Master Apprentice
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Chapter 5
Obi-Wan dragged himself through the halls back to his room. He had just spent the last eight hours in saber training with his padawan/master. Though the boy wasn't nearly the age or build he had been, his fighting was astronomically developed. It was slightly embarrassing to lose to his padawan even at the age of eight. Well, he didn't exactly lose, but the struggle he had just to stay out from under the blade was more than he recalled even from his own training. Thus, he was far more exhausted than Qui-Gon, but had sent him back to their quarters to meditate while he met with Master Yoda.
Obi-Wan had come to notice that his padawan could be quite occupied with structured meditation and he managed to tap into the force with much more strength than most in the temple could hope for. It was a strange contradiction to the normal energy that usually consumed the boy. Classes helped. Obi-Wan had begun to sign his padawan up for everything he could. The homework kept that intense energy focused on something constructive rather than releasing itself in unpredictable and dangerous places. For this younger version of his Master, free time was not an option. Whenever the boy was not occupied, he found himself in all sorts of trouble. It wasn't as if he searched it out, he just seemed to end up in situations that lead him to mischief.
He had been training with the boy for only a year, but the way the boy grew made it impossible for Obi-Wan to keep up. Qui-Gon excelled at all of the classes he was enrolled in to the point that he was in courses with senior padawans and other young knights. The other students alienated him, but the younger boy seemed to adjust well enough. He didn't dwell on the fact that he did not fit in with his classmates or his year mates but rather he focused on his training. In fact, Obi-Wan was expecting more of an impact on the boy and the negative reactions to his isolation.
Finally reaching the door to his shared quarters, he palmed the lock and was about to step in when one of the holovids flew right in front of his face. Wide eyes took in the impossible scene as he took a few startled steps backwards. The entire room was in a state of chaos as any of the small objects kept in their common room spun lazily about the room. In the middle of the scene, Qui-Gon knelt on his meditation pad deep in a trance. Despite all the times Obi-Wan had been in meditation or watched his padawan/master in meditation, he had never noticed this tendency in Qui-Gon before.
From the look of peace and serenity on the boy's face, Obi-Wan doubted he even knew what was occurring around him. Carefully, Obi maneuvered through the wall of missiles shielding himself from the various airborne objects. By the time he made it to the center of the room, he was safe from all the hazards. He knelt in front of his padawan and slipped into meditation along with the boy. Reaching out along their bond, Obi-Wan sought the signature of his padawan and soon met him in a mental garden.
His padawan was sitting in his mental dream with fleeting apparitions floating by him. Obi-Wan couldn't quite place the faces as they floated ghost-like on the breeze. He couldn't even tell if the children were real children or just made-up friends his padawan had thought up. Obi-Wan felt his heart drop in his chest. It appeared that his padawan was a little worse off than he had originally thought. The fact that the boy had to make friends up to be with in his meditation was disheartening. That, and he wasn't willing to let Obi-Wan know about the problem in the first place.
The boy had a small smile on his face, but he did not interact with the other children. Even his eyes were closed as his mental friends played together among the trees. Qui-Gon just knelt in the glen and appeared to be meditating even in his meditation! Obi-Wan walked towards his padawan and knelt in front of him.
"Qui-Gon?" he asked softly. The dark blue eyes opened and the boy looked up at him. At that moment, the apparitions disappeared and Qui-Gon's smile brightened a bit.
"Master?" Obi reached up and brushed a lock of hair from the boy's face and smiled warmly at him.
"Padawan, do you know what you're doing right now?" That little impish half smile crossed the youthful face.
"I'm meditating, Master." Obi-Wan rolled his eyes and grinned back at the obvious answer.
"Yes Padawan, I'm quite aware of that. What I meant is, do you know what's happening in our common room right now? Do you know what you're doing outside of your meditation?" The little brow furrowed and he blinked several times.
"Master?" Obi-Wan maneuvered the force energy around them and allowed the boy to see what was happening in their common room. Qui-Gon watched the scene in awe before turning back to his master.
"I'm doing that?" he whispered in disbelief. Obi-Wan nodded. The boy gulped and watched the scene with increasing interest. Timidly, Obi felt Qui-Gon reach out and try to manipulate the objects he was controlling already. He watched as the objects sped up, slowed down, switched direction, and finally switched trajectory.
"Qui-Gon, would you please put our room together so we can fix dinner?"
"Yes, Master." Qui-Gon looked up at him and blushed. Obi-Wan watched as all of the mementos flew to their places and were set down. Qui-Gon looked up expectantly at his master with a smile on his face. "Is that better?" Obi-Wan shook his head in exasperation and rolled his eyes.
"Yes Qui-Gon. That's much better. Shall we eat?" The small head nodded enthusiastically and he began to slip out of his meditation. Obi-Wan followed his way out as the garden began to fade. Soon, he knelt in front of his smiling padawan. Qui-Gon was about to get up when Obi stopped him with a hand on his arm. "Padawan?"
Qui-Gon was bemused, but he stopped his ascent. "Qui-Gon, is everything all right?" The boy nodded and shook the grip away.
"Everything's fine, Master." With that, Qui-Gon stood, grabbed his meditation mat and disappeared into his room.
It was only week later when Obi-Wan stood in the kitchen making Alderanian stew for dinner when he heard his padawan come home. The boy was obviously trying to sneak in as he shut the door almost silently and padded softly across the carpet to his room. Most days, he ran noisily into the kitchen and practically bowled over his master. It was so refreshing to see those sparkling blue eyes and the lopsided grin every afternoon. Lately, Qui-Gon had been more reserved than normal and his enthusiasm was lacking in the extreme.
The boy had become withdrawn and quiet. He returned from his full day of classes and saber training to eat a silent dinner and then sit down and finish any assignments before settling into a meditative state that lead straight to sleep. By the time it reached their nightly ritual of hair brushing, the boy was falling asleep in Obi's lap. Though he found it most endearing, he was becoming concerned that he was pushing his padawan too much. He would have to talk to him about cutting back on his schedule after dinner.
Washing his hands on a towel, Obi-Wan put the cover on the stew and went to find his padawan. The door to the master bedroom was closed and locked when he tried the knob. Through their link, he called to his padawan. //Qui-Gon, can I come in?// The reply surprised him when he finally received it.
//No.//
//What? Qui-Gon, open the door.// Not sure what was going on, except that his padawan was broadcasting misery faintly through their bond, Obi prepared to unlock the door himself when he heard the lock click faintly.
"If you were going to come in anyway, why'd you even ask?" came the sharp reply. For the moment, Obi ignored the insolence and walked to the form sitting on the edge of the bed facing the windows. He reached out his hand and rested it on the boy's shoulder and gently squeezed. The yelp of agony tore directly into his heart. Immediately, he fell to the floor and turned his padawan to face him.
A face full of bruises and cuts looked back at him. The usually bright and happy eyes were now tear-filled and swollen. "Qui-Gon! What happened?" Obi cupped the boy's face in his hands and tilted it back and forth to get the full estimate of the damage. The nose was definitely broken, there were probably a few hairline fractures in the jaw and cheek bones, a nasty cut stretched from the center of his forehead to his left temple, and one eye was almost swollen shut.
"Nothing, Master. I'm fine." Obi snorted and prepared to gather the boy in his arms. The vehement struggle that ensued left him panting and Qui-Gon crying even harder. "Please, Master. If you do anything, it'll just make it worse." He pulled away even further and walked to the balcony.
"Make what worse? Qui-Gon, what's going on? Who's done this to you? Talk to me, please!" The little head bowed and he shook his head.
"I...I can't. Master, please, I'll be all right. I promise." The little eyes begged him as they looked imploringly up at him. Obi-Wan shook his head.
"Absolutely not. We're going to the healers." With that, he picked the boy up bodily and started toward the door. Just before they entered the hallway, he addressed the boy. "Are you going to walk, or do you want to be seen carried through the temple?" The answer was soft and broken by tears. In response, Obi-Wan released his hold and led him down the myriad of halls to the healer's quarters.
It was there that the entire story finally came out. Apparently letting Qui-Gon work out in saber training with other padawans and knights was not such a good idea. They had a group of twenty of them take him on at once and they refused to recognize a fair hit and instead continued to fight long after Qui-Gon had been hit and long after they had been singed themselves. The result was a badly beaten and disheartened Qui-Gon. He had known he wasn't accepted by the older children, but the display of hostility had been more than he had expected.
By the time the two headed back to their quarters, Qui-Gon was physically healed, but his psyche was badly damaged. Obi-Wan decided it was time to move them into the field and get his padawan as far from Coruscant and the temple as possible. He would go and see the council in the morning. Until then, he would do his best to make sure Qui-Gon knew how special he truly was. No matter what a group of children made him feel.
Standing before the council, Obi spoke through clenched teeth about the incident that had landed his padawan in the healers' care. The group of padawans practically bolted every time he looked back at them, but he couldn't release the barely restrained fury into the force. Instead, it rolled off of him in waves, breaking on the shores of their mind's, scaring them far more than they had scared Qui-Gon. It was one thing to torture a little boy, quite another to face down the master that trained him.
The council members listened patiently to him as he told the story that had been told to him and demanded a resolution. "They can't go unpunished," he demanded. "Or the next group of padawans will bully some other child, same as the next year and the next." Turning his attention to the quivering group of boys, he continued. "We are not in training to become elitists. We are here to become the best Jedi possible for each of us to become. To serve the force in whatever way it seems fit. Jealousy, hate, and anger only inhibit that development. To turn on one of your own is the greatest insult possible among our ranks. There is enough hostility in the universe to deal with, we don't need it in the temple as well." With his ranting finished, he turned back to Master Yoda and bowed.
Yoda nodded back and looked at the rest of the group gathered before them. If possible, the boys condensed into each other even more and tried to gain strength and courage from one another. Under Yoda's close scrutiny, he picked out the ring leader and addressed him. "Jealous you were?" The boy nodded. He wasn't the oldest or the largest in the group, but his control over the gathered group was palpable. As he displayed courage, the others seemed to become more confident around him. "Why?"
"Nothing takes any effort for him. He can beat us all on the floor thirty seconds into a bout. He's scoring the top grades in all of his classes and tutoring half our age mates! I wanted to beat him at something." The boys voice began hard and angry, but faded with the distinct flavor of self pity.
"Beat him you did." Yoda spoke with flat appraisal. "Happy are you?"
The dark head shook miserably. "No." The reply came out as a whisper and he hung his head low. "He almost beat us." The last was spoken so quietly, Obi-Wan doubted he had actually heard it at all. Then, green eyes looked over to him and they were filled with awe. "As young as he is, he almost beat all of us at once. At once! It wasn't until we got his saber away..."
Obi-Wan took a calming breath and released another wave of anger into the force. Yoda grunted in disapproval at the boy's explanation and looked over to Mace who had one brow cocked. They met each other's steady gazes and nodded. Whatever it was, Obi knew the decision had been made.
Qui-Gon looked up from his astrophysics book when his master came home. Most of the damage to the boy had been healed, but Obi could still see the darkish bruises marking the boy's face. The blue eyes were inquisitive, but he remained dutifully silent. "Good afternoon, Padawan. How are your studies going?"
"Well." Obi-Wan was surprised at how fast his padawan gave up on finding out about the meeting as the boy went back to work on his equations. "Will we be eating in tonight, Master?"
"Yes, but I'll fix dinner. You can finish up your homework." Qui-Gon nodded and focused his attention fully on his data pad again. Obi-Wan fixed them a light meal and set the table, all the while amazed by his padawan's restraint. If the positions had been reversed, he would have been busting at the seams to find out the council's decision. The smell of stew finally lured Qui-Gon from his work and he padded silently into the dinning area. Obi-Wan noticed that the leggings were too small yet again.
The young boy was limping slightly, but he was obviously trying to hide that weakness from his master. He sat down at the table and waited dutifully for Obi-Wan to begin eating. As Obi served the stew, he decided that the boy had waited patiently enough. "They made a ruling today, Padawan." Qui-Gon simply looked up at him and waited. "Aren't you even a little curious?" he asked. Qui-Gon nodded, but still said nothing. "All right, if you're not going to ask, I'll just have to tell you." That earned him a chuckle and small smile from the boy across the table.
"Yes Master," Qui-Gon whispered faintly. Obi-Wan sighed and rolled his eyes in mock exasperation.
"Fine. Let's see..." Obi pretended to go deep into thought while Qui-Gon waited patiently for him to go on.
"Master," he finally whined and kicked out at shins under the table.
"Ow!" he rubbed at the offended spot and laughed out loud as the little boy settled back into his seat and looked over at him expectantly. "Well, Dex Kel has been sent to the Agricorps to join his parents. Hopefully he can make a better impression there. The others are being sent to Kaltros for rehabilitation." Qui-Gon winced. When anyone was sent to Kaltros, they were striped of rank and privilege, which they had to earn back after rehabilitation. Only a few ever made it to their knighthood after being sent to that particular temple.
"All because of me?" he whispered. "It's my fault?" Obi-Wan practically spit a mouthful of stew across the table, but he caught himself and swallowed before exclaiming,
"Absolutely not! This is not your fault. Those boys deliberately attacked you with the intent to harm you. They did it out of jealousy and anger because you're a quick study. If it wasn't you, they would have picked on the other students. They deserved the punishment they received just like you would if I caught you doing something like that!"
He then got up and walked around the table to kneel in front of his wide-eyed padawan. Reaching up, he softly brushed the long hair away from the youthful face and felt the barely restrained trembling under his finger tips. With a moan, Obi-Wan pulled the boy down into his embrace.
Qui-Gon folded into the strong arms and let the tears he had been fighting spring forth. "They wouldn't hate me if I was normal." he sobbed into his master's shoulder. The older Jedi wrapped his arms more tightly around the shaking form and kissed the top of his head.
"You're perfect just the way you are, padawan mine. I wouldn't trade you for anything in the universe. Don't you dare try to hide your light from the rest of the universe. You have so much more to give than that." He squeezed the little shoulders again and buried his face in the silky locks. "I love you," he whispered into the hair and continued to rock the little body in his arms.
"I love you too, Master." The little voice hitched once, but the sobs had began to slow. Obi-Wan decided it was time to give him the good news.
"I have more news, little one. The council has decided we should start going on missions. We leave for our first one in a week.
Chapter 6
Qui-Gon stared up at the large green amphibian-like Arans in awe and terror mixed together. They had been insulted by his presence, thinking it a dishonor to have a nine year old child working on their case. They hadn't entirely accepted Obi-Wan's explanation, and now, Qui-Gon was separated from his Master's protection. It was true, his Master had warned him not to leave their quarters, but he was curious. Obi-Wan was gone everyday and his studies were finished. There were only a few katas one could practice in such tight quarters, and there was a garden just outside. Finally, curiosity and boredom won out and he left the safe confines of his home on the Aran world.
Much to his dismay, he had found the gardens inhabited by several Arans who did not appreciate sharing anything with him. Reluctant to call to his Master for fear of punishment, Qui-Gon prayed he could get out of this. He tried to smile up at them, but he could feel his lip trembling. "I'm sorry," he whispered. "I didn't mean to interrupt." As he backed away, one of the group members hissed. Qui-Gon froze. A few more hisses and he was trembling inside and tensing on the outside, but then the translators kicked in and basic came through.
"What do you seek, young one?" Qui-Gon visibly relaxed at the friendly question, at least he hoped it was friendly. Much to his relief, his instincts were correct and he spent the day in their company as they showed him their world. It wasn't long before Qui-Gon had told them about his ideas for peace on Aran and they openly accepted and liked the plans. Still, he hadn't expected to learn that he was speaking to one of the delegates who had decided to take a short break.
Qui-Gon was led by the magistrate into the proceedings where Obi-Wan shot him one of his "master" looks while his walking companion introduced his idea. As a shock to them all, the new peace treaty was signed by the end of the session and he was being thanked by all of the groups involved in the treaty.
His master was congratulated on his student and friendly chastised about keeping his secret weapon hidden. All the while, their bond was active between them. His master was proud and annoyed at the same time. Proud that Qui-Gon had negotiated the peace treaty and annoyed that he had disobeyed orders to do so. The excuse he had come up with wasn't nearly satisfactory for the risk he had taken.
The ensuing party was far more excitement than Qui-Gon could have wished and by mid-evening Obi-Wan had to take him, or carry him, to their quarters and put him to sleep. A rueful smile was on his face as he pulled the blanket over his exhausted padawan. He leaned over and kissed the wrinkles from the youthful forehead. "Sleep well, little one." Then he walked back to the party.
He decided he would have to keep his padawan involved in negotiations even if he couldn't be actively so. At least his ideas could be presented if he enlisted the boy's help. Perhaps then those they dealt with would accept him despite his youth. It was something he noticed more and more as his padawan/master grew. Though he couldn't actively access any of the memories of his past life, he still retained the knowledge and abilities of that time.
Qui-Gon's fighting style, his diplomacy skills, and his sith-spawned stubborn attitude! They were all just a little too similar to the man he used to know for the two not to be linked even at nine years of age. It made him smile to think of how much he could see his master in that small little face. The only problem was he could never make the man see things his way, and he wasn't having any luck with the child either.
Obi-Wan sat in the endless negotiation growing more agitated by the minute. His padawan had disappeared the night before, and though he worried he could sense no danger from the bond that Qui-Gon had kept open just in case. They were involved in the negotiation for the return of a kidnapped girl who was also the daughter of one of the major planetary leaders. Unfortunately, the demands made continued to increase. Every time they met them, more would come in. Obi-Wan was afraid that the terrorists never intended to release the girl. And now, Qui-Gon was gone as well.
He knew the boy was getting anxious and stressed, so when he decided to go for a run, Obi-Wan was very agreeable. But that had been just after dinner and the boy's bed hadn't been used all that night. It wasn't like him to just ignore a meeting, so when he didn't show up for the morning session, Obi started to get even more concerned. Then lunch had come and gone with no sign of his padawan. Still, there was nothing being transmitted down their bond and that was his only reassurance. He had sent twice, but no response was made as of yet. He was beginning to fear that the next negotiations would bring Qui-Gon in as yet another bargaining chip.
//Don't worry so much Master. I'm fine.// Obi-Wan gasped and snapped his head up in shock. The other delegates were too busy arguing to notice his startlement or to care.
//Where are you? Where in the sweet force have you been?// Obi-Wan didn't know whether to be angry or overjoyed by the renewed contact.
//I went to the mountains. I'd advise the Farrens not too agree to anything more. I have Sharra here with me.//
//You what?!//
//I brought her here. She's a little worse for wear, but I've got her mostly healed. Please don't be angry...// Qui-Gon must have felt some of the emotions through the bond and began to get worried himself. Their bond was crackling with anticipation and barely restrained emotion.
//Qui-Gon...// If he had spoken out loud, it would have been through clenched teeth, and the mental voice came across as such, causing Qui-Gon to jump in and cut off what was coming next.
//We both know they weren't going to give her back! I couldn't just let them get everything and kill her for it! Please Master, please understand. I had to do it! I had to go. She needed me!// Obi-Wan sighed and sent reassurance and peace down their bond to snap his padawan from his panic.
//Qui-Gon, you're not thinking about the consequences. You could have been captured or killed.//
//But I wasn't.//
//No, but you could have been! You're only eleven! You can't be going up against a room full of kidnappers!//
//You always say my age doesn't matter.// Obi-Wan absolutely hated when his padawan used his words against him.
//No, but your station does. You're my padawan and I don't accept you running off and putting yourself in danger whenever it suits you!//
//That's our job.// The plain reply was almost enough to drive Obi-Wan insane. He knew he had lost the argument.
//Padawan!// he yelled through the bond. //Next time don't go without me, do you understand.//
//Yes Master.// There was a hint of smug I-Told-You-So syndrome in the mental voice that Obi-Wan would have to address later. For now, he had to bring the negotiations to a close before any more deals were made.
Inside their guest quarters, Qui-Gon turned his attention back to the young woman before him. He finished off healing her broken arm and the bruises that had covered her face and arms. She stopped him when he went to move away with a hand on his arm.
"Is everything all right?" She asked worriedly. Qui-Gon smiled and nodded. "You're not in trouble, are you?"
"No, I'll be fine." he smiled to reassure the older girl and then went to get her some hot tea. She was older than he had expected, and prettier too. At 18 years old, her large brown eyes were framed by long lashes. Her auburn hair reached almost as long as his own, falling to her mid-back. It fell in gentle waves that further softened her appearance. She was only four inches over five feet, which still made her an inch taller than Qui-Gon. Small petite hands were still adorned by four or five rings to mark her station and manicured nails were beginning to chip. Yet, she still looked regal and composed in her tattered dress.
What surprised him the most was her manner. She seemed more concerned by what would happen to him than all she had been through. Empathy and integrity made her a great candidate to follow her father in his office. Her composure during the rescue had been a welcome advantage. It was much easier to make an escape when you didn't have to fight the one you were saving. She hadn't been afraid to fight either.
When he handed her the mug, she smiled gratefully up at him. "Thank you," she whispered. He then noticed her hands were shaking. It appeared her ordeal was catching up to her after all. He knelt in front of her and wrapped his hands around hers.
"It's all right," he soothed. "It's all right now." That seemed to break her all at once and he barely had time to force carry the mug away before she had launched herself into his arms. She was trembling violently and sobbing into his shoulder as Qui-Gon sent calming peace through the force. She was still crying when his master and her father showed up. The chancellor scooped the girl into his arms and carried her out with a grateful smile to the boy who had found her.
Qui-Gon was left to face his seething Master alone. "Well?" Obi-Wan demanded. Qui-Gon did his best to look innocent.
"Well what, Master?" From the look that earned him, Qui-Gon guessed it was the wrong response. He dropped his eyes and mumbled, "I'm sorry."
"No, you're not. But, you will be." Qui-Gon looked wide-eyed up at him. "You want a run? Well, we're going for a run. No force support." Qui-Gon groaned. He had the feeling he would be sorry by the time his master finished with him.
Chapter 7
Something akin to fear rolled up through Qui-Gon's stomach, making him more than a little queasy. He wanted to tell his Master to just take him back to the temple, but after insisting on taking this trip, he didn't want to sound like a crybaby. He had demanded to be able to come to this place and see it first hand the moment he found out about it. Even when his Master and Master Yoda had suggested he wait until he was older, he had stood firm. Now, he wasn't sure he should have done it.
His master must have sensed his anxiety, because he put a reassuring hand on his shoulder and squeezed gently. Qui-Gon looked up at the kind smiling face of his master and gave him a tremulous smile back. As he looked into the warm gray blue eyes of the elder, he noticed that the transport began to slow. His master's hand dropped to his side and grabbed the smaller one in his. Qui-Gon was grateful for the support and squeezed it nervously. "The Jinn estate." The driver announced.
Qui-Gon stepped from the transport while his master paid the driver. Looking around, his tension quickly dissipated and was replaced by a familiar warmth. He smiled when he saw the small farm house and was running toward it before his master had even gotten out of the cab. A mental chuckle flowed through the bond and Qui-Gon threw a grin back over his shoulder. To his great delight, the front door was open to his exploring frenzy. By the time his master made it to the door with their packs, Qui-Gon had already seen every room in the house and was racing to the barn and stable.
Obi-Wan made his own exploration before settling into the kitchen to fix himself and his rambunctious padawan dinner. Except for a few thoughts leaking through the bond, he didn't hear anything from Qui-Gon for several hours when the boy showed up filthy and starving.
"I didn't expect it to feel like home, Master. But it does!"
Obi-Wan nodded and smiled back down at his grinning padawan. "Part of you still knows this place, Qui-Gon. I'm so glad you have found your home." Much to his surprise, his padawan actually laughed at that.
"I had a home before this, Master." Despite Obi-Wan's confusion, Qui-Gon quickly changed the subject. "I went down to the river, Master. It was so beautiful! And the whole thing sang to me through the Force! The song was the most wonderful thing I've felt in so long. It was peace. You know, the peace you feel when everything is in order with the Force?" Obi-Wan smiled at his excited padawan. "Do you want me to show you?"
"I'd love that." Qui-Gon grinned and began to tell him everything else he had done on his explorations. In truth, all Obi-Wan could think about was the chance to see his Master's River of Light. Qui-Gon had promised to bring him here once he was knighted, but circumstances had prevented that from happening. It had been one of the biggest disappointments in his life.
His Master had always spoke of how much he had loved it here and how much he wanted to share it with him--as soon as he was older.
When Qui-Gon cleared the dishes, Obi-Wan pulled the old river stone from his tunic and held it in the palm of his hand. It glowed brightly and warmed his palm. Smiling, he put the stone on the table and waited until his padawan came back. The boy noticed it immediately, and though he couldn't recall the specifics, he knew it was important. At his master's request, he sat down at the table across from him.
"Qui-Gon, when I first became your padawan, you gave me this stone on my thirteenth birthday. It was from your home, found in the River of Light. It has been the greatest birthday gift I've ever received. Now, it's time to give it back to the one who found it." Obi-Wan picked up the stone, put it in the boy's hand and wrapped his hands around the closed fist. Smiling down at the slightly shocked boy, he squeezed his hands. "Welcome home, Padawan."
The entire day proved to be just a little overwhelming, and Qui-Gon's eyes welled up with grateful and happy tears. He threw himself into his master's waiting arms and hugged him tightly around the waist. He buried his face in his master's tunics for a few short moments. "Thank you, Master."
"You're welcome, my Padawan." Then, in a softer voice, he said, "I love you, Qui-Gon." He leaned over to kiss the boy's forehead and the younger Jedi hugged him tightly. Obi could hear muffled sniffles as he ran his fingers through long hair. "Time for meditation, little one."
"Yes, Master." The boy pulled himself away and got up, wiping at his tears. A large smile was on his face as he bounded away from the table toward the stairs. "I love you too, Master." The boy took the steps two at a time and ran silently down to his childhood bedroom. Their bond sang with harmony and love as his padawan sank into his nightly meditation.
Morning brought with it a hyper boy jumping on Obi-Wan's bed. "Wake up, Master! It's morning!" Obi groaned and pulled the covers up over his head.
Youthful giggling warned him just before the bed sheets were ripped from the bed entirely.
"All right." he quipped. Obi-Wan darted up and tossed his padawan down on the bed before proceeding to tickle him crazy. The child's laughter rang up and before he knew it, he was far too awake to consider pulling in a couple more hours of sleep. "We are on vacation, you know. We don't have to get up at the crack of dawn." Qui-Gon giggled some more before squirming away and running to the door.
"I'll make breakfast!" he called. Apparently Qui-Gon was never meant to be anything but an early riser. Dragging himself to the fresher, he resigned himself to never getting to sleep in again. Somehow, the fates had destined him to see every sunrise. At least he was no longer in charge of making the breakfast. That was his padawan's duty now.
After their shared meal, Obi-Wan insisted they meditate before anything else. Qui-Gon hadn't grumbled, but Obi-Wan could tell he was slightly annoyed. The little face broke into a grin when he offered to allow joint meditation. Kneeling across from each other, they sank into a meditation that took on qualities of both of their normal relaxation states.
Together, they let themselves be carried away in the force currents around them. As Obi-Wan's thoughts carried them to a sense of concern about the emotional impact this trip could be making, Qui-Gon's assured him everything would be all right. Then the flighty thoughts of the young teen took over and they were lost to anticipation of what the day would bring, until Obi-Wan grounded them more firmly. The rest of the meditation was spent in contemplation of the Force presence in the area. They both felt a much stronger pulse of the Living Force flowing throughout the Jinn farm.
Coming back to themselves, Obi-Wan caught sight of several items being redeposited on their shelves. He smiled to himself before Qui-Gon removed himself fully from the state they had shared. Apparently his padawan still had the habit of directing the outside world to follow the currents they created while at one with the force. He would have to warn Qui-Gon of the danger again, but not now. He would let it slide until they were finished with this vacation.
"All right, Padawan. What do you plan on doing first?" Qui-Gon broke into a grin, and pulled something from his inner tunic. He held the glowing river stone out for Obi-Wan to see.
"Go find you a new stone, Master!" Obi-Wan couldn't help but smile in return. Then, like the tornado he sometimes created, Qui-Gon was pulling him up and racing out the door. Not for the first time since taking Qui-Gon as his apprentice, Obi-Wan found himself struggling to catch up.
The grounds they walked through were beautiful. Obi-Wan could easily see why his master had been so in touch with the Living Force. The presence was so intense in the woods and over-grown fields that Obi-Wan could feel the air vibrating with it. His padawan's usually vibrant force aura was almost blinding in its home. He mused at how so much energy could be contained in such a little body, but then he remembered how much that body was capable of.
He could feel it before he heard or saw it. It felt like a pull. Insistent and increasing in intensity. By the time he could hear its song, he was hard pressed not to run. Qui-Gon slowed down to take his hand and walked with his master, grounding him to the present. Even to non-force sensitives, it must have been beautiful.
The color was that of the ocean, but it was clear enough to make the entire river transparent. The current was swift, but not dangerous, just fast enough to send its siren call to all those who pass near it. Fish the color of gems swam idly by and seemed as at peace as the river itself. Sunlight twinkled off the water, fish, and myriad of bottom rocks to make it bright enough to compete with the day. It truly was the River of Light.
Qui-Gon looked up into his master's dazed face and felt an odd feeling wash through him. There was a bit of guilt for having not shared this earlier, but he had only found it the day before. He figured it was yet another feeling left over from his life before. "Isn't it beautiful?" he asked, and that snapped his master back to reality.
"It's wonderful, Qui-Gon. Absolutely wonderful." Qui-Gon tugged on the hand he still held and led him down to the banks. He let go to unbuckle his boots and noticed his master wasn't too far gone to follow suit.
When they stepped into the water, Obi-Wan fell to his knees. The sensation was like being immersed in the Force itself. His body began to sing along with the currents and he felt as if he had descended into a deep meditative state without knowing it. Qui-Gon was by his side and sank down to his knees as well, holding his master's larger hand in both of his smaller ones.
Obi-Wan didn't know how long he remained there, just sinking into the currents of the river, but when he came to, he was looking into his padawan's intense blue eyes and came close to drowning in them as well.
A wet hand touched his cheek and brought him to full awareness again. Qui-Gon was smiling softly up at him with a depth in that face that Obi-Wan had come to recognize as part of the old Qui-Gon shining through. At this moment, soaked in river water, he did not know if he was looking at his master or his apprentice. Then the other little hand held up a new stone.
This was a dark green color with no large markings like those found on the first. It glowed brightly in Qui-Gon's hand and the warmth it radiated could be felt even as far away as Obi-Wan was sitting from it. He accepted the stone from the boy and watched as Qui-Gon's aura began to glow just as bright as the stone from his happiness. Obi-Wan found that the joy was contagious and soon he had his padawan folded in his arms.
Tears began then and Obi-Wan truly felt more joy than he had thought ever imaginable after learning his master was dead. No matter what happened in the future, he would always have this moment. Sitting face to face with the river flowing past and around them. At that instant, he knew he would be willing to spend the rest of his life with this soul, no matter what capacity that would be in.
He folded the boy into his arms again and stood up. It took a bit of Force augmenting, but he carried his padawan back to shore. Qui-Gon wrapped his legs around his master's waist and giggled softly at being treated like a child. He burrowed his face in the slightly soggy tunics and smiled. He decided he didn't need the river to find his home. It had been right beside him always.
Obi-Wan looked up at the sky and gasped. He must have been in the river all day long, as it was sunset already. Qui-Gon caught his thoughts and laughed again. He squeezed his master tightly and nuzzled his neck. "I think you and the river got along." Obi-Wan grunted and squeezed back.
"You must be starving."
"I'm okay. I had time to go find your stone and explore more of the river. It opens up into a lake a little further down. We can go swimming sometime. And I found some roots that are really spicy. I thought maybe we could make stew with them for tomorrow. If you want?"
"Whatever you'd like, little one. This is your vacation too."
"Good. Stew it is." Qui-Gon then struggled to get down, but Obi-Wan held onto his hand anyway. "I'll make it tonight and we can leave it simmer in the morning, just in case." He grinned up at Obi-Wan and ducked as his master took a mock swing at him. "Can we go running in the woods tomorrow?"
"I don't see why not. Maybe we'll even take that swim as well."
"OK!" Obi-Wan noticed that the house was now in sight and his stomach was growling almost continuously. That only made his padawan laugh all that much more. "What did the river tell you?" he asked quietly. "She talked to you a long time."
"That she did." he looked down into curious blue eyes. "What does she usually tell you?"
"Lots of things. Today she told me where to find your stone. She said you would love it, as long as I brought it to you. She also told me she loves me very much and misses me when I'm not around."
"I'm sure she does. You're very special." The boy grinned at him.
"That's what she said! And she told me she likes you very much and I should bring you around more often. So I promised her I would." Obi-Wan squeezed his hand and smiled down at him. "So, what'd she say to you?"
"She told me welcome home." Qui-Gon grinned at his master.
After dinner, the two of them went outside to run through some saber exercises. Qui-Gon had picked up on Obi-Wan's aerial tricks and had incorporated them into his own style, making him practically unbeatable. And yet he was convinced he was never good enough. No matter how many times he knocked Obi-Wan on his butt, he was certain he wasn't working up to his master's expectations.
It was the eighth time Qui-Gon dropped him when Obi-Wan decided they had done quite enough for one night. A few katas later, they were both ready for meditation and bed. His time in the river had been mentally exhausting and Qui-Gon's exploring had worn out his youthful body and it was clamoring for sleep. Leaving his padawan in deep meditation, he headed up to his room and to some much needed sleep. He slept with the new river stone in his hand and could almost hear it singing in a melody similar to the river as he fell asleep.
When Qui-Gon came to, the house was silent, and when he felt along his bond with his master, he found that he was asleep. Though he was extremely tired, he did not feel as if he could go to sleep. Instead, he decided to explore the house a bit more thoroughly. He knew his Master has been warned by the Council not to expose him to the past, so he would have to find out himself. It was his life, he didn't know why he wasn't allowed to know about it.
Some of the furniture had doors and shelves built into them, so Qui-Gon headed for those. Some were latched, but he was easily able to pick the lock with the Force. It proved to be worth the effort when he was rewarded by tons of holo albums. He grabbed one of the black leather books and sat down on the floor. The front cover had gold lettering that said "Jinn Family Album." The years matched those he had estimated to correspond to his first childhood.
When he looked at the pictures, he had the oddest sensations of half memories that skittered away when he tried to pin them down. Besides the boy that had once been him, there were two little girls. He smiled as he watched them grow up in the holo pictures. A vague memory confirmed that the two were his sisters. Glancing at the chrono, he decided it was time to go up to bed. He changed into his sleep tunic and climbed into bed, clicking the light off with a Force touch. As he fell asleep, he wondered where his family was.
Obi-Wan woke to the smell of cooking eggs and glanced at the chrono. His over-zealous padawan had actually let him sleep in for once. After visiting the fresher and dressing in a workout tunic, he headed down the stairs to see about eating some breakfast. His padawan was dressed similarly except for his bare feet. He stood at the stove cooking what looked like a mountain of eggs. "Good morning, Padawan." he said cheerfully.
"Morning, Master." Obi-Wan immediately noticed the lack of animation in the voice and knew something was bothering the boy. But Qui-Gon didn't say anything and instead stopped cooking and sat down at the table. Obi-Wan figured he should just wait until his padawan was ready to talk. He reached through the bond, only to find himself blocked almost entirely. After their day together, he wondered what had so upset the boy between meditation and morning.
Qui-Gon sat silently throughout the meal, but he didn't look angry, just contemplative. "Padawan?" he just couldn't wait anymore to find out what has so sobered his apprentice.
"Yes, Master?"
"Is something wrong?" The boy cocked his head to one side and one eyebrow rose in an all too familiar way. He shook his head and smiled slightly.
"No. I'm fine." Pouring them both another glass of juice, he looked across the table again. "Really, I'm fine."
"Then why is our bond blocked?" Qui-Gon actually blushed and started to stammer. If the rest of the morning hadn't been a giveaway, that reaction most certainly was.
"Oh. I--I didn't want to wake you this morning, so I blocked it when I got up. I know you like to sleep longer and we are on vacation..." he trailed off and concentrated on the food on his plate rather than meet his master's eyes.
"Qui-Gon, please. Tell me what's wrong." Obi-Wan pleaded as much through his eyes as through his words to get his padawan to talk to him.
"It's nothing, Master, really. I'm fine."
At that, Obi-Wan decided he would back off for the moment and let Qui-Gon work through whatever was upsetting him.
"All right, but you know where to find me if you need to talk." he said with a smile.
"Thank you, Master."
This time it was Qui-Gon who insisted they wait until their stomachs settled before they go for their run. Morning meditation was short, but there were bags to pack and Qui-Gon got the stew simmering. By the time they worked through several stretching katas and filled their small packs with a light lunch and some swimming clothes, it was mid-morning. They packed their sabers just in case, and Qui-Gon pulled on his boots.
The run started out leisurely and relaxing, but their intended distance made talking an undesirable stress. They both basked in the quiet solitude with nature anyway as they ran almost silently through old forgotten paths.
Obi-Wan remembered how shocked he had been the first time he went running with Qui-Gon the master. One thing he had never expected from a man his size was for him to be silent even on the run. But the man had been full of surprises, especially in the early years. It hadn't taken him long to teach Obi-Wan the same trick, and he had taught Qui-Gon the child how to do it yet again.
When they came to the river, they ran along its banks until it opened up into the lake. Glancing at the sky, Obi-Wan decided it was time for a break, as it was mid-afternoon. He wondered how large the Jinn estate was. Even after running for several hours, they hadn't come close to covering it all. He ran them through a few more katas to calm over-worked hearts and lungs before letting his padawan change clothes and clamor down to the lake. He took a bit longer than Qui-Gon and unpacked their lunches as well. Then he waded into the warm water and let his tension slip away.
The river was quieter today and didn't take him as deep into meditation. The water washed over him, making him feel purified after every wave. The name seemed to fit its affiliation to the Force as well as its appearance.
Qui-Gon was already halfway across the water already and showed no signs of slowing. He called down their bond and found it open, contentment leaking down it. The call made the boy stop and turn around. Obi-Wan used that opening to send a wave splashing into him. A flood of amusement and mock anger poured down the bond, and then Qui-Gon simply disappeared below the water.
With his strong communion with the Living Force, Qui-Gon called just about every living creature in the lake to gather around Obi-Wan and make any attempt to swim impossible. When he reappeared on the surface, he could see his master struggling to get through the mass. He laughed and ignored the pleas that came to him through the bond. //Why don't you just splash them away, Master?// he laughed. When he made it to the opposite shore, he called to the animals to go back to what they had been doing before he turned and disappeared into the woods. Blocking the bond entirely for the first time in his life, he quieted himself to hear the call that had started that morning.
Obi-Wan watched him run into the forest and immediately called to him. When he felt the echo that indicated a complete severance, he began to panic. With Force-induced speed, he swam the rest of the way to the other shore and ran into the woods. He called out loud, knowing the bond was useless until Qui-Gon reopened it and he tried desperately to feel something from the boy. But he was several minutes behind him already. As soon as he started picking up phantom auras, he knew his padawan didn't want to be found anytime soon.
Not knowing where else to get answers, he returned to the lake and fell to his knees on the shore. He was soon in meditation and the lake soothed his troubled mind. He was assured that all would be well and that Qui-Gon would come back in time. The boy had to go on this journey alone. When he came out of the trance, he was still worried, but he didn't have the terrified sense of panic anymore. Resigning himself to wait, he swam back to the other side of the lake, ate his lunch, and waited.
Qui-Gon followed a path that, though overgrown, was still much larger than any of the others they had seen. As he followed it, the quiet call he had been hearing grew louder. When he reached a clearing, his heart dropped in his chest. This was the answer to the question he had been pondering. This was where his family had gone. He stood in a small graveyard, with only four headstones arranged in a semi circle. As he looked at the names and dates, his fear was realized. His family was dead. He collapsed in the center of the circle and wept.
When he had cried his tears for his little sisters and his parents, he made his way back to the lake. His master was fast asleep on the beach opposite from him and Qui-Gon opened his bond with a soft smile. He could feel concern even in his master's dreams and he sent his own love and reassurance as he slipped back into the water. This time he made his swim more leisurely and reached the beach ready to eat half a herd. The sandwich he had made that morning would tide him over as he prepared to sun himself until his master woke.
He spent about an hour in quiet contemplation when Obi-Wan spoke. "Is everything all right, Padawan?" When Qui-Gon looked over, his master still had his eyes closed and looked just as he had before.
"Yes, Master."
"Do you need to talk?" Blue gray eyes finally opened and Obi-Wan sat up and looked down at his padawan.
"No, I'm all right."
"Do you mind telling me where you ran off to?" Though his voice was calm, Qui-Gon knew he had upset his Master.
"I went to see my family." Qui-Gon watched as realization stole over his master's features. He sighed and looked down sadly at him.
"Qui-Gon..." For once, Qui-Gon saw his master flounder over which emotion to allow to show. He smiled softly when he saw grief win over.
"It's all right, Master. I still have my family." He sat up then and wrapped his arms around his master's waist. Obi-Wan hugged him back and rocked him slightly.
"Always." he whispered.