. "Yes, Master."

"Satisfied I am. Go now, I will," Yoda said as he headed to the door and disappeared through it.

Obi-Wan sat down in the big chair and stretched his legs out. He looked up when he felt a hand on his shoulder and took the offered cup from Mace with a smile and a quick kiss to the hand. A gasp reminded them both of the guest remaining. Obi-Wan looked up at his once-Master for the first time in ten years. Qui-Gon's race aged slower than most humans, so he looked the same as Obi-Wan remembered him.

"Qui-Gon," he said quietly. "You wanted to see me. I am finally awake."

"I can see that," Qui-Gon said as he watched Mace squeeze Obi-Wan's shoulder and retreat back to the kitchen. "I'm sorry I intruded. I didn't know about you and Mace," he said apologizing hoping that his little white lie wouldn’t be obvious. He’d figured out their relationship the night before. This was just conformation.

"Sit down, Qui-Gon," Obi-Wan said impatiently as he waved toward the nearby lounge. "Mace and I have been both friends and lovers for a number of years now." At the look of astonishment on Qui-Gon's face, he continued, "No one knows except those who really choose to look." Obi-Wan looked up and met Qui-Gon's eyes for the first time, almost daring his former Master to say something. He would not have the relationship he had with Mace degraded by anyone, including Qui-Gon. He watched as Qui-Gon nodded but wisely refrained from commenting. "Was there something you wanted to see me about?" he asked, getting to the heart of the matter.

"Nothing specific," Qui-Gon said, swallowing. "Ani told me this morning he'd spoken with you last night and had offered to help your apprentice. We will be at the temple for a while and, as it seems you will be as well, please feel free to talk to Ani about helping..." he paused, not remembering the girl's name.

"Mar'ee," Obi-Wan supplied, knowing what Qui-Gon needed.

"As I was saying - feel free to talk to Ani about helping Mar'ee during his free time," Qui-Gon finished.

"That would be a kindness. Thank you, Ma... Qui-Gon."

Qui-Gon smiled slightly at Obi-Wan's almost slip of the tongue. "It's good to see you, Obi-Wan," he said quietly.

Smiling a real smile for the first time since he'd been wakened by angry voices, Obi-Wan replied, "It's good to see you too, Master," this time he didn’t correct himself. He genuinely was glad to see Qui-Gon, even if it was awkward.

"Is anyone hungry?" Mace called from the kitchen. He'd made himself scarce, allowing this first meeting between Master and Apprentice in a decade to progress naturally and be unimpeded by his presence.

"I am," a small voice answered from behind Qui-Gon.

"Mar'ee," Obi-Wan said, and noted as Qui-Gon turned to watch the girl approach. "Come here." He saw that she was wearing Padawan tunics. Glancing back at Mace, who was standing in the entryway to the kitchenette, he saw the elder Jedi shrug and turn back to his cooking. Mace's non-committal attitude told him the Jedi had been the one to lay out the new tunics for Mar'ee.

"Let me check you out," Obi-Wan said as she stood in front of him, proud of her new clothing. He tugged the tunics in a couple of places and straightened her belt before pronouncing her perfect. The smile that lit her eyes told him she desperately wanted to be perfect for him.

"Mar'ee, I'd like you to meet Master Qui-Gon Jinn."

Mar'ee bowed perfectly before saying with a smile. "It's an honor to meet you, Obi's - I mean, my Master's Master." She knew that for the moment she was to keep secret the fact that Qui-Gon was her father. Master Windu had told her, when she'd seen him earlier that morning, that Obi-Wan would tell Master Jinn later.

"And it's a pleasure to meet my Padawan's Padawan," Qui-Gon replied in the same formal tone, impressed with the girl.

The proper Padawan façade slipped as Mar'ee hopped into Obi-Wan's lap with his encouragement. "How's my mother?" she asked as Obi-Wan fussed with the hair she'd gathered into a hasty tail.

"Mace," Obi-Wan called and, when the Jedi came from the kitchen, he asked, "Any news about Nava?"

"Apparently you and Mar'ee did a better job healing her than was first expected. Lady Nava was removed from the bacta tank this morning. Her vision is improving and the minor cuts have been healed,” Mace answered, handing Mar’ee a warm scone to nibble on to keep her hunger at bay until they could fix a proper meal for them.

"Lady Nava Li of Epona?" Qui-Gon asked, surprised. He had known the people accompanying Obi-Wan last night were diplomats in need, but he hadn't known where they were from or who they were. “I thought she died many years ago?”

“Rumours of her death were obviously exaggerated,” Mace replied with a shrug. “It was only when Obi-Wan contacted us a 5 days ago that we discovered she was alive.”

"Yes. She's my mother, but..." Mar'ee added, chewing her lip a minute before continuing, "she doesn't go by ‘Lady ’anymore since she was banished because of me."

Qui-Gon was stunned by the girl's words and her obvious maturity despite her seemingly young age. "Why would she be banished because of you?"

Obi-Wan tightened his arms around Mar'ee. "You don't have to," he whispered in her ear. "I can tell the story."

Mar'ee turned in Obi-Wan's embrace and hugged him tighter before releasing him and turning back to Qui-Gon. "I can do it," she said, determined, but with a slight wobble to her voice. "We are Force-sensitive. They didn’t like that my mother was as strong in the force as she was but they allowed her to remain as heir because of her ties to the Mountain People and the ancient royal line. I am stronger and I scared them."

"Why would they be afraid of an infant?" Qui-Gon asked confused. "I've visited Epona and met your mother's family. They never showed any fear of the Jedi and of our strength in the Force."

"Because Jedi are to be respected and revered. But for an Eponian to be as strong as a Jedi and not be a Jedi scared them. They had never felt any Eponian as strong in the Force as me," she said plainly.

"But we are just men and women like them," Qui-Gon said defensively. "It takes years of training to hone our abilities. To throw the lives of two people away because of their strength in the Force doesn't make sense," he tried to understand. He'd known these people and everything he was hearing did not sound like the men he knew.

"It does when there are those who fear the Jedi as much as they respect them," Obi-Wan said, almost bitterly. He'd found out first hand just how much people could fear the Jedi, and he was glad to feel Mace come and sit on the arm of his chair. The Jedi Master had a way of knowing when Obi-Wan was feeling more than he let on. Both of the Master's in the room did and he saw Qui-Gon's aborted reach toward him.

“It still doesn’t make sense, I sensed no fear when we were there,” Qui-Gon commented. He remembered feeling at ease with the Governor and his family.

“New people came into power after we were there. The new First Lady brought in ‘her’ people and they didn’t like the Jedi. All the negotiating teams before me had fought that battle as did I,” Obi-Wan answered.

Mar'ee looked back at Obi-Wan once he had finished, silently asking if she should reveal anything else. Feeling his support through their new training bond, as well as his nod, she continued. "It didn’t help that my father is a Jedi," she finished then tucked herself further into Obi-Wan's embrace, as if to protect herself from Qui-Gon's reaction. She hadn’t been afraid of Obi-Wan because she’d heard so much about him from her mother over the years, but Qui-Gon she didn’t know and she didn’t know how he’d react to knowing she was his daughter.

Qui-Gon fell back on the sofa and closed his eyes. It all came flooding back to him. Lady Nava. Epona. First Rite. The child. He worked through the math, and it fit. He knew without a shadow of doubt he was looking at his child. His very mature and very well-spoken daughter. While he had never led a life of celibacy, this was the first time he'd known of siring a child. It was an awesome feeling. But he had to wonder how she could be his daughter when she looked like Obi-Wan. And how she could look like Obi-Wan when his apprentice had been forbidden to be intimate with Lady Nava. He was about to ask Obi-Wan that question and many others that came spilling into his head as he digested the news when the chime at Mace's door signaled a visitor.

Mace rose from where he was on the edge of Obi-Wan's chair and answered the door. "Padawan Skywalker. What can I do for you?"

"Master Windu. I was wondering if Knight Kenobi and Mar'ee were here. I'd like to offer to show Mar'ee around and introduce her to some other Padawans, if I may."

"Come in and we'll see," Mace said, stepping aside and allowing the senior Padawan to enter.

"Master Qui-Gon," Anakin said as he walked into the common room and saw his Master sitting with Obi-Wan and Mar'ee. "I wasn't expecting to see you, Sir."

"It appears we are here for the same reason, Padawan. To see Obi-Wan and Mar'ee."

Anakin smiled at his Master and then at Obi-Wan. "Obi-Wan, I was wondering if I could show Mar'ee around this afternoon?" he asked, forgetting himself and using the Knight's first name.

Looking down at Mar'ee, Obi-Wan asked, before Qui-Gon could correct his apprentice, "Would you like that?"

Her eyes suddenly bright with excitement, Mar'ee smiled. "Yes, please," she answered, then got quiet for a moment. "But I'd like to see my mother, too."

"I can take her to the medical bay," Anakin offered, "if that's all right with you."

"Can I, Master?" Mar'ee asked, looking from the older Padawan to Obi-Wan.

"Certainly," Obi-Wan agreed. "Anakin, take her to mid-day meal, too," he instructed the young man, remembering Mar'ee's earlier declaration of hunger and knowing that the scone she ate wouldn’t be enough to fill her.

Mar'ee's pleasure showed in her expression but she remained the composed Padawan. Kissing Obi-Wan on the cheek, she quietly said, 'Thank you," before hopping off his lap to follow Anakin. In that moment, Obi-Wan was struck by how much like Qui-Gon she was - composed and in control of herself regardless of her feelings, though he knew for certain she was excited at the prospect of seeing her mother as much as she was about the tour with Anakin.

With a bow and a quiet, "Masters," the two apprentices took their leave.

When the door had slid closed, Qui-Gon leaned forward, asking, "Why?"

The tender expression Obi-Wan had worn while watching Mar'ee and Anakin changed to a harder one as he, in turn, asked Qui-Gon, "Why what?" His old anger and hurt surfaced. "Why didn't I tell you about Mar'ee? Or why did I take her as my Padawan before you were told?"

"Yes," Qui-Gon answered, his face unreadable, his voice flat and showing no emotion. It was this ability to show nothing that made him a good negotiator as well as allowing him to hide his inner feelings.

"I didn't tell you about her because I was protecting Anakin," Obi-Wan answered flatly. "I didn't want him to go through the same thing I did when you threw me over so you could train your 'chosen one'."

Qui-Gon looked like he'd been gut punched when he heard Obi-Wan's words and the vehemence behind them. "Were you going to keep the secret from me indefinitely and continue to avoid me?" he asked, his own anger at being left uninformed flaring up.

"I never consciously avoided you, Master," Obi-Wan told him, unconsciously using the title he'd used for so many years. The harshness left his voice as he realized that he sounded like the angry young Padawan seeking his Master's approval instead of the seasoned Knight he was now. "Our paths just never seemed to cross. As for Mar'ee, I had every intention of telling you about her as soon as she was confirmed as my Padawan. She is too much like you, and carries too much of your Force signature for her parentage to be kept secret. Besides, I would never do that to you, and if you don't know that then you never knew me."

Obi-Wan ended the conversation by getting up and retreating back to Mace's bedroom. He needed some privacy and time to meditate.