Master Apprentice
Archive
Necessary Deceit
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Two hooded figures slipped quietly through the hallways of the Jedi temple. It was late, and the lighting had been dimmed for the night. They were not observed as they moved from shadow to shadow. Finally, one leaned closer to the other to whisper softly.
"If we're caught, I'll be thrown off the Council."
"Relax. No one will see us." Qui-Gon drew to a halt in front of an unmarked but familiar door. He reached out along the tattered shreds of his training bond. He could feel very little save a vague sense of direction. But, he knew Obi-Wan was inside. "What if he wakes up?"
Mace Windu shook his head. "He won't. The sedative I slipped into his tea is very strong. He won't wake for several hours yet."
The door opened easily, still keyed to Qui-Gon's palm print. It had only been a few days, after all. The common room lights were still on, but low, and the two men pushed back their hoods as the door slid shut behind them. Mace started toward the smaller of the two bedrooms, but Qui-Gon stopped him with a touch on his arm.
"He's in there." Qui-Gon inclined his head toward the master bedroom, then spared the padawan room a brief glance. "Where is Anakin?"
"In the creche. We thought it best if he spent some time with children his own age, at least at night. And, Obi-Wan needed the time alone. But don't worry. The boy will be brought to you in three days, as planned."
Qui-Gon nodded silently and stepped into his old room. It still felt like home. Obi-Wan had moved nothing, he noticed with a pang of guilt, almost as if he expected his master to return home at any time. As if that could happen. He stepped to the side of the bed and gazed down at the sleeping young man.
Obi-Wan lay on his left side in the middle of the oversized bed, curled into an almost fetal position, dressed only in his favorite sleep shorts. He had thrown the covers off, and the skin on his legs and shoulders was pebbled with goose bumps. His arms were wrapped tightly around a pillow. He clutched it to his chest, his cheek pressed against it. He looked pitifully alone, painfully vulnerable. The sight nearly broke Qui-Gon's heart.
Even in sleep, Obi-Wan's face betrayed his inner turmoil. Traces of dried tears stained his cheeks beneath red-rimmed eyes. The corners of his lips turned down slightly, and there was a deep crease between his brows. Qui-Gon reached as if to soothe it away, but his hand veered at the last moment to touch the closely shorn hair behind Obi-Wan's right ear.
"I didn't even get to cut his braid," he murmured, anguish tightening his throat.
Beside him, Mace shifted impatiently. "Okay. You've seen him. Now, we need to go."
"How will you do it?" Qui-Gon asked as if his friend hadn't spoken.
"Do what?"
"Fake Anakin's death."
Mace cleared his throat. "It'll look like a training accident, a fall from a balance beam. Yoda and I both will be there. We'll make sure that Obi-Wan can't possibly feel responsible."
"He will anyway."
"Well be here to support him, Qui. He'll get over it. Anakin will be off-world within minutes and on his way to meet you on Dagobah. No one but you and the Council will know that the boy is still alive. You can train him in peace, with no Sith hunting him."
"The clone body is ready then?"
"Yes, Force-grown from a skin sample, just as yours was. And, just like on Naboo, no one will know that it's a fake body being burned."
Qui-Gon stared thoughtfully down at his former padawan, and Mace shifted again. "We really should leave."
Qui-Gon nodded. "One more moment." He leaned down, sensing Mace move away to give him some much-needed privacy. He drew the covers up over Obi-Wan, blinking away tears that threatened to spill. The young man was dreaming, his eyelids twitching. Would this be the last time he'd see Obi-Wan alive? He had to believe it wouldn't be, but the universe was a dangerous place, especially for Jedi. He sent a burst of Force energy through the ravaged bond as he leaned down to plant a soft kiss on Obi-Wan's temple, the touch of his lips to chilled flesh strengthening the mental contact.
// I'm alive,// he sent into Obi-Wan's dream. //Remember that I love you, and wait for me.//
Then, he made himself pull away. There was much to do, much to prepare, if he was to single-handedly train the Chosen One in the ways of the Force. With one final glance over his shoulder, Qui-Gon Jinn left the Coruscant temple for possibly the last time.
The End